I pull it back to my ear, snagging a melon ball from the hors d’oeuvre table, and gliding my teeth along the silver pick. “It’s a big city.”

“Yup, and we might not have found you if your girl hadn’t hashtagged your location along with ‘girl gang.’ Think she knows what a gang is?”

I chuckle. “Only what can be learned from Riverdale.”

His laughter is loud, and I smile.

“Come on. We’re bored.” His grin easily heard. “Entertain us, Trouble.”

“And there it is.” I tip my head, trying to see farther down the road, but don’t spot them.

“Not the way you’re thinking. Your boy ain’t here. It’s just me and mine.”

My head jerks to the side, my mouth opening, but nothing comes out and his airy chuckle fills my ear.

“My car is at Cali’s.”

“We’ll grab it. Come on, get down here before we get a ticket for parking in a red zone. It won’t exactly be believable if I tell a cop we’re both color blind and one of us is a mute.”

I laugh, turning to look at the girls when their giddiness grows louder.

Cali beams at the mirror in a floor-length, chiffon gown, Jules clapping at her back, her wine spilling over her hand and making her laugh louder while the seamstresses appear about ready to have heart attacks.

So much for keeping the alcohol from her today—the girl brought her own bottle.

“We don’t get you next weekend since you’ll be playing royalty at the dance with your fake friends. Give us today, you know you want to.”

I take a deep breath, grabbing my clutch off the seat. “On my way.”

I say a quick goodbye and step into the hall, onto the elevator and hit the button for the bottom floor.

The doors begin to close, but a hand shoots out, and they reopen, Amy standing on the other side.

She stares, laughing as she tilts her head. “God, you must have serious daddy issues to be playing the game that you are.”

“And you must be mistaken if you think for a second anything that comes out of your mouth bothers me in the slightest.”

“Not a rebuttal, interesting.” Her smile surprises me, but I don’t show it. She steps back, waving her artificial fingernails at me. “Enjoy the scraps they’re willing to give, Jameson. I can’t wait to watch this blow up in your pretty little face.”

The doors finally close, erasing her from sight, and I bounce my knee as the elevator dings floor by floor until I’m stepping from the smothering box.

Not a second after I arrive in the lobby, into view through the large glass window, does a horn honk and hold.