****
I had to dig into the back of my closet to find an outfit remotely club-worthy. Watching my budget for groceries and Tanner’s voracious appetite had slimmed my waistline and I found a pair of tight black pants that I wore years ago that still fit. I asked Tessa to bring over some shirt options since I only had casual clothes that I didn’t mind getting Tanner’s sticky fingers on and “work” clothes.
“I asked for a few,” I said, opening the door for Tessa. She held at least a dozen hangers in her hands. I grabbed several from her so she could get in the door.
“This is a few,” she said, coming into my small entryway. “Let me in, it’s freezing out here.” I placed the shirts on the kitchen table and helped her with the rest.
“No wonder you’re freezing. You’re not wearing anything,” I said, checking her out. Her black shorts were dangerously close to revealing her private parts and even though her red spaghetti-strap shirt showed off her amazing cleavage, it was almost December.
“I let you borrow a shirt, you let me borrow one of your coats,” she said, adjusting her hair.
She’d curled her auburn hair for tonight. The waves cascaded over her shoulder. I knew by the end of the night it would be up in a ponytail. Tessa hated wearing her hair down, I didn’t even know why she bothered sometimes. But that was the difference between me and her. She loved her single life while I was the stuffy, boring girl with a kid, living above her parents’ house.
I ended up choosing a sparkly gold shirt that complimented my eyes.
Almost an hour later, our Uber driver pulled up at the club and I looked around at the nondescript Fredrick building next to us, wondering if this was the place that Tessa frequented on a regular basis. I had to hold my tongue from saying “this is it?”
“It doesn’t look like much,” Tessa said, reading my mind. “But trust me, this place is amazing.”
I expected there to be a line out the door like I’d seen at the few other clubs I’d attended in the past. But there wasn’t anyone outside. The frigid temperature probably had something to do with that.
The front of the club was made up of a bank of windows and inside the entrance was a dining room and bar. I followed Tessa, still confused on why this place was so amazing. I was happy to be out but I think she talked it up more than it was worth. The second the doors opened I was blasted by warm air and a thumping bass. Why did clubs insist on having the music so loud? I hated sounding like an old lady but there was no way we’d be able to carry a conversation over that volume.
My excitement for a fun girl’s night out faded as we gave our coats over to be checked.
“Are you hungry?” Tessa asked loudly.
The knee-jerk reaction to say no was about to roll off my tongue but tonight was about celebrating. I rarely had dinner out and I wanted to have a good time with my best friend.
“I could eat,” I said.
“Good, I’m starving,” Tessa said. “I know the hostess so we can get a table right in the center.”
The hostess, a petite girl, hugged Tessa and brought us to a high-top table in the middle of the room. I looked around the space. The restaurant was nice, not as nice as the one I went to earlier with Michael. That tavern had made me feel warm and fuzzy with its comfortable and old-style feel. Kadia was almost a direct opposite with modern furniture that wasn’t as comfortable as the oversized booth Michael and I sat in earlier. I tried to push all thoughts of him aside. Mom may have been correct in me judging him. He did say he had worked hard to get where he was. If I had a ton of money, I would use it too.
While waiting for our drinks, Tessa explained how much she loved every item on the menu. “They have a guest chef every week and this same guy was here a few months ago. He does Latin dishes that are to die for.”
“You pick whatever you like, I trust your palate.”
She took in the room. “This isn’t a good representation of the normal nights I have here. Usually, there isn’t a place to sit. Maybe we should come on Tuesday’s more often.”
I had no intention of going out for a while. I wanted to focus on my job and padding my abysmal bank account. Going out in the City was a sure-fire way of breaking the bank more than I wanted to. “It’s fine here.”
She gave me a look. “I know what you’re thinking.”
The waitress came back with our beers and took our order. I had no idea what Tessa ordered since I couldn’t hear her. She practically had to shout into the waitresses’ ear.
When she left, I leaned against the table, trying to speak loud enough for Tessa to hear me. “What am I thinking?”
“You have your disappointed face on,” she said.
“I’m having a great time.”
“What did your boss do now?”
In the rush of getting ready, Tessa and I didn’t talk about what happened that day at work. From what she knew I only had gone into the City to do paperwork.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I said. “I want to have fun.”
“Then let’s start having fun!” Tessa lifted her drink and took a big gulp and I did the same.