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“No, not now. One of my sponsors invited me to a party this weekend—you’re coming with me to that.”
“You have sponsors now?!”
“Only the past few weeks or so. But anyway, my point is, it’ll be fun and you’re coming with me. You might even get laid, who knows.”
“Ew, gross!” I cried with mock-offense as she cackled.
Though the demon snoozing in my mind pricked a pointed ear into the air. Sex? She wanted sex. The kiss she’d stolen from Sawyer wasn’t enough.
I pushed the raw human want out of my mind. I’d never been the type to feel the need to sleep with anyone. For me, sex was an expression of intimacy, trust, and love in a controlled environment only, which meant it would be off the table for a while.
I needed to wait out Grayson’s new relationship so we could pick back up where we left off. The last thing I wanted was to make a mistake with some rando and have it haunt me forever.
“I see the look on your face, and I’m telling you right now that I’m not letting you mope around the apartment all weekend. You’re coming with me to this party. Let some guys buy you drinks. Have some conversations. It’ll be good for you.”
The way she put it didn’t sound so bad. I could go out in public. I was a terrible flirt, but if Effie was there with me, I could rely on her to do most of the work. With her good looks and natural charm, she always had several men orbiting her whenever we went outside. It was like she had her own gravitational pull that sucked in all the men.
“Alright,” I relented, the salt from my dried tears pinching my cheeks. “As long as they have whiskey.”
6
Bo
Yet another networking party in another brand new high-rise. Kill me now.
TheFigure Eightwas a towering monstrosity in the middle of Watervale; a fortress of steel and curved glass shaped like an upright infinity symbol. Rimming the neck of the hourglass was a circular patio lavishly landscaped with pink and purple flowering trees, a koi pond, an infinity pool overlooking the city, a feast of food, and a full-service bar.
I wrapped my fingers around my Sex on the Beach and surveyed the crowd, feeling relief flood through me when I didn’t spot Summer. I had to keep reminding myself that she chose to stay at home rather than follow me around today, which was a new behavior for an ink-person.
Though, it didn’t mean she’dstayat home, and she could very well decide to crash this party at any given moment.
The sweet drink swirled in my mouth. I breathed through my nose, feeling the wind ignite the fiery flavor of the alcohol as it flooded through my body.
I couldn’t indulge too much at this event—I was only here to get a little loose, chat with some other business owners, grow some relationships, then get the hell out. All I wanted to do was continue my search for that pen.
After I discovered it was missing, I went back to Dr. Silk’s office the next day and checked the couch.
Nothing.
That sent my mind into an obsession with finding that squirrelly woman; warning her about the evil inside that thing. No matter how many times I told myself she probably hadn’t used it—most people don’t know how the hell to use a fountain pen anyway—I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.
If shehadused it, she was fucked. Things would already be in motion.
“Another one?”
I jumped and whipped around.
The bartender gave me a weak smile.
I set the elegant, empty glass on the granite with a decisiveclunk.“Why the hell not.”
He mixed the drink as I stewed about my lost pen. Thankfully he had enough emotional awareness to discern I wasn’t in the mood to chat.
When he pushed the bright pink cocktail across the bar, I tipped him a crisp twenty with nothing written on it.
I wasn’t sorry.
My eyes kept darting to the sleek glass doors, just waiting for Summer to come striding in and cause a scene. I knew from experience that it wasn’t a matter of if it would happen, but when.
