Page 10 of Playing Pretend

“So what’s your story,” asked Annabelle, tipping her drink in my direction. In the last hour I’d learned she was engaged to her brother’s best friend, and so deliriously happy that she belonged in a Hallmark movie. But I also learned that she was kind, and loved her job, and for some reason, she’d taken a liking to me. I’d managed to avoid an inquisition, but now I guess I was shit out of luck.

“I don’t have one,” I replied, trying to evade her question. Sadly, the sloppy smile on my face only encouraged her.

“C’mon,” said Aaliyah. “You know all our dirty secrets, now it’s your turn. Spill.”

She wasn’t kidding. After the second round of drinks, Aaliyah and Annabelle started swapping stories about their sex lives. They were so open about it all, laughing at each other, that I couldn’t bring myself to feel embarrassed by the turn of conversation. If this is what it felt like to have real, honest-to-God girlfriends, I could get used to it.

“I don’t have dirty secrets,” I giggled, pushing my glass away. I’d had enough, and the last thing I wanted was to take the subway while tipsy.

“Then tell us the boring stuff,” replied Annabelle. “Like where you’re from, where you grew up, where you went to school, whether or not you have siblings. That kinda stuff.”

I sighed, and folded my arms on the table. “I was born and raised in Manhattan, and moved to London when I was seventeen. Then when I was twenty, I moved to Denver, and went to school there before coming back here. I have an older sister I don’t speak to, and that’s about it.”

“That sucks.” Annabelle pouted, and squeezed my hand.

“And what about a guy?” asked Aaliyah. “You can’t tell me you’re single.”

I smiled wistfully, and then felt my stomach dip a little. “I was engaged, but he cheated. It was why I left London.” The half-lie fell from my lips far too easily, but it still felt good to be able to talk about it. I hadn’t made many friends when I was in college, simply because I didn’t have the time, but I’d hoped it would change once I settled in Manhattan. Looking across the table at my two colleagues, I knew I’d chosen wisely.

“Honey,” Annabelle lifted her brows, “A man who cheats isn’t a man, and look at this way, he did you a favor. It saved you from marrying the prick.”

“She’s right,” added Aaliyah, giving me a serious look. “Men like that aren’t worth it. That’s why I like my sex with no strings.”

Annabelle coughed, and almost choked on her drink. “Please, your newest friends-with-benefits arrangement has been ongoing. I’d say you’re dating.”

“Oh no,” retorted Aaliyah, “Devon knows how it is. I call him when I need an itch scratched, and vice versa. Just because it’s been ongoing doesn’t mean we’re dating.”

I begged to differ, but didn’t say anything because I wasn’t exactly an expert. I met Baxter shortly after I’d moved to London, and started studying at Brunel University. He was the epitome of an English rich kid from an influential political family, and my father latched onto that within the first ten minutes of meeting him. I was nineteen when we got engaged, and thought I loved him, but he proved me wrong in the worst way possible.

“I’m not going to argue with you.” Annabelle smiled sweetly at her friend, as if to indulge her disillusionment, and was about to say something to me when someone else caught her attention.

“Honey!” she squealed, all but dropping her glass onto the table and running to whoever had elicited her excited response. She jumped into the arms of a taller guy who caught her easily, and smiled before she kissed him amorously. The exchange garnered a few catcalls, and whistles from several other patrons.

Annabelle dropped to her feet, and greeted another man, and then turned to lead them to our table.

“Brian, this is Kadence, the newest addition at Callahan Industries. Kadence, this is my fiancé, Brian, and the ass behind him is my big brother, Landon.”

Brian stuck out his hand, and I shook it with a grin. He was good looking, and Annabelle’s complete opposite in terms of stature. Where her hair was black, his was blond, and where she was short and petite, he was tall and very well built. I took Annabelle’s brother’s hand and shook it too, surprised when he scooped Aaliyah up in an animated hug. They looked familiar with each other, and when Annabelle caught me watching them with open curiosity, she explained, “They’ve been best friends since Aaliyah and I were roommates in college. It still weirds me out a little.”

“I heard that,” said Landon, still holding a smirking Aaliyah. Annabelle mumbled something under her breath, causing Brian to chuckle.

“I hope we’re not interrupting something,” he said, flagging down a waiter. He ordered some drinks for him and Landon and then settled down with Annabelle in his lap.

She filled him in on her day, while Aaliyah and Landon caught up, and I couldn’t help but feel like an outsider, like the proverbial fifth wheel. It was a feeling I knew well though, having spent most of my life on the outside looking in, only this time I wanted to change it. I wanted to feel like I belonged here, like this was my home, like these people could be my real friends.

As if reading my mind, Aaliyah and Annabelle pulled me into their conversation, and we stayed at the bar until the manager had no choice but to ask us to leave so that they could close for the night. Annabelle and Brian insisted on paying for a cab to take me home, rather than let me take the subway so late, and when I finally fell onto my crappy air mattress, I smiled at the feeling that washed over me.

Progress.