Page 3 of Deal with the Devil
1
PORTIA
PRESENT DAY…
“I wish you could stay forever.”
Jayla frowns at my words, then reaches across the table to grab my hand. The two of us are at Vesper & Ivy in Logan Circle, enjoying one last night on the town before she flies out tomorrow. We’re seated in a corner table as the rest of the trendy lounge socializes against the backdrop of mood lighting and slow jazz.
We came for their parmesan truffle fries and stayed for their Vesper Bloom, the establishment’s signature drink—a chilled lavender gin cocktail rimmed with edible gold.
I brought Jayla here the first night she flew into DC, and it’s been her favorite ever since. Now, as we each polish off our third Vesper Bloom of the night, I pour my heart out in tipsy fashion.
“I’m so alone,” I sigh. “All the people here are whack, Jay.”
“Sissy, have you eventriedto put yourself out there?”
“Define put myself out there.”
“Network! Go to events!” Jayla says, grabbing her cocktail glass and draining the last of it. “Remember all those charity dinners and galas you used go to? You were so good at that in Newport!”
I scoff, half slumping in my chair. “What’s the point? It’s not the same.”
“Okay, Miss Woe-is-me,” she says, rolling her eyes. “Have you forgotten you’re the one who chose to quit your life in Newport and move to DC for a job offer?”
“You should’ve stopped me… somehow…”
“What was I supposed to do? Keep you chained up in our apartment? Sissy, you know I’m way too irresponsible—andlazy—for all that. You’re the one who remindsmeto eat, remember? Do you really want me in charge of the grocery shopping?”
The glum, pouty expression on my face slips away for the laugh I let out.
Jayla has a point.
I was usually the one who kept our apartment up to speed. She’s the flightier, more carefree sister while I’m the overly analytical, organized one who keeps lists for my lists. I thrive on keeping things neat and orderly while she tends to feed off chaos.
It’s part of what has always made us such a good duo. Cousins by birth, sisters by adoption, and best friends by choice, we perfectly balance each other out.
Up until a couple months ago, we lived together in Newport City. Jayla was getting her salon off the ground while I was excelling as an evening field reporter for Metro News.
And then Rafael Calderone happened.
I went against every stubborn instinct that screamed at me to avoid him. He had already played me in Sicily over two years before. Was I really about to let him do it to me again?
Unfortunately, the infamous saying turned out to be true.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…
“Sissy,” Jayla says, forcing me back to the present. “Do you want another Vesper Bloom?”
I blink and realize our server has returned to our table. I pick up my cocktail glass with a few more swallows left of the lavender drink and down it in one go. “Sure,” I answer. “You can bring us both another.”
Jayla laughs. “I know exactly who you were just thinking about. You know that, right?”
Fast forward another hour later, we’re leaving Vesper & Ivy arm in arm. We’re both a little tipsy after so many cocktails, giggling over silly childhood memories like the time we snuck out with Dad’s car only to curb check on a turn and pop the front right tire.
“It’s not my fault the curb was in the way!” Jayla exclaims.
I snort back a laugh. “You mean the curb that was literally there since the road was paved? Definitely not your fault!”
