Page 62 of He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Sunday nights are more popular than I expected and the place is packed. I glance at the stage. I don’t know that guy, so I haven’t missed Edie yet. I scan the tables as I walk, looking for Mercy’s head of dark hair.

Then I see her holding two drinks in the air. I laugh. Anything to distract me from the scene playing through my head of Dax and Sydney. In his room. Alone. Nope. I can’t do it. I should have taken his offer of canceling the whole thing but had I done that, he’d haveknownI’m starting to feel something for him and I can’t risk that. He’s made it clear we should never cross that line.

‘Hola!’ she says, pulling her drink from her lips. ‘You took forever to get here, so you gotta play catch up.’ She motions to the two martinis sitting on the table.

‘No complaints from me.’ I grab one and down it without taking a breath.

‘Whoa,’ she says. ‘That went down easy. Did he lose?’

I shrug. If only that’s what this was about.

‘He asked Sydney over. To be fair, I suggested he do it.’

‘That was big of you. Though I’m not sure he should be fucking her with you in the next room. The boy’s got some nerve.’

‘Why do you think I’m here?’

She shakes her head in irritation. ‘You know what? Two can play. We can totally get you laid. I’m sure there’s someone here who plays for our team…’ She scans the room.

‘No.’ I touch her shoulder, halting the search. ‘I’m not ready. I’m also not ready to hear my friend and new roommate getting absolutely railed in the next room. But I’m picking my battles here. He had a life before I got here and Sydney was a part of it. I’m cool with it.’

Mostly.

‘Hello, folks!’ A man’s voice interrupts us. ‘Put your hands together for Mz. Edee!’

The crowd around us erupts in cheers as the room goes dark. Mz. Edee has some fans. Music blasts through the room, making me immediately laugh to myself.

‘Is this… Beyoncé?’ I half yell over music so loud it feels like it’s forcing my heart to beat in time with it.

‘Ed’s on a real Beyoncé kick right now. I could do this routine in my sleep.’

He struts onto the stage, and I mean struts Victoria’s Secret supermodel style, wearing thigh-high platform-heeled boots and a tiny red dress more revealing than anything I’ve worn in all my life. I haven’t seen Edie in years, and he looks fantastic.

Edie is Mercy’s half-brother and her only family. He’s handsome as a man and gorgeous as a woman. You can’t help but smile when you watch him. Both him and Mercy got that performance gene, and they’re good at it.

For a moment, all the worries in my head fade away as I watch the stage full of drag queens, dropping it like it’s hot. God, I missed this.

Midway through his set, my phone buzzes in my pocket. River. I answer with a half-whispered hello.

‘I need a favor,’ he says, wasting no time informing me he didn’t call to talk about me.

‘What?’

‘Wait.’ He pauses. ‘Where are you?’

‘The Rosewood.’

‘Drag place, eh? Seeing Edie?’

‘Yep.’

‘Dax with you?’

‘Uh, no. He’s home, with Sydney.’

He lets out a weird yelp. ‘That girl’s dirty as fuck. Probably best you left.’

I scrunch my face and Mercy looks at me confused.River, I mouth. She grabs the phone from my hand before I can protest.

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