The next night, the air is cool and perfect as I lean against my car, waiting for Cosette. We drove in together today, since we started our shifts at the same time, and agreed that we’d drive home together. I figured she’d be right out, but she’s late. The ride here was tense and quiet, everything that’s been building up between us feeling like a wall that’s too thick to break through with words. But her even agreeing to ride with me feels like a step in the right direction considering how she’s been avoiding me. On top of everything else, I think she’s seeing someone and hasn’t told me who. Cosette is usually bursting with details about her sex life.

I’ve heard her bring someone back to the apartment a couple of times, and I haven’t asked her who it is. I would feel a little hypocritical asking for details about her love life when I’m not willing to share the details of mine. It’s strange, wanting to be the one who spills all the details, but somehow, I don’t think she’d like that I’m sleeping with our boss. I don’t want to do anything to push her further away from me or make her more unhappy. I want to tell her about Julian…I’m just not sure exactly how to do it. I glance at my phone. It’s a half-hour since our shift ended, and I’m tired. Maybe Cosette forgot that we were going straight home and got caught up talking with someone? It happens. I toss my bag in my car, and head back towards the club to look for her. I’m halfway to the club when Cosette stumbles out of it, wrapped in the arms of a man. She’s giggling, and I can already tell that she’s drunk. More than drunk, she’s wasted. I know that laugh. The way they’re lurching, he might be drunk too. Together they stumble across the parking lot towards a car, and for a second, I can’t move. What the hell is she doing? Getting in a car with someone who’s just as wasted as she is?

I find my feet again, running across the lot to her. I call her name a second before I reach her, grabbing her shoulder and turning her around. “Cosette!” She spins towards me, glaring. “Where are you going? I thought we were going home.”

“Home?” drawls a male voice. “That sounds boring. We’re going to do something much more fun.”

I feel sick to my stomach as I look at Randall. I guess I’m not the only one who was sleeping with the boss. Only I was wrong, Randall isn’t wasted. Or rather, he’s not wasted enough that he doesn’t know exactly what he’s doing with Cosette in the state that she is. I type out a text on my phone as fast as I can.

I need you. Parking lot. Hurry.

“Cosette,” I say gently, “let’s go home.”

“No!” she practically spits the word in my face. “I don’t have to do what you tell me to. I don’t have to do what anybody tells me to because I’m a fucking adult, got it?”

Shit. I close my eyes. This isn’t just a wasted Cosette. This is the Cosette that calls me sobbing because she’s made a bad decision that she can’t take back and doesn’t even remember making. I love my best friend, and she’s the brightest, most beautiful person I’ve ever met. With a tendency to self-destruct if she’s upset about something. Which means that letting her go with Randall, even if she was sober enough to consent, is a really fucking bad idea.

“No, sweetie,” I say, “I can’t tell you what to do. But I’d really love it if you came home with me. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m not okay, and you’re not gonna be the one who makes sure I’m okay, okay? Randall is gonna make sure I’m okay.” She turns to him, planting a kiss on his lips, and he takes full advantage, spinning her against the car and starting a full on make-out session.

I grab his shoulders and pull him off her. “Get the fuck off her. She’s not sober enough to say no, so she sure is hell isn’t going with you.”

Randall sneers at me, “Are you her mother? You don’t think she’s going to love every second with me? I’ll make sure she has a real nice time. And if she doesn’t remember some of the things that happen?” He shrugs.

“You’re an asshole,” I say.

“Stop it!” Cosette screams at me, “Just stop it. You don’t know what you’re talking about, Libby. Randall is helping me.”

“Oh really? How is he helping you? Other than using you for sex while you’re drunk?”

She gets in my face. “He’s going to help me be better. He’s going to help me make more tips, show me what the people want. I’m going to be the best dancer in there and Randall is going to make sure of it.”

I take a deep breath, desperately trying not to scream at her. But she’s wasted, and logic isn’t going to work here. “I can’t let you do this, Cosette. It’s dangerous and unprofessional.”

Cosette bursts out laughing. It’s a cackle that cracks across the parking lot, loud and brassy. “Are you fucking kidding me? You don’t have any right to judge me. I know you’re fucking the boss. I know you’re fucking Julian fucking Rivers. I saw him at that audition, and of course he was watching you. Everybody is always watching you. And it was MY AUDITION. You were supposed to just sit there and support me but you had to take some for yourself didn’t you? You always have to take some for yourself. You just can’t let me have this one thing. And now you can’t even let me fuck the boss just like you. You don’t want me to have any of the special treatment you’re getting because you’re selfish. Fuck off, Libby.”

She collapses against the car, suddenly crying after her outburst, and Randall moves to put her in the car. I step between them, staring him down. “I swear if you touch her you will never have children or proper sex ever again. How many times have you done this with her?”

He smirks at me. “More times than you want to know. I’m surprised you didn’t notice. After all, didn’t you hear us when you were home?”

I think I might throw up. He was in my apartment, taking advantage of my best friend. I’m going to rip his head off. “If you know what’s good for you,” I say with more calm than I feel, “you will back the hell up.”

“What are you going to do?” he asks.

Just then I hear footsteps on pavement, and I feel my shoulders relax. Julian. I look back at him, and he takes in the situation in a glance, that piercing observation taking in the state of both Cosette and Randall. “How many drinks have you had?” He directs the question at Randall.

“That’s none of your business.”

“The hell it isn’t. You’ve got car keys in your hand and it looks like your about to drive off with one of my employees.”

Randall rolls his eyes. “You can stop with the act, Rivers.” He gestures in the air. “The precious employees. We all know what the dancers are here for. You’ve got yours,” he points at me, and then he points at Cosette, “and I’ve got mine.”

If there were a look that I would call thunder, it would be the one on Julian’s face. “You are fired. Because of your behavior you will receive no severance, and if you ever set foot in my club again, I will call the police to have you removed. Leave. Now. I would recommend not driving in your state, but you’re a grown man, and you can make that choice yourself. But if you’re open to advice, don’t be an idiot as well as an asshole and take a cab.” And then he looks away from him, completely dismissing Randall as if he never existed. He turns to Cosette, now crying hysterically, crumpled against the side of the car. “We’re taking you home.”

“No!” Cosette struggles as Julian tries to lift her to her feet. “I don’t want to go back there. I don’t want to go with her.”

Julian glances at me, and I sigh, “I’ll explain later.”

“Where’s your car?”

I point across the lot. He nods, and then, without warning, scoops Cosette up and puts her over his shoulder. She fights him the whole time, but she doesn’t land any kicks. I know just how strong those arms are, and there’s no escaping that grip. He can take the punches she’s throwing at his back. I unlock the car for him, and he lays Cosette across the back seat, and she stops fighting, at least a little bit. She’s still crying and mumbling.

A screech of tires sounds behind us, and I turn to watch as Randall’s car peals out of the parking lot way too fast. I look at Julian, and his face is hard. “He made his choice,” he says, though I can see the concern on his face. Randall may be a complete dick, but I wouldn’t wish him dead. I sigh, ducking into the driver’s seat, mentally preparing to get Cosette into the house and into bed, just like I have dozens of times before. I startle as the passenger door opens and Julian gets in, and he grins while I stare at him.

“What?” he asks. “You didn’t think I would just leave you alone after that, did you?”

There’s a warm glow in my chest, spreading from his words. I shake my head. No, that’s not like Julian. It will be much easier to deal with this if I’m not alone. I take a deep breath and start the car, pulling out of the parking lot and toward home.