by Lexy Timms
“Gonna show me up, huh?” Eris asked.
Kallie snickered and shook her head before she held out her arms.
“How do I look?” Kallie asked.
“Like you’d cost a hell of a lot more than I have to offer.”
“Fuck you.”
“I see the island has loosened up your tongue. I like that. You ready to go get our party on?”
“Do I have a choice?” Kallie asked.
“Trust me. The color is already flooding back to your face. By the end of tonight, you’ll be as good as new and you’ll know what to do. That’s my goal. To get you back on track to succeed and flourish in your own life.”
Kallie took one last look at herself before grabbing her purse.
“Come on,” she said. “Let’s go.”
“That’s the spirit,” Eris said. “To the bars!”
Chapter 3
Kallie
Eris insisted on dragging her to a cocktail bar to start their evening. It was one of the trendiest spots in New York, and she was walking in there in a tank top and sweatpants. Even though she looked two ticks shy of homeless, Eris was still batting away the offers. They both were. Men were offering them drinks left and right. Men in blazers and button-downs and tight pants all walked up to Kallie and smiled at her. Complimented her. Made any excuse to be close to her. Some complimented her eyes while others complimented her dress. One man even complimented her on her earrings. He said they “made her eyes twinkle in the lights of the strobes.”
“You see that guy over there?” Eris asked.
“Which one?”
“The one with the buzz cut and the holey jeans? I bet you he’s military.”
“You got a thing for military men?” Kallie asked.
“Nope. Figured you did after your little island excursion,” Eris said with a grin.
“Oh stop it. Now you’re being mean.”
“What about that guy? Hmm? With his longer hair and that tailored suit. What do you think he does for work?”
“Well, he’s got his nose crinkled at something. Looks a little uptight. Possibly an accountant?”
“I was thinking president of a no-name start-up, but that one’s good too.”
Kallie sputtered her drink as she tried to conceal her laughter.
“What about that guy over there?” Eris asked.
“That’s the bartender, Eris.”
“But I mean look at him. Tattoos all up his arms. Bald head. Stern expression. Loose shirt. The man looks like he recently escaped from prison.”
“Possibly James’s old bodyguard?” Kallie asked.
Eris threw her head back and laughed.
With each guy they pointed out, Kallie found her spirits being lifted. The doom and gloom was lifting and the alcohol was settling into Kallie’s bones. She was loose. Hip. With it. Moving her body to the beat of the music and turning down guys left and right. Her confidence soared through the rafters and she enjoyed raucous laughter with her best friend.
The night was going well.
Much better than Kallie had anticipated.
“Come on,” Eris said. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. We’ll need a good foundation if we’re going to drink in earnest tonight.”
“Trust me, Eris. I did enough drinking in St. Barts to last me a lifetime.”
“Quitter! You can do better than that. It’s our night! You’re going to do better than that.”
Kallie was tugged along the sidewalk of Manhattan until Eris ducked into a trendy fusion tapas restaurant. They squeezed in with the other New Yorkers so they could place their order for tiny plates of delicious and exotic foods. Kallie’s stomach growled as decadent dishes passed their heads, as the alcohol soaking into her veins made her teeter. She leaned against Eris and the two of them talked a little too loudly on the line, and soon people were staring at them as they cracked jokes and laughed until tears streaked their cheeks.
A couple of chairs in the back came open and Eris pulled Kallie over to them. They sat at the bar and a menu was placed in front of them. They promptly ordered, and the bartender set out waters for them, a silent cue that he would refuse them alcohol service if they asked.
“Whoops,” Eris said.
“Guess we were a little loud,” Kallie said.
“I’m ready for this food. It’ll be enough to sober us up so we can club hop until we can’t feel our ankles.”
“I’m just hungry. I don’t think I’ve eaten all day.”
“No wonder that half a bottle of wine did you in.”
“And the four drinks I had at the bar we just left.”
“Only four?” Eris asked. “Weenie.”
Kallie rolled her eyes as the vibrating of her phone caught her attention. She reached in and pulled it out, watching as James’s name scrolled across the screen. She glanced at Eris, who was too busy looking at a man who had come to stand in the corner with them, so she opened up the text message and read it.
I miss you. I’ve never been lonelier in my life than when you left. I love you, princess. Please come home.
“What the hell is this?” Eris asked.
She ripped the phone from Kallie’s hands and began to read the message.
“Eris, stop it.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Give me my phone,” Kallie said.
“Right. Yeah. Well, don’t believe him, princess.”
Kallie frowned as she closed out the message and shoved her phone into her purse. If she didn’t get the phone away from Eris, her friend would surely type some sort of snotty reply back. The guy in the corner was gone and their food was set in front of them, but Kallie no longer felt like eating.
She felt conflicted, and it was clouding her judgment.
“Okay. I know that look. Talk to me,” Eris said.
“Why? So you can judge me for it?”
“No. So I can talk some sense into you and remind you the type of twat your ex-fiancé is.”
“Look, James isn’t perfect, okay? I know that. You know that. He knows that. We all know that. But we were compatible. I wouldn't have agreed to marry him otherwise. Our life paths? They converged well. We had the same goals. The same aspirations. The same passions. We worked, Eris. For years. I wouldn’t have accepted his proposal if we didn’t work.”
“And then he fucked your bridesmaid.”
“Eris.”
“What? It’s true. Thirty minutes before you were supposed to walk down the aisle I opened that damn closet door and saw that bitch on her knees with his cock in her mouth.”
“Stop it,” Kallie said.
“No. I’m not. Because you need to hear this. For every woman you catch, there are at least two you don’t. This isn’t a one-off for James. It never is. They indulge and indulge until they get caught. Then they beg for forgiveness. Like he’s doing right now.”
Kallie didn’t even want to tell Eris about James’s admission of other women. It would only prove her point. Eris slid her arm around Kallie and pulled her close, and Kallie let her head fall onto her friend’s shoulder. Princess. He hadn’t called her that in years. It was his nickname for her when they’d first started dating and she loved it. Hoped it would one day make a comeback when their futures were bright and not so tense, stressed, and pulled to their limits.
“I loved being called his princess,” Kallie said.
“I know you did. And he knows that too. I understand. I know you don’t think I do, but I do. I’ve been in love a couple of times, and I know what women are willing to sacrifice to keep it.”
“What did you sacrifice?” Kallie asked.
She sat up and looked into her friend’s eyes while eating the food set in front of her.
“You remember that guy from my junior year? Dax?”
“The guy with the motorcycle. Right?”
“That’s the one. I was in love with that boy, Kallie.”
“I didn’t know that. Why didn’t I know this?”
&nb
sp; “Because I compromised a lot to be with him. We always did what he wanted and always went where he wanted to go. He told me about classes I needed to take and classes I needed to stay away from. I listened to his every whim because I was entranced by his muscles and his steely gray eyes and his free-for-all attitude.”
“Eris. Why don’t I know about this?” Kallie asked.
“Because I did the worst thing of my life because he asked me to.”
“What happened?”
“I stole for him.”
“What?”
“Yep. The money he used to spoil me, he got from robbing gas stations. Small grocers. Vegetable stands on the side of the road. I was so wrapped up in him that I helped him get away from four of them before I came to my senses.”
“Holy hell, Eris.”
“I was ashamed to tell you because I knew you would judge me. I knew you would tell me that man was no good for me, and I didn’t want to hear it. I could tell by the look on your face that James said something to you. He’s admitted to being with other women, hasn’t he?”
Tears sprang to Kallie’s eyes as Eris took her hands.
“No man is worth compromising your morals, Kallie. Take it from me. I almost ruined my life and got myself thrown in jail over it. You can’t just forgive him for the fucked-up shit he did to you, no matter how many good moments there are to hang onto. He did it. Repeatedly. And didn’t once apologize until he was caught.”
“Why did he do this to me?” Kallie asked breathlessly.
“I don’t know,” Eris said as she wiped away a tear, “but tonight is a girls’ night. And guys don’t intrude. So no more looking at your phone, or I’m flushing it.”
“Those are fighting words. You don’t touch a person’s phone.”
“Then turn it off,” Eris said. “Then it won’t matter who texts you. They won’t be able to reach you until you turn it back on. Plus, with the next place I’m taking you to, I’m going to need your full attention.”
“Needy much?” Kallie asked with a grin.
“I’ve missed my best friend. This is the first time we’ve both been single in years. I plan on living it up with you now. So, come on. Take out the phone and shut it down. Now. Right now.”
Kallie sighed heavily, then followed her friend’s orders. She took out her phone and turned it off, then stuck it back in her purse. The two of them finished their food and drank down the rest of their waters. Kallie felt revitalized again. Ready to take on the night with her best friend after that one simple move.
“You ready?” Eris asked.
“Yep. Let’s pay and then we can get out of here,” Kallie said.
“Good. Because the next place we’re going has too much music you won’t be able to hear yourself think.”
“Then what was the point of me turning off my phone?”
“I needed to see you do it. To see that you were still capable of putting distance between you and these men and taking a night to find yourself again. Moves like that are important. Being able to shut off the triggers that make you so uptight all the time is important to you finding your way back to yourself, Kallie. For years, you’ve been ‘James’s girlfriend’ or ‘James’s fiancé.’ It’s been a long time since you’ve been ‘Kallie Semple.’”
“It has,” she said.
“So come on, Kallie Semple, and let’s dance the night away.”
Chapter 4
Ash
The second Ash stepped foot back into New York City, it was like a siren sounded throughout the entire state. He made his way for his penthouse apartment that overlooked the city, and by the time his first night was over with, he had fourteen invitations to different exclusive events. Charity balls and opening nights of new clubs. VIP access to bars that only Hollywood elites frequented. Restaurants with their private parties and political figures wanting to schmooze him for his money.
But he ignored all of them.
That wasn’t the point of him being back.
There was one, however, he couldn’t ignore. Mostly because the invitation kept coming. Through the mail. Through his phone. Somehow, even through his email. An old college buddy of his—Jeremy—was literally begging him on his technological hands and knees to come to a new club that was opening. A club his friend held part ownership in. His friend was petrified that if the club didn’t give off the right vibe to the city, he would lose his investment.
And having Ashly Worthington at his club would give it the notoriety it needed.
Ash decided to do the guy a favor. After all, they were good friends back in college. Just because he had a falling out with his family didn’t mean he had to push all his friends away, so Ash pulled out his best suit and got ready. A navy suit with a crisp white shirt, matching shoes, and a vest that clung to his slim waist. He pulled out his best cuff links and made sure every hair was put in place.
The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass his family in their hometown.
Because that meant they would know he was home. And they’d descend on him like a herd of wild animals.
Ash tried to push Kallie from his mind. He hadn’t heard from her and he was growing anxious. He was so confident in the fact that she would call. Confident in the fact that the second she read that note, her number would have popped up on his phone. But two days have gone by and he had heard nothing. No phone call. No voice mail. No text message. Nothing. Ash was beginning to think that what they had on the island was fabricated. A product of the alcohol and the decadent foods and the beautiful, romantic landscape.
And a night out on the town would help Ash clear his mind.
Ash rode to the club and pulled up in his best town car. But when he approached the front doors, he saw the club was already packed to the gills. His friend found him immediately and shook his hand before bringing him in for a massive hug. He figured there was someone, somewhere taking pictures of the moment. Ready to blast it out to the magazines and get the name of the new club out there for everyone to see. But Ash was used to that kind of thing. Every friend of his, no matter how close, always needed to use his fame and prestige for something eventually. To forward their own agenda or create their own business. That was why Kallie had intrigued him so much. In some ways, it was why he liked her response to him having money.
Even though her response to him had driven a wedge between them.
After his friend talked with him for a little bit and thanked him for coming out to their opening night, Ash retired to the quiet VIP section of the club. It was glassed off from the rest of the place and the music wasn't as loud, which gave Ash somewhere to perch and think. But staring at the crowd through the glass quickly made him feel like a fish in a bowl, and he didn't like it. It reminded him of why he’d left New York in the first place. Even though the space was quiet, he didn't like the fact that someone had to be wealthy in order to have the experience. To shake hands with the owner of the club. To perch in a little glass house that was more comfortable than the rest of the floor below him. Ash hated the way the wealthy were treated as somehow more special than the rest of the community.
The rest of humanity.
The longer Ash sat in his seat, the more it reminded him of why he had pulled away from his family. His parents would have loved something like this. They would have loved the private butler that came up to Ash and offered him a drink he didn't even order. They would have loved being suspended in this small glass house, so they could look down their noses at everyone else grinding on the floor below them. Tease them. Ridicule them. Pick apart their outfits and laugh like it was a joke created for their pleasure alone. It was like the rich needed to be insulated from the crowd but still visible. So that the less fortunate had something to aspire to.
That was the ego rich people carried around. That was the ego his parents carried around. And it was the kind of ego Ash left behind when he took up his place on the island.
To him? It was all bullshit. Every last bit of it.
Ash took the cocktail from the man with the tray and figured he would have one drink. People could take their pictures and his friend could ride off the coattails of his name, then he could return to his apartment and the seclusion it provided for him. He didn't care for New York. He didn't care for its constant press of people. The crowded clubs and the paparazzi clamoring for pictures of the rich and famous. Clamoring for tidbits of his life they could sell to the front pages. St. Barts was quiet, even during the tourist months. And even when the tourists were on the island, there were plenty of secluded areas for him to go and enjoy himself. Enjoy the beauty and the solitude of the island.
New York didn't have those kinds of places. Everywhere he turned, there were people who wanted to know him. People who wanted to benefit from him. People who wanted to ask for his money and pitch him ideas for start-ups he could invest into, so they could go straight for his wallet.
Ash hated New York City.
He quickly downed the drink in his hand, not even pausing to figure out what he had been offered. Then he set the empty glass down on the table beside him and stood to leave. He scanned the dance floor one last time and took in the people below him. Grinding and drinking and having the best time surrounded by their friends.
But then, something caught his eye.
A familiar copper-colored head that bounced around in the crowd.
Was it possible? Could that be Kallie? Ash pressed his hand against the glass window and it made him hate the encasement even more. Yet another barrier between him and what he had to come to New York City for in the first place. He watched the copper hair bounce around in its braid as wisps of curls flew from its confines.
Then the head swiveled around and Ash got a glimpse of those bright-green eyes.
Seeing her face was like a punch to his chest. It left him breathless as he gazed down upon her from his perch. She looked so beautiful in her green and yellow dress as it fluttered with her moves on the dance floor. And she didn't even know it. Kallie was completely unaware of the men who were staring at her. Gathered around her. Watching her and some girl, who donned nothing but sweatpants and a tank top, as the two of them danced around with drinks in their hands.
