Under the Lights

“Whatever, Josh. Next time, just…mind your own business. I only came so I wouldn’t be the only one from the show who was obviously missing, but since even your ‘best friend’ doesn’t wanna be here, I don’t see why I have to be.” She flags down a passing waiter, grabs an appletini shot from his tray, and tosses it back. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to…talk to anyone who’s not you.” She thrusts the glass into my hands, and, completely and totally speechless, I just watch her disappear.

Chapter Twelve Vanessa

God, Josh Chester is so infuriating. I wish he didn’t throw such good parties; I swear I’d never find myself around him otherwise. Although, now that his run on the show is over and Ally’s completely free of him, I probably never have to.

It’s a nice thought.

I ask the bartender for something stronger than the shot I just drank way too fast, and he hands me something with a cherry and way too much alcohol. I accept it anyway. The idea of facing Bri again this soon after the inexplicable tummy-touching incident demands a little altered reality.

“Can I have a mineral water with lime?” a girl asks from behind me, and I hold back a groan. I know that voice, and I know exactly who likes her water that way. Hopefully, she doesn’t know the back of my head, because I haven’t had nearly enough alcohol for this encounter.

No such luck. “Hey, I was wondering when I’d bump into you.”

I turn around, plastering on a smile. No T-shirt today. Instead, Bri’s wearing a cute handkerchief-print maxi dress, her hair twisted messily on top of her head, a guitar pendant hanging from a thin silver chain around her long neck. I’ve never seen her in red lipstick before, but it works on her, especially with her face framed by the wild red curls that’ve escaped her knot.

She looks beautiful.

“I was wondering the same about you. How long have you been here?”

“Just a couple minutes. Long enough to catch the shitshow with the reality guys. Never a dull moment around Josh Chester, is there?”

“Only when he’s speaking.” I take a sip of my drink as I watch the bartender hand over hers. The water is cool and clear and looks so refreshing next to my mystery drink, I sort of want to swap. Except I need to escape my head after yesterday, just a little bit, and can’t help feeling a little annoyed that she doesn’t need to do the same. “Just water, huh?”

“For now,” she says simply.

She’s showing no signs at all of feeling weird, and I’m starting to wonder if maybe everything was entirely in my head. I know that’s a good thing, but for some reason, it’s only making my annoyance grow. I need to take my drink and find a little peace and quiet.

“Okay, well.” I make like I’m looking at someone else over her shoulder and need to go say hi; let no one say acting skills don’t come in handy off set. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

I do in fact spot a bunch of people I could and probably should say hi to, and normally I would. But right now, I want to be alone more than I ever have before in my life.

No, that’s not true. I don’t want to be alone. As I walk away from Bri, putting purpose into my step until I’m pretty sure she’s no longer watching, I think about how badly I miss my best friend. Ally would tell me that I’m being a complete idiot and reading far too much into a new friendship. In fact, maybe that’s exactly what I need to hear.

Now that the reality show guys are gone, the party’s picked back up, so I duck inside Josh’s house to make the call to Ally. It rings four times and goes to voicemail. Of course.

I get as far as “Hey, A,” before I realize I don’t even really know what else to say. I don’t want to talk to a machine. Why is it so impossible to have a normal freaking conversation these days? I sigh. “Just wanted to say hi. Guess I’ll talk to you later.” I hit End and then stare at my phone, willing her to call me back, hoping she just needed to find a quiet space or something.

After four minutes, which I spend downing my drink, I’m contemplating calling her again, and of course, that’s exactly when I hear, “You still PMS-ing, K-drama?”

I whirl around to see Josh double-fisting beers. “Do you just troll around coming up with the most offensive statements possible?”

“Would you believe it actually requires zero work on my part?”

“Oh, go away.”

“Seriously, Park, what crawled up your ass and died? You in a fight with Mini-Jade?”

“Stop calling her that,” I spit. “She isn’t anything like her mother.”

“Then why are you so pissed I invited her here? I thought you guys were cool. Do yoga and stuff.”

And stuff. I grit my teeth, feeling them grind, and then loosen my jaw again. “We’re fine. We’re friends. But you didn’t have to invite her here.”

He shrugs. “Well, too late now. Anyway, I thought she was gonna be hanging out with you and your boyfriend. So, why’d he flake?”

“He didn’t flake,” I say flatly. “I decided it’d be nice to be with just Daylight people tonight. I didn’t realize you’d be inviting Bri or your gross friends.”