That gets my attention. “Mentioned how?” I ask.
He laughs again. “Now, now, I shouldn’t have said anything. But rest assured, we’re all taking notice of how hard you’ve worked.”
There’s a pause, and I realize he’s waiting for some ass-kissing. “Well, thank you,” I say, mustering as much sincerity as I can. “I couldn’t have done it without your mentorship.” Read: passing off all his unwanted cases, and forgetting my name half the time. “I appreciate the opportunity.”
“Good to hear.” Peyton sounds satisfied. “I’ll keep you updated when we have more news.”
I say goodbye and hang up, holding the phone to my chest. I should feel ecstatic: I’m close to the promotion I’ve been working so hard for, sacrificing countless late nights and weekends for years so I could make partner.
Everything I wanted, mine for the taking.
Except it’s not everything anymore.
I drag myself off the couch – but only as far as the kitchen, to grab a glass of water. I catch sight of my reflection in a mirror on the way.
I look like hell. Greasy hair, pale skin, my eyes red from all the crying I swore I would never do. I can pretend like I’m just mad at Ash, but I can’t hide from the truth staring back at me: this hurts like hell.
The ‘painful knot in the middle of my chest’ kind of hurt. The low ache that makes me want to curl up in a ball and block out the world.
I don’t do heartbreak. I’ve never cared enough to hurt when it’s all over. There’s never been a guy to get so close.
Until Ash.
Fuck. It’s like after law school all over again, except even worse. How many times will I let this guy in, only to have him betray me?
He used our friendship against me. All those late nights we joked about our secret fantasies, all that dirty talk and more. I felt like the mystery guy sending the invitations could read my mind – as if he knew exactly what would turn me on the most.
Because he did. He knew everything.
Ash knew it all.
A knock comes at the door.
I whirl around so fast I nearly send a vase crashing down, but I catch it just in time. My mind races. The doorman didn’t call to let me know anyone was coming up, but Ash could charm anyone, even Juan.
“Hello?” I call cautiously. My eyes go back to the mirror, and my miserable reflection.
“It’s me, Keely.”
Thank God. She knows everything: she was the first person I called, to come drink tequila with me and hear the whole sorry story.
“Hey, just wait a sec.” I do my best to finger-comb my bedraggled hair and tug at my schlubby sweatpants. Then I go open the door.
Keely blinks. “Umm, hey. You weren’t picking up, so I got worried.”
“Sorry. I’m fine.” I head back to the living room, and slump onto the couch. I reach for the nearest takeout pizza box. Cold pizza. Works for me. “You want some?” I offer Keely the box.
She strides inside and puts her hands on her hips. “This is not fine. This is pathetic. You’ve been locked in here for days!”
“I’m just taking some time,” I protest in a small voice.
“To what? Sink into total misery and depression?”
“Well, yeah.”
Keely gives me a sympathetic smile. “Look, I know you feel like crap right now, but it’s my duty as your best friend to get your butt off the couch and feeling better.”
“I don’t want to go anywhere,” I yawn. “And besides, TCM is just starting their Meg Ryan marathon. C’mon, sit. I’ll order more pizza.”
“No way!” Keely grabs my hand and drags me up. “I’ve booked us a spa day. Hair salon, mani-pedis, the whole package.”
I look at her. “Is this your way of telling me I look like hell?”
She grins. “Yes. But you won’t be for long. It’s OK, Justine,” her voice softens. “You’re gonna be okay.” I feel tears prick at my eyes.
Keely grabs my arm and pulls me towards her. “Don’t let Ash win,” she adds.
Her words send a sharp burn of determination through me. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing,” I warn her.
Keely laughs. “But it’s working, right? You want to stay here crying over him, or get back to being the fabulous, ass-kicking Justine we all know and love?”
I pause. I’m still hurting, but Keely’s right. I can’t hide out here forever. “Give me ten minutes,” I tell her. “I need to take a shower.”
Two hours, one massage, a facial and seaweed wrap later, I’m feeling better. Way better. Keely booked us in for blow-outs and manicures at her fancy salon, too, and now I’m sitting in a chair beside her while people fuss around us, bringing mimosas and trashy magazines.
I relax back with a sigh. “Thanks,” I murmur. “This is exactly what I needed.”
“Good,” Keely smiles. “Now, I’ve waited long enough. Spill.”
I look over. “Spill what?”
“How you’re feeling, what’s going on,” Keely shrugs. “You’ve been on lockdown all day, not one word about Ash.”
“That’s because he’s dead to me.”
I close my eyes and try to recapture that blissful feeling, but all I see is his face, the way he looked in the hotel room, before I walked out on him forever.
Wounded. Determined.
So fucking sexy.
I groan in frustration. My eyes fly open again. “Look what you did! I’d forgotten all about him.”
Keely gives me a look.
“Well, almost,” I admit. “I just… I don’t know what to tell you. He lied, all along he had me running around over this mystery guy, and the whole time was him. He just wanted to watch me make a fool of myself.”
“I don’t know…” Keely bites her lip. “It doesn’t sound like it to me. I know I’ve never met the guy,” she adds, “But from what you’ve been telling me, he’s not the mind games type. That was why you were friends in the first place, right? You were both no-bullshit kind of people.”
“Yeah, well things change.” I gulp my mimosa.
“Maybe…” Keely muses. “Did he tell you why he sent you the invitations in the first place? Did he explain at all?”
I pause. “No,” I answer in a small voice. “I didn’t give him the chance. I was too mad.”
“Hmmm…” Keely murmurs.
“What?”
“Nothing,” she says.
I glare. “Tell me.”
“I just…” Keely sighs. “I just wonder if maybe you should hear him out. I know you’re angry,” she adds quickly. “And you have every right to be. He lied. But don’t you want to know his reasons? It might help you understand. Or move on. But either way… you’d have answers.”
She’s right. One of the worst things about this whole mess is not knowing. Why Ash disappeared after law school, why he didn’t contact me when he was living in LA. Why he chose now of all times to start up this sexy scavenger hunt and string me along. It doesn’t make any sense, and it’s driving me crazy.
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