“He’s gotta be loaded,” my brother says while I’m sliding on nude strappy heels. “Wear something tighter.”

“Bobby!” I snap, glaring at him with a look that tells him I’m not whoring myself out for rent money.

“I’m kidding!” he laughs.

Shelby shrugs, “I would wear something sexier, Paige,” as I walk to the mirror hanging from my wall.

It’s a little warped like a mild version of one of those carnival mirrors. I can never see what I really look like. I think this thing is wearing down my confidence. Maybe they’re right. Should I put something more alluring on? This lavender dress isn’t overtly sexy but I think it’s pretty, and classy. The skirt flows, the sleeves are short and the V-neck isn’t low.

From my bed she eyes me and shakes her head. “Wear the red mini-dress. You can still rock those nude heels, Paige. But give the guy something to work with here.”

“I have no intention of sleeping with him, so I don’t want to give him the wrong impression. And look at my arm!” Inspecting the road rash in the mirror I ask my best friend, “Did the gauze really look that bad?”

She and Bobby both shout, “Yes!”

“God, you guys! Have I really asked that many times?”

Shelby sighs, “You look like a hospital victim with gauze. This way it’s almost cool, like a tattoo. A red one.” Under her breath she says, “The one single girl in Atlanta who doesn’t want to sleep with Gabriel and she’s the one who wins.”

“You won, not me. You’re the one who called in! Why don’t you dump Carter and go out with Gabriel yourself? What time is it?” We all look at my blinking alarm clock. “Now I know why I didn’t wake up. There must have been a power outage with that storm last night.”

Shelby frowns, trying to recall one. “It wasn’t raining when I went to bed at midnight.”

Bobby and I exchange a quick look. He covers for us, “It was late. Woke us up around three or something. Isn’t that right?”

Nodding I glance back to the funky mirror and close my eyes, the knot in my stomach tightening. I hate lying to her, but I can’t have another person dragged into the drama of my brother’s addiction. If I lost Shelby like I did the friendship with my old roommate, it would be like losing a sister. I’m not willing to risk it.

She digs her phone from her purse, drops it and freaks out. “He’ll be knocking any minute!”

“Oh God!” I groan. “Just pose as me and you go!”

She snatches my clutch bag from the dresser and shoves me out of the room. Bobby steps back to make way for us, flattening himself along the wall.

“Here’s what we’re going to do. You’ll go downstairs now and wait outside while I take pictures from the roof. Bobby, grab my purse from the bed! And make sure you get my phone, too.”

“Done!” he calls out, disappearing.

“Shelbs, I don’t feel good.”

“It’s like two hours max and you’re going to spend it sitting across from a god while eating a delicious meal you don’t have to pay for. You can do this! It’s not life altering. It’s just dinner!” Shoving me out the front door she mutters, “That accident really messed with your head.”

“Yeah,” I whisper, standing on the doormat staring at her like she might rescue me.

It’s the nearing eviction not the accident, Shelby. I wish I could tell you that!

Her arm flies out, index finger stretched to full length. “Go!”

Shuffling to the elevator I push the button. Her head is poked into our building’s hallway. “That thing takes forever! Stop stalling. Take the stairs.”

“You take the stairs. These are four inch heels!”

“Oh, right.” Her severe expression softens into joy as Bobby hands her purse to her. “Oh my God, you’re about to meet Gabriel Cocker! I’m going to take so many pictures! Tell him I’m crazy about his music! Existence is my favorite! Ask him why he doesn’t do country!”

The elevator opens and I walk inside as they head toward the stairs. “You need to let that go,” I call after her.

“Never!” she shouts, and in a lower, excited register says, “Hurry, Bobby! I want to get the perfect shot!”