Addison,
The editors loved your article. We’re running it in next month’s issue. I’ll send the link when it goes live. You’ll have to fill out the forms attached for payment. We have another opening two months from now—would you be interested in doing another article? You pick the topic, but keep it similar to what you turned in. If this sounds like something you’d like to do, let me know. And again, great job!
Tina Gais
Editor-in-Chief
Onlooker Online Magazine
I stared at the screen, reading that email. It felt good. It felt damn good. Life was becoming normal—or as normal as it could be—and tonight would be another big moment.
I’d met Cole’s friends, so it was his turn to meet mine.
Emma and Carter had stayed for three weeks, but I didn’t see Carter again. Thankfully. Cole was content to come to my floor, and I assumed he met up with Carter during the day. I tried not to think about the attack, or what it meant for Cole. Would he retaliate? Was that why Carter was here? They didn’t tell me. Emma and I met for lunch a few times during those weeks, and if she knew, she never said a word either. It was the topic that wasn’t discussed, and right now, where we were, I was all right with that. I preferred it even.
For the last couple lunch dates, Sia had joined us, and while she’d been hesitant, Emma was warm and welcoming. It was a sight to see. The roles reversed. Sia, who was usually the social butterfly, was withdrawn and shy at first. Emma, who I realized was more reserved than I’d thought, was the one to make sure Sia relaxed.
I’d expressed the same thought to Cole one night, and he’d explained, “She didn’t do it for your friend. Emma did that for you.”
“What do you mean?” I’d rolled to my back, looking up at him.
“I care about you, so therefore, Emma does, too. It’s what we do. You care about Sia, so Emma made sure she was happy. For you.”
“You just said she did it for you.”
He’d shrugged, smirking. “She was nice to you in the beginning because of me, but she likes you. She wouldn’t continue to hang out with you if she didn’t. Emma’s not the fake type.”
I was quiet for a moment. Then I’d flattened my hand against his chest and murmured, “It goes both ways.”
His eyes had warmed. “Good.”
It hadn’t been long after that when conversation ceased, and soon we’d both been groaning.
“There you are!” Sia exclaimed, opening the bathroom door. We were at another one of her events, and it was the night. Cole would meet Sia and Jake in a more real way. He would come, pick me up and the four of us would go to Gianni’s for a late-night dinner. Cole had the second floor reserved just for us.
The sounds of music, laughter, and conversation swirled into the small room along with her before the door closed again, dulling the noise. Her heels clacked on the floor as she made quick work looking into the three stalls. They were all empty. I watched her in the mirror, noting how her sequined black dress accentuated her body. I had on a soft blue dress. It was light and comfortable—all I cared about. I looked good, but I wasn’t sexy, not like Sia. There was a slit up the side, so as she walked, she showed a good dose of leg.
When Jake had seen her earlier, he’d groaned. “How am I supposed to handle seeing that all night?”
Sia had laughed, trailing her finger over his chest, a twinkle in her eyes. “You’ll have to restrain yourself until we get back home.”
Home.
Jake’s eyes had shifted to mine, and I knew what he’d been thinking about. She’d said the H word. He’d confided in me two days prior that he was considering asking Sia the big question: if she would move in with him. He came to me for advice—did I think it was a good idea, how had Sia been with guys who’d asked the moving question before, had she lived with other boyfriends, how did she feel about the landlord. At that point, the conversation had taken a slight hit. Jake never talked to me about my relationship with Cole. Sia assured me he was fine with it, not weirded out, but it hung in the room between us.
“Jake, uh—” I’d started, but he cut me off.
“You think she’d be open to it? To moving in with me?”
A small boulder landed at the bottom of my stomach. There was weirdness. I’d seen it then. Sia lied to me. But it was obvious Jake didn’t want to talk about it. So I found myself nodding and feeling a little sad at the same time.
That was a conversation I wanted to try again with Jake. I never did tell him about Dawn’s sneakiness with Sia’s phone, but this conversation—I was determined to have with him.
Sia stepped up next to me, looking in the other mirror. “I’m ready to puke, piss, and have an orgasm all at the same time,” she announced. “Shit. How do you do it?”
“Do what?” The Jake conversation faded to the background of my mind.
“Be around him.”
“Who?”
“Cole Mauricio. How do you do it? He just came in, and I swear, the entire room either got wet or wanted to piss their pants. I’m all of the above. That man is like walking sex. Good Lord, do you think Jake can join the mafia with him for a while?”
“Jake?”
Sia half-rolled her eyes, tucking some of her hair into a barrette. “I love Jake, but he’s no Cole Mauricio.” Her eyes narrowed, growing thoughtful, and she tilted her head to the side. “Come to think of it, though, no. I like Jake just how he is. If there was no you or Jake in the picture, I’d fuck Cole Mauricio. I’m sorry. I’m being a bad friend, but I have to be honest. However, in saying that, I can also say that’d be it. He scares me too damn much for anything else. I’m pretty sure those two massive guys that came with him are carrying guns.”
My head spun. I grabbed Sia’s arm and focused on the most important piece of information: “You said the L word.”
She went still. Her eyes locked on mine. “You caught that, huh?”
“Sia!” I pretended to shake her arm, grinning like an idiot. “You love Jake!” This was huge, huger than huge. “I’m so happy for you.”
Her hands rested on the counter. “I know. I do. I’m really happy. I mean—” She waved to me. “I’m worried about you because hello, the mafia—but yeah, I’m happy. I really do love Jake.”
“You’ve never said that about a boyfriend.” I frowned. She had. “Not in the real sense, I mean, where you actually do love him.”
She laughed, digging in her purse. “I know what you mean, and you’re right. I’ve not said it for real. It’s real.” She pulled out her lipstick. “It’s so real and so amazing, and I know I’m going to fuck it up somehow.”
“No.” I shook my head. “No way. I know you won’t.”
“I hope not, but let’s be honest. I’m the love ‘em and ditch ‘em girl. I’d usually be on boyfriend number two after Jake by now.” She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. “I can’t mess this up. That’s all I know.”
I touched her hand and squeezed. “You won’t. I know you won’t.”
“Let’s hope not.” She grinned wryly at me. “But enough about me; are you ready for tonight?”
I laughed, letting go of her hand. “I think I should be asking you that question. Are you ready to officially meet Cole?”
She groaned, shaking her head. “No. Not a chance. Yes. Oh, God. That’s really happening tonight. I saw him and had to come get you. I—I’m nervous, Addy.” Her voice dropped to a whisper.
“Don’t be.” I raised my chin and squared my shoulders. “You can do this, and you want to know why?”
Her eyes met mine in the mirror. “Why?”
I knew Jake was nervous; well, I didn’t know what Jake was feeling. But while he’d been geeking out before, the plan to meet Cole in a real-life way had him suddenly quiet. I was optimistic, hoping his closed lips had more to do with him calculating when he’d ask Sia to move in with him, but I knew some of it was about Cole. Sia switched roles again, back to being the one more open to meeting Cole as my—I went blank. Boyfriend?
Lover?
Significant other?
None of those seemed to fit. Cole was mine. I nodded to myself. That felt right. He was mine.
“Addison?”
Sia had been waiting for me. I pulled out of my thoughts. “Oh yeah, because I love you.”
“I’m going to handle meeting your super hot and scary boyfriend because you love me?” She scoffed.
I nodded. “Yes. Well, no. It’s because you love me. Cole will see that, and he’ll like you.”
“Because I love you?”
I rolled my eyes, matching her half-grin. “I know. I know. My thoughts are a bit jumbled, but that’s the gist of it. Besides, if he didn’t like you already, I doubt I ever would’ve gotten the floor.”
“What do you mean?”
She’d been about to apply her lipstick when she paused.
“You know.” I shrugged. “You were the one who got the number for the apartment, remember?”
She turned back to looking at herself in the mirror. It was like she hadn’t thought about it that way, or something…
I paused now too, my frown matching hers. “Sia?”
“Huh?” She was deep in thought.
“What’d I say?” I’d said something wrong.
“No. Nothing.” She shook her head, putting her lipstick away. “Never mind.” A bright smile formed on her face, and she rolled her shoulders back, fixing one of her straps. “You ready? I’ve got thirty minutes left to dazzle the best of them, and then we’re off to Gianni’s.”
“Yeah…” What had just happened?
“Great.” Her smile spread another inch. “We should go. I locked the door so we could have our girl time in here, but I’ve got a feeling some of the socialite housewives aren’t going to be happy with me.”
“Just tell them you had to fix something.”
Sia crossed to the door, unlocking it and pushing it open. She groaned. “God. That’s even worse. They’ll complain that the Gala isn’t ‘up to code’ or ‘appropriate’ enough for them. I’ll have to hand out champagne for the gift baskets at the end.”
She was right. Two ladies, both decked out from head to toe in diamonds, waited outside, and both looked annoyed. One had her arms crossed over her chest and was actually tapping her fingers along her arm. The other harrumphed, “About time,” as she swept past us.
Sia met my gaze, a hidden smile lurking there. “Your sexy and very powerful—” She raised her voice on that last word. “—man is in the back section. I sent him there while I came to get you.”
I got the message and nodded, trying not to laugh. As soon as the grumpy woman heard powerful, her irritation seemed to vanish, replaced by curiosity. She eyed me now, and I could see the wheels spinning. Who was I? How much money did I have? Where was I on the totem pole compared to her?
But then Sia swept in, putting a hand on the lady’s arm. As I left, I heard my best friend doing what she did best: charming the pants off that lady, or at the very least charming away any potential complaint she might’ve had.
I glanced around the crowded room. I’d come early to support Sia, and people had been trickling in ever since. It was nearing the end of the event, and usually people started to leave around this time, so I was surprised at how packed the main floor remained. I didn’t see Jake anywhere. Snagging a champagne from a server, I started for the back room. It was darker, with lots of hidden corners, and I knew that was why Sia had sent Cole there. He and I could stand back there and be part of the event, but also be on our own.
I was passing a side entrance when I heard my name.
“Addison.”
I turned, a polite greeting on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it when I saw Liam’s mother. I grew cold. “What are you doing here?” She knew this was Sia’s event. This was my territory.
Carol stopped. Her mouth opened as if to speak, but instead she closed it and started toward me.
I looked her up and down. She wore shimmery black pants and a black sweater that crossed over her waist. She looked nice, but she wasn’t dressed for an event like this. I couldn’t hold back my sneer. It wasn’t often that I got to sneer at her. I wanted to take advantage of it when I could.
“You look…nice.” I stepped back and made sure she saw my appraisal. Then I wrinkled my nose.
I thought she’d react. I was waiting for it, and I even had another veiled insult ready to go.
She glanced over her shoulder, reaching inside her sweater and she moved closer to me. “I’m so sorry, Addison,” she said. “I actually am.”
“Wha—”
Her hand flashed out, and I felt the prick of a needle in my neck.
I shoved her away, but I was too late. She blurred in front of me. Two large shapes moved around her as I started to fall. The world was falling with me. Something caught me just as everything went black.