“Mm-hmm, sure.” Cleo raised a skeptical brow at me. “Nice. That’s all. Just nice.”

“I totally support you being hot for Hot Suit,” said Lola. “Then we can double-date.”

“Oh my god, will you stop? We’re not going on a double date, because I’m not dating him,” I insisted, taking a swig of water.

“But I bet you would, if he asked you out,” Cleo went on, giggling. “And you’d have a nice kiss at the end of the night.”

“Yeah, I wonder.” Lola tilted her head in thought. “Do you think he’s nice at the sex?”

“Ooooh yeah, Hot Suit would give it to you nicely, Fran,” Cleo said, and now I was laughing along with her and Lola. And even though the attention was still on me, it felt good for the conversation to be light and easy. I kept laughing, hoping that neither of them would detect the truth: that underneath it all, I was scared shitless about just about everything happening in my life.

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Hayes

“Hayes!”

A few days later, Serena greeted me on the sidewalk outside a downtown bar that I’d never heard of until she texted me the name and address. She seemed to tower over me, even though I was taller than her by a few inches. Sure, she was in heels, but it was her electric confidence that seemed to rocket her to the sky. Oh, and the skintight jeans didn’t hurt either.

“Hey.” I leaned in for a hug and landed my lips on her cheek. “It’s nice to see you again.”

She laughed at this, even though I hadn’t intended it to be funny.

“It’s kind of a scene inside. I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course,” I said, unsure of what a “scene” would entail. It was only a Wednesday night. “This is your sorority sister’s party?”

Serena nodded. She’d invited me last weekend during our run, and I’d expected a quiet gathering, a few friends.

“Hayley has the whole place rented out for her birthday,” she said, reaching for the door. “I’ve never seen anyone go this hard for their twenty-ninth birthday, but I’m into it.”

We walked up the steps and through the giant arched doorway, where overhead floated giant gold balloons that spelled out HAYLEY. Just inside the front door was a wall with Hayley’s name printed on it in pink and black, with brand logos all over it. People posed for photos in front of it, hugging and waving peace signs as a bored-looking bearded guy with a camera snapped away.

“Let’s go take a photo in front of the step-and-repeat!” She gestured toward the name wall.