Page 4 of Beauty Beneath the Sorrow
“She can be such a pain in the ass. Thank god you let me live with you. My dad refused to let me live in the dorms where guys”—she holds up her fingers in quotations—“run wild through thehallways.”
My eyebrows raise. “Little does he know, guys seem to run wild through our hallways too.”
“Right!” She belly laughs.
“Are you going to Seattle to visit him this summer?” I ask, folding my legs underneath me.
“I think so. Unless you’ll miss me too much.”
“Please.” I wave a hand in the air. “I have enough fun with my own sexual liaisons. It will give me a nice, needed break from yours.”
“That’s true!” she exclaims, then refocuses on her homework.
I grab the remote control to turn on the TV. “What are we doing for dinner?”
“You’re not cooking?” she remarks without looking up from her notebook.
I cock my head to the side before clicking on the movieCruel Intentions.“Funny.”
***
I arrive atThe Poppyrestaurant for great food, cocktails, and a lively atmosphere. It’s our typical girls’ night location. The crisp October evening wind dances across my bare shoulders as I approach the entrance. I’m meeting with my three best friends and fellow flight attendants, Bailey, Avery, and Piper—well, not for long. This will be our last time together until Piper moves to Northern California next week with her boyfriend—wait,husband,Jack.
Squeezing past the thick crowds of people standing around the bar, I quickly wave to Bailey’s brother, Harry, and her boyfriend, Mason. They opened this restaurant together last year and are dressed in their typical white collared shirts andblack ties. Harry sends me a quick wave while Mason tips his head, gesturing toward the patio.
I head to our favorite spot in the corner, under the twinkling lights and heat lamps. Glancing at the loves of my life, I smile at how adorable they all look tonight.
“Hello, babes!” I coo, walking up to the table. We give each other quick hugs and sassy greetings before I sit next to Piper.
“I can’t believe you’re moving, my Piper Moon.” I frown.
Bailey reaches across the table to grab Piper’s hand. “Where is Jack tonight? He hasn’t let you get more than a few feet from him since he flew out here last week.”
“I know. We’re completely obsessed with each other.” Piper’s cheeks redden. “In a healthy way, of course.”
Piper married Jack in Las Vegas the first night she met him—yes, the first night she met him.They spent almost two months in a tricky predicament but ended up falling in love—unconventional and crazy, but we love her for it.
“We’re going to miss you so much,” Avery adds, leaning on Piper’s shoulder.
“Speaking of love,” I say, turning to Bailey. “How’s your obsessed fuck buddy?”
Last year, Bailey thought it would be a good idea to establish a benefits-type relationship with her brother’s best friend, who happened to have been the man she’s despised since college and is also part owner of this beautiful restaurant with her brother.
“Funny.” She tosses rolled-up napkins at me. “Mason is fine.”
“I saw him and your brother on the way in, both looking like delicious snacks, I might add.”
“Hell yes, to Mason.” She grimaces. “Eww, to my brother.”
“Just facts, B,” I say, flipping my hair back.
“Okay, Lina. We know you’re trying to make small talk with us so you don’t have to talk about yourself,” Avery says.
Avery is the quieter one out of us. She’s dating a dentist who lacks any type of personality.
“What? I see you guys every week when we work. Nothing is new. Zoe is fine, my mom is a pretentious bitch, and my dad is a forty-year-old man whore who’s now trying to make up for twenty-six years of not being in my life—so that’s what I have going for me at the moment.” I take a breath and sip some water. “I had to chase another guy from Zoe’s room when I got home from my trip yesterday,” I add, my eyes bouncing around the table. “And why do we not have martinis yet?”
Bailey laughs, and Piper giggles under her breath.
