I rubbed my forehead and shook my head.
I endured another few minutes of gory, sexy vampire talk before we were at Zoe’s apartment building.
She lived in an artsy part of the city.
There was always someone outside painting and at least three or four people blowing into trumpets, strumming a guitar or smacking drumsticks off some flipped over, empty paint cans.
I always caught myself standing, looking around, dreaming of taking pictures of this street. Like turning it into some kind of photographic showcase. And call it something along the lines of streets that make music or sound like music. Like instead of the honk of horns and the smell of exhaust you heard music and smelled happiness.
What did happiness smell like?
Happiness smells like Maverick’s naked body against mine.
Well, my brain answered that question way too quick.
I quickly followed Eva up the old steps to the apartment building and inside.
I needed to vent about the first day of my new job.
“The asshole broke my lens,”I said. “Can you believe that? He purposely ran into me and knocked me over.”
Zoe sat on her couch with a ukulele in her hands, plucking at the strings.
Eva sat in a recliner with it tipped back as far as it could go.
“What did you do in return?” Zoe asked.
“You should have taken an ice skate and cut his throat,” Eva said.
“It’s not a horror story,” I said.
“It sounds like it,” Eva said. “What’s the point of telling us this? We all know you could tell your father and the guy will get traded to some third-world hockey team and never play again. Right?”
“I don’t want to do that,” I said.
“And why don’t you want to do that?” Zoe asked.
“Because the hockey player? The goalie? The one who knocked me over and broke my lens on purpose? He’s the guy I slept with.”
Eva launched herself forward so hard, she flung herself out of the recliner.
She stumbled forward and grabbed for me. “What did you just say?”
Zoe tossed the ukulele aside and stood up. “What?”
“Yeah,” I said.
“You slept with the goalie from theApple Cats?” Zoe asked.
“That I did,” I said.
“And you didn’t know who he was?” Eva asked.
“No clue. I don’t follow hockey. You both know this. I can’t stand it.”
“But…,” Zoe lifted an eyebrow. “How do I say this without offending you, Madison…”
“Don’t say it,” I said. “I know. Believe me, I know.”