“You haven’t seen him with Geraldine. I can’t describe the way he takes care of her and he’s always there when she needs him. I know he loves Geraldine. He also went out of his way to help Jasper when I know Jasper didn’t deserve it. Stone’s got a good heart. He’s just careful with people. There’s a lot of hurt and damage inside him.”
Chantel poured herself more vodka. “He’s an idiot. You see all that when no one else can see past the elitist uninterested expression he always wears on his gorgeous face. He should have kept you. He needed to keep you. All the other women in his life were with him for this,” she held her hands out as if the room was why they were with him. “All the shit he has. His money. His name. And of course, his talent in the sack.” She winced and gave me a sad smile. “Sorry. But I’ve heard the talk.”
Shay snorted. “Sure you have.”
I didn’t want to know if Chantel had been with Stone sexually. That was the last thing I needed to picture. Her perfect body was intimidating. “Don’t be a bitch,” Chantel said to Shay.
Shay shut up and I was relieved. Then I drank some more. My body began to feel loose and warm as the liquid started working its magic. I laid my head back on the sofa behind me and sighed.
“He is rather amazing. I didn’t have much experience with sex before him but even I knew that wasn’t normal. It was earth shattering.” My tongue had started wagging of its own free will apparently. I didn’t care. It was true.
“And the vodka has taken effect just that quickly. Give her another donut.” Shay laughed.
Before I could say anything else, a donut was in my hand. I didn’t even look at it as I stuffed a bite in my mouth and chewed, smiling. The donuts were good. Calories and Chantel’s perfect butt didn’t seem important anymore. I’d rather eat the sugary goodness than have her body. At least right now I would. Tomorrow morning, I would likely feel differently. That thought made me laugh.
Opening my eyes, I studied the chandelier’s twinkling lights above us. It probably cost more money than I had made in my short life. It was beautiful. Elegant. “Do you think Stone has ever studied that chandelier before? Like really appreciated how pretty it is when the lights are on and all the crystals glitter from the light.”
“Uh, no. Unless he has been sitting where you are drunk off his ass,” Shay replied.
“It really is something. Do y’all think Marty and Fiona will ever hook up again?” Chantel changed the subject and I turned my head to look up at her on the sofa. She was fixated on the chandelier lights now.
“I think they still fuck regularly,” Shay replied.
Chantel gasped. “Really?”
“Yup.”
“I guess my asking him out is a bad idea then.” She sounded disappointed.
Shay shrugged. “Not my business.”
We all sat in silence for a few minutes. My thoughts were on Stone. Chantel’s were on Marty and I wasn’t sure who Shay was thinking about. I drank more and with each sip felt life become easier. Like I was floating on a happy cloud.
“I keep having sex with Mack,” Shay blurted out.
I couldn’t say I was surprised by this. “Good.” My response was heartfelt even though it might not have sounded that way.
“Everyone already knows that,” was Chantel’s response.
“Damn,” Shay muttered.
I started giggling. Chantel joined me and Shay laughed out loud with the two of us. Our laughter got louder as the world became hilarious suddenly. The more we saw each other laugh the funnier it seemed. My side hurt from laughing. Tears were rolling down my face and I was okay—at least for now. I would have face the pain again. But tonight, it felt great to laugh in the face of everything that had happened.
Beulah
I WOKE UP TO MISERY, but it wasn’t the kind I had expected. My hands gripped the edge of the toilet as I heaved for the third time. A cold sweat covered my body. I sank down onto my knees and dropped my head into my hands once I was finished. I would never drink alcohol again.
Laughter coming from outside the door couldn’t even get my attention. I didn’t want to move. My head was pounding so badly that if I did move I’d likely end up hanging my head over the toilet again.
“Lightweight, you should have eaten more.” Shay’s all too chipper voice was annoying. How was she not hanging over her toilet? She drank more than the three of us combined. I would ask her if I could speak and not revive my nausea. But even that was difficult. “Here,” a cold wet washcloth appeared in front of me. “Use that and spread out on the cold marble floor. I’ll bring you some water.”
I took the cloth and covered my face, curling up on the floor like she suggested. This was like a terrible stomach virus. However, I’d caused it. At least with a stomach virus you were an innocent victim. It was impossible to feel sorry for myself when the horrid state I was in was my fault.
I couldn’t remember what Stone’s living room looked like or how much of his alcohol we drank. When I could move again I needed to clean up and restock his bar. Leaving here was inevitable, but I wouldn’t leave without making sure it was just as he left it. The ache in my chest was there under all the awful sickness. Now it was just worse. I was sick and broken. Feeling broken only was definitely easier.
“Ouch, you look worse than me,” Chantel said. “And I thought I was in bad shape.” I tried to tilt my head back to look up at her, but even that was too much movement. I grunted instead.
“It was fun. Worth the pain. Might not feel like it right now, but you’ll appreciate it once you are up and living again. I’ve got to go workout. See you later.”
I attempted to nod and listened as her footsteps faded. The idea of her morning workout made me want to throw up again. How could she do anything physical after last night? I must have drunk more than she did.
Footsteps approached. Shay called out to Chantel about taking the trash with her.
“Sit up and drink this.” Shay squatted beside me and handed over a glass of water.
“I can’t,” I moaned.
“You need water to feel better. Come on you can do this.”
I disagreed. I know I couldn’t stay on the bathroom floor all day either. I had to get up and move on with my life. That was the one thing we all agreed on last night. It was also one of the last things I remembered clearly. No, the three of us dancing on the balcony was the last thing I remembered. Groaning loudly, I got on all fours and managed to shift into a sitting position.
“You remind me of a zombie on The Walking Dead,” Shay said laughing.
I felt like a zombie too. Reaching for the glass of water I took a small sip. And another. I had to close my eyes to ease the pounding in my head.
“Why?” I asked. “Why did I do this?”
“Because it was fun. And for a small window of time you forgot. You laughed and danced. We worked out your plans for the future. Although I’m rethinking the move to Spain to nanny for a wealthy widower. That sounded good when we were drinking, but now not so much. Language barrier could be your first problem.”
I had forgotten that conversation. “Why did we pick Spain?” I asked wincing from the sound of my voice.
“I think you said the men there were better looking than French men. I had suggested France.”