“My friend Clementine is inside though.” I shrug. “She might be open to it.”
“I’m listening.” Tommy grins.
“So, are you a client or friend of Gabe’s?”
“Actually,” I take a beat to brace for impact. “I came here with Annie.”
Logan grimaces. “Annie?”
“Crazy Annie?” Tommy asks.
“Crazy Annie?” I protest. “That’s what you call her?”
Logan looks at me like I might be the sanely challenged one. “Yeah, have you met her? Therealher?”
“Well, we haven’t known one another long, but she’s my friend.”
Tommy grimaces this time and laughs. “Good luck with that.”
I frown. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means the bitch is fuckin’ nuts, all Annie’s are, but her in particular?” Tommy whistles. “Run, is all I’m saying.”
“Oh, come on. She’s not that bad.”
“Mark my words.” Tommy places his hand on his chest in a hand-to-God gesture. “Because you’ll be eating your own soon enough.”
“I can’t believe she even brought you here,” Mace says, sitting on the arm of the sofa so I have no choice but to scooch over andlet him in or crane my neck to look at him. “She’s kind of a dick to other girls around Gabe.”
“She didn’t seem to like it much when I said we’d already met.”
“Wait, you and Gabe have history?” Tommy says and looks at Mace. “There goes any shot you might’ve had, brother.”
“Oh, it’s not like that. He just pretended to be my boyfriend at a bar once to stop me from sleeping with my ex.”
“Oh, shit,” Tommy says with a wide grin. “You’re Freckles, the mystery girl from the bar?”
“Okay,” I glance at Mace. “I thought you were just kidding about that. He really told you about the bar incident?”
“Yeah.” Tommy pulls a joint from his pocket and places it in his mouth. It hangs precariously from his lip as if by command as he lights it. “He wouldn’t shut up about it for weeks afterward—months, even.”
“Huh,” I say thoughtfully. “I thought you were just saying it to piss off Annie.” They all laugh at me, and I frown. “What?”
“Oh, Lo,” Tommy says, shaking his head. “You just made things so much more interesting.”
I roll my eyes, and finish the rest of my beer, praying he’s not right because I have no desire to make an enemy of my friend.
Alittle while later, I head inside to find Clementine and Annie. Several bodies mill around drinking beer and studying the art on the walls. I set my empty cup on the drinks table and go in search of a bathroom, thinking my best friend might be in there. Instead, I knock and open the door to what looks like a small office.
“Hey,” Gabe says with a tight smile.
“Hi. Sorry. I thought this was the bathroom.”
“Nope, that’s at the end of the hall.” He points over my shoulder.
“Oh. Well, thanks.”
“You should avoid it right now though.”