Luce kept her eyes on Addison as she stepped into the room. Good mood or bad, Addison had always maintained an air about her. A dignity born from her surname and schooling, it never wavered. True, she could lose her temper at the drop of a hat, but when it came to her appearance, unless it was in the throes of sex, rarely was a strand of hair out of place or clothing not pressed.

The only thing Addison was wearing, her standard crisp white blouse, was neither crisp nor white any longer. The Oxford was splotched with stains of red and brown, and by the wrinkles covering almost every square inch of the fabric, it was evident the shirt had been slept in. Addison’s hair seemed to be styled courtesy of an electrical shock of massive proportions, and her arctic eyes were barely visible behind lids heavy from alcohol.

Inebriated friends in pubs had often brought smiles to Luce’s face, but as she gawked at Addison, Luce wasn’t laughing. Like the previous night, this was yet another side of Addison she had never seen before, and Luce’s forehead furrowed.

“All right, what’s going on with you?” Luce said, tossing her handbag on a chair.

“I dunno what you’re talking about,” Addison said, staggering past.

Grabbing Addison by the arm, Luce spun her around and then gripped the woman’s bicep when Addison nearly fell over.

“Last night you couldn’t get enough sex, and by the way you look...” Luce stopped and wrinkled her nose. “...and smell, today you apparently couldn’t get enough scotch. This isn’t like you.”

“You don’t know me!” Addison said, pulling out of Luce’s hold. “You’re just another stupid cow inna long line o’ stupid cows who thin’ they know me. Well, I’ve got news for you. You know shit! Yarn’t my friend. Yarn’t my confidant, and you’re certainly not my equal. You’re my whore, and you’d best remember that.”

Dulled by alcohol, Addison didn’t have a chance to avoid Luce’s stinging slap, the force of which almost sent her to the floor. A hint of metallic instantly invaded her mouth, and licking the blood that had seeped onto her lip, Addison sneered at Luce. “Hitta nerve, did I?”

Watching as Addison’s cheek reddened in the shape of a handprint, Luce’s shoulders dropped. Addison was holding her chin high, taking the stance of one invincible, but Luce could see a pain in her eyes that had nothing to do with the slap she had just received.

“I’m sorry,” Luce said, letting out a sigh. “I shouldn’t have done that.”