16.
Isla
My phone was ringing.
I reached over, without getting up, to the other side of the bed, felt around blindly until I found it. I picked it up.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it’s me. So I should be there in like fifteen minutes.”
I had drawn the blinds when I got back to the hotel, but sunlight was leaking in around the edges. I lifted my head enough to look at the bedside clock. It was almost ten.
“Okay. I’m in room 1018. I’m just going to hop in the shower.”
“I’ll be right up.”
I’d left Levi’s in a rush yesterday, after he’d finished puking scotch all over my purse. I’d almost left without the purse, but then I remembered at the last second it had everything in it that I needed—wallet, phone, key card to get back into my hotel. So I went into the bathroom, took one of the hand towels, and brought it back out to the living room where I wiped my purse down the best I could. Luckily, it’d been zipped, and he’d puked down one side of it, not over the whole thing. All liquid, it would seem, no chunks, but still. Ew. In my anger, I threw the hand towel at him, but he didn’t seem to notice. He was sitting there with his eyes closed, a pained expression on his face. I grabbed my purse and fled back to the hotel, alleged bed bugs be damned.
I took a scalding shower, scrubbed the shit out of my skin, and cried. It wasn’t so much out of sadness or frustration, but just the fact that I needed a release. Exercising had always provided me with that, but I hadn’t gone for a run today, and probably wouldn’t because I hadn’t brought my running sneakers with me and right now I sure as hell couldn’t afford to—
Except I could. I stopped crying, except there was still water from the shower running down my face. This whole thing with Levi and I’d all but forgotten the reason I’d been there in the first place.
I had a billion dollars.
Well, maybe not just yet, but I would, soon.
Could I even really fathom that much money? Not really. It didn’t seem possible such a sum would even exist, never mind that I would be in sole possession of it.
There was a knock at the door as I was finishing getting dressed. I went over and opened the door and Sophie came bustling in. I’d called her last night when I’d been lying there in bed, unable to sleep, because that whole incident kept replaying in my head. “You know what?” she’d said. “I’m driving up there tomorrow. I’m setting my alarm right now and I’m going to get up early and drive up there. And don’t try to tell me not to!” She’d hung before I could protest.
Now, she stood there,
wrinkling her nose. “God, it still smells like vomit. I can’t believe he did that!” Her eyes were
bright as she looked around the room. “Where is it?”
“What? My purse?”
“Yes. I want to see it. Well, first, give me a hug!”
We embraced, and already I felt better just by her being there. The most devastating part about my mom marrying Alex had been that I’d had to leave Maryland, and leave Sophie behind.
“It’s over there,” I said, pointing when we let go. She went over to the small table by the window and looked at the bag, a light-pink leather tote that I’d gotten at a yard sale several years ago. It wasn’t a name brand and it definitely was showing signs of use, but I loved it and used it every day.
“What a fucking disgusting piece of shit,” Sophie said. “Levi, not the bag.” She shook her head. “Come on. Get dressed—we’re going out to breakfast and you’re going to tell me everything.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” I said. “Nothing that you haven’t already heard. And the quick version is: I tried to kiss him and he responded by puking. Is that supposed to make me feel good about myself? I mean, this is a guy I was trying to hook up with to get back at, and instead, I’m the one who gets left feeling like shit!”
“Was he drinking?”
“Yes.”
“What was he drinking?”
“I don’t know, scotch, I guess. He tried to give me some.”
“Sweetie, you know it wasn’t because of you that he puked. He obviously had too much to drink and . . . and it was unfortunate timing. This really has nothing to do with you.”
“Yes, well, it’s kind of hard to feel differently. The fact of the matter is, he wasn’t puking until I tried to kiss him. Thanks for coming up here, by the way. You didn’t have to.”
“I know I didn’t, but I wanted to. I had the day off today, anyway, and I don’t have my first appointment tomorrow until the afternoon. It was an impulse trip and it feels good! We’re not fifteen-year-olds, anymore; I can come and go as I please. Trust me—there were plenty of nights when I thought about sneaking out my bedroom window and finding my way to the city just so I could get into that stupid penthouse and kick Levi in the balls. And if he started puking when you tried to kiss him . . . that just tells me he’s probably gay.”
I shook my head. “He’s definitely not gay.”
“Come on,” she said. “We’re going out to eat.”
“I’m not that hungry.”
“Well, let’s at least get a coffee, then. Maybe you’ll change your mind. I bet a ton of new awesome restaurants have opened since I was last here. It’s a beautiful day and you shouldn’t be stuck inside this hotel room, moping about Levi, of all people. Don’t let him ruin this for you, Isla! This is like the start of your new life or something. You’re beyond rich! It’s crazier than even winning the lottery, if you think about it.”
“I’m probably the only person in the world who’s inherited this much money and then been puked on.”
“It wasn’t you, it was your purse.” She looked at it disdainfully. “You should really just throw it away.”
“I don’t want to throw it away. It didn’t get on the inside at least. I cleaned off the outside the best I could and I’ve been airing it out on the air vent over there. I think it should be fine.”
“Well, it still smells like barf. You should get rid of it and buy a new one. It’s not like you can’t afford it!”
“That’s not the point.”
“I’d still let it air out some more, then, before you try to use it. Come on, let’s get out of here. I’m starving.”
“Let me just put my wallet in your purse then.”
“Breakfast can be on me,” Sophie said. “I’m sure you’ll be taking me out to a restaurant or two at some point in the near future.” She grinned, and I followed her out the door.