pelessly in love with for the last year. I ignored her, swiping my lashes with mascara. Blake and I had met our freshman year in Art & Design 101. He was a programmer trying to keep his options open in case he wanted to shift into web design, but thank god he didn’t. He was all left-brain.
I had a boyfriend back then and mistook Blake’s friendliness for just that and not flirting. When my high school long-distance relationship collapsed, I wanted more than a shoulder to cry on from Blake, but he’d started dating someone the week before. Our horrible timing continued through college, through my semester abroad, until we both fell in love our senior year . . . with other people.
We drifted apart for a while, but reconnected when he moved to the city, and it was like no time had passed in our friendship. The longing for him flared back up, stronger than before. But Blake wasn’t single. In fact, I suspected a marriage proposal wasn’t far off in his girlfriend’s future. In spite of everything, I liked her. Amy was geek-chic, a perfect match for him.
“It was nice of Amy to arrange to have her birthday on a Friday.” Payton picked at her nails. “Did you fill out any more boxes on your willing list?”
I paused at her sudden topic change, and then recapped my lipstick. “No.”
“Evie.” She directed a serious look at me through the mirror. “Please, check something else. Anything. I know how it works with the club. They’re already doing you a favor, they’re not going to do any more when it comes to the percentage.”
“Okay.” I wanted her off my back. I didn’t want to think about it, like a patient with an upcoming surgery.
They were already seated at the restaurant, surrounded by a few of Amy’s co-workers I didn’t know, when Payton and I arrived. Blake’s gaze connected with mine from across the room, and my heart beat faster. He was tall and lanky, just a few pounds of muscle short from being ripped. That was Amy’s doing; she’d gotten him hooked on going to the gym. He’d never looked better than he did now. His light brown hair curled over his ears in an effortless look that made me want to put my hands in it. He’d been an adorably cute boy in college, but now he was a flat-out beautiful man.
Fate had been so completely unfair to me. That was what I thought every time I saw him. His amber-colored eyes lit up when I came toward the table.
“Wow, your hair,” he said. “Looks nice.”
“Thanks.” I tried not to blush.
Conversation flowed easily between the group at first, but soon after it split down the center – Amy and her co-workers on one side, and Blake, Payton, and I on the other, although Payton never had much to say. I was surprised she’d agreed to come along. Payton and Blake were always friendly, but they were my friends and not friends with each other.
“What made you decide to go dark?” he asked, gesturing to my hair.
A huge grin spread across Payton’s face. “She’s going to be joining me at work.”
That was why she’d wanted to come. She wanted to see the moment when Blake learned what I was going to do.
“What?” I think he stopped breathing.
“Oh, yeah? What do you do again?” Amy asked. I hadn’t realized they’d rejoined the group conversation.
“Customer service,” Payton answered.
“Right.” She gave a polite nod and went back to discussing something with her coworker. She didn’t know the truth about how Payton made her living, but Blake did. This past New Year’s Eve, when Amy had gone home to Minnesota for the holidays, Blake and I had gotten sloppy drunk and spilled our guts to each other about everything.
I’d told him that Payton was a prostitute, and he’d agreed, not understanding until I explained it all in detail. He’d had a lot of questions but promised not to judge her, for me. Then, I’d told him about my repeating crush through college, and he revealed he’d felt the same.
Then the margaritas in me told him I loved him.
He didn’t say anything. Instead he kissed me ferociously, and the alcohol allowed it. We’d made out on my couch for a good twenty minutes until I stopped him. We were drunk and he had a girlfriend.
We never spoke about that night. I’m not sure if he remembered it or if he wanted to pretend it never happened, because Amy returned from her folks’ place, and a month later she moved in with him. They got serious, fast.
“Tell me she’s kidding,” Blake said, horror splashed on his face. His eyes pleaded with mine.
I swallowed hard and nodded. “It’s true.”
He stood abruptly and stormed away from the table.
“Is he all right?” Amy asked.
“He’s mad at me.” I pushed back from the table. “I’ll get him to come back.”
Blake was waiting for me in the parking lot. I hadn’t made it through the outer door, and he stalked toward me, getting in my face.
“What the fuck, Evie? Why would you do this?”