Louis looked at me, considering. “I’ve never known you to turn down a drink. Five in the morning, five at night. Anything you want to tell me?”
I shook my head, not answering. Louis was friends with Danny, and it occurred to me that I might not be the only one with interesting information I was withholding. How could I ask Louis, though? Have you seen my estranged husband and how does he feel about his new girlfriend? How do you think he’s going to feel about this baby?
Louis nodded, deciding not to press. “How you holding up, kid?”
I wanted to scream: You abandoned me, how do you think I’m doing? But I smiled. “Pretty good. You?”
He sipped the bourbon. “About to be a lot better. Despite the hundred people here I have to say hello to.”
I motioned toward the deck, which was steps from the beach, the Atlantic Ocean. “We could sneak outside, and you could have your drink in peace.”
Louis smiled, a little sadly. “Afraid I can’t do that.”
I nodded, knowing that would be his answer. Louis had forgiven me as much as he was going to forgive me. That didn’t mean he wanted anything to do with me.
“Be well, though,” he said.
“Wait!” I said. “I just need to tell you something . . .”
He shook his head. “Sunny, I was trying to lend you a hand, but I really don’t want to do this.”
“I know, but this is not about us. I mean, it’s not about me trying to get you to forgive me or anything.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I think in order for that to even be on the table, there would have to be an I’m sorry. Haven’t heard that yet.”
“There’s something you need to know about Amber.”
“I’m not interested,” he said.
“Well, I am!”
We turned to see Julie, a mostly empty champagne glass in hand, a pantsuit highlighting her figure.
“Julie,” Louis said.
She kissed Louis on each cheek. “Hello, sir! Congratulations.”
Then she smiled at me.
“This is a surprise! Well, not really, Violet texted me the second she saw you walk in.” She took a sip of her drink. “What’s the Amber gossip?”
“There is no gossip,” Louis said.
I shook my head, staying quiet.
Julie looked back and forth between us, intrigued. “Let her tell you, Louis. Let her tell us.”
Louis paused, and I knew this was the moment. I leaned in, ready to jump into my story. My initial plan had been to tell Louis what Amber had done—to turn him against her—to remind him that I wasn’t the enemy; to tell him that I was working for Chef Z, and I was trying to rectify it, trying to become what I had only before pretended to be.
Except, with Louis waiting to listen, it seemed wrong to talk about Chef Z, wrong to say I was fixing anything, even wrong to talk about Amber. It was just a different form of pretend.
I shrugged. “You know what? I forgot.”
He looked over at Julie and then back at me. “I don’t follow.”
My heart started to race, the room closing in. “I need to go,” I said.
Which was when Amber intervened.
“That’s certainly true!” she said loudly.
Several people at the bar turned toward us, a few groups of people turning to look as well.
“I want you out of my party!”
Julie put her hand on Amber’s arm. “Darling, you should probably calm down.”
“Get out, or I’m calling the fucking police!”
Julie pulled back. “Or not.”
Amber lowered her voice. “Do you know how much that skirt cost that you ruined? A lot.”
“Do I want to know what you’re talking about?” Louis asked.
“Sunny publicly attacked me with a plate of peaches.”
Julie laughed. “I’m . . . uh . . .” She cleared her throat. “Sorry.”
Amber shot her a look. Then she turned back to me. “What are you even doing here? No one invited you. And believe me, no one wants you here.”
I turned toward Louis, my desire to take the high road disappearing with Amber’s entitled display. Now I just wanted Amber knocked down a few pegs.
“Amber is the person who hacked me.”
She laughed a little too loudly. “That’s ridiculous.”
I put my hands up in surrender, no need to raise my voice or make a big deal. Telling the truth was funny that way.
“And how do you know that?” Louis said.
“She told me.”
“She told you?” Julie said. “She confessed?”
“More like gloated.”
“I did not.”
“So you just happened to show up at my apartment the next night?”
She tried to pull off confused, as though trying to remember. “I think I had dinner reservations near there.”
“Please.”
“And even if I did go a little out of my way to revel in what happened, I still didn’t do it. I swear to you.” She turned to Louis. “I swear to you.”
Louis looked back and forth between us, he and Julie both, like they didn’t know whom to believe.
I met Louis’s eyes. “I don’t expect you to give me another chance. Please, though. Don’t reward her for what she did.”
Amber shook her head. “This is insane. I’m done defending myself. No one would do this for professional reasons.”
“How about what you think happened with your boyfriend?” I said.
Julie leaned in. “What happened with her boyfriend?” she said.
“Nothing!” Amber said. “Louis, would you help me out here? I have a whole party of people I should be talking to.”
I looked at Louis apologetically. He turned to Amber and I could see it. He thought if anyone was lying, she was.
Amber shook her head. “I don’t believe this,” she said. “I’m a feminist! I love women. Even the ones I don’t particularly like.”
She looked at all of us, exasperated.
“And how dumb would I have to be to show up at your apartment if I actually had done this?”
“So you admit that wasn’t a random run-in?”
“Yes, you caught me! I admit it. I was happy someone had finally taken you down, and I wanted to gloat. I’m only human. I can’t always be sweet Amber.”
“When are you ever sweet, Amber?” Julie said.
Amber shot her a look. Then she turned back toward me. “I don’t know what to tell you except that it wasn’t me,” she said.
And the weirdest thing happened. There was a look on her face that I couldn’t deny. She didn’t look guilty. She looked like she had nothing to hide. And suddenly it was too much. It was too much looking at her, because I started to think she wasn’t lying. And if she wasn’t—if she really wasn’t behind this—then who was? Not Ryan. Not Violet. Not Amber. Not some random guy—I was sure of that too. So who?
“I’m going to enjoy what’s left of my party,” Amber said. “But I’ll expect five thousand dollars from you. For a new skirt.”
Julie blanched. “You paid five thousand dollars for a skirt? I guess you really want to hold on to that boyfriend.”
Amber put up her hands in surrender. “Charlie’s not my boyfriend anymore. Can everyone stop it with that?”
“Amber, he’s here tonight,” Louis said.
“I know. No one will seem to let me finish.” Amber paused. “Charlie’s not my boyfriend anymore,” she said. “He’s my fiancé.”
Then she held out her ring finger like proof.