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I snapped my mouth shut, annoyed that he was obviously taking the long route, but that was the difference between having a driver who got paid by the minute and one who was paid handsomely to get us to our destination in the quickest way possible.
With a sigh, I laid my head back and closed my eyes, settling in for the drive. At least I’d have time to try to remember if I’d really seen a tattoo on Archer’s shirtless body last night or if I’d made it up. And if I hadn’t, what had it looked like…?
I must’ve dozed off, because my phone buzzing in my pocket jerked me awake. It was a text from Donovan, asking where I was.
Oh, right. I hadn’t even thought about the fact that I’d never skipped school before, so my absence would definitely sound a few alarms with my friends. I needed to play up my whereabouts so they didn’t ask too many questions or come looking for me.
Did you miss East trying to kill me last night?
DONOVAN:
I don’t think anyone in the club missed that. Feeling like shit?
Let’s just say I won’t be leaving the bed today.
DONOVAN:
Order up Carol’s special from downstairs.
I wrinkled my nose, wondering what in the hell kind of healthy concoction Donovan was recommending, because the guy liked to keep in shape a little too much for the rest of us.
Does it have grass in it?
DONOVAN:
Just trust me. It’ll help.
The last time I trusted you, I threw up kale and ginger. Do you know how bad ginger burns coming back up?
DONOVAN:
Fine. West says order the grease platter, then. Feel better.
The taxi jerked to a sudden stop, and I almost hit the seat in front of me. The total for the ride flashed on the screen, and I swiped my credit card, ready to get out of the car already. I hadn’t eaten in a while, and I needed something to soak up the churning in my stomach, but it would have to wait. I needed to talk to Serena first.
I headed into the building where the designer she was interning for had their showroom and took the elevator up, and when my stomach did a backflip midway through the ascent, I promised myself I’d never drink again.
This wasn’t the first time I’d been here—I’d met up with Serena several times for lunch or to pick her up after school. Butnever had I skipped a class to be here, andneverhad I shown up to tell her what I was about to.
As the doors opened on her floor, I stepped out and took in a deep breath, thankful I’d managed to keep my roiling stomach under some sort of control. God, it had gotten worse and worse since leaving Archer’s house, and as I wiped my sweaty palms on my pant leg, I realized why—guilt.
I was sick to my stomach not because of East’s poisonous concoctions but because I’d been lying to my best friend. Well, that was going to stop right fucking now. It was time to lay this all out on the table before things went any further.
The showroom was a bustling hive of activity when I stepped inside—designers, models, and assistants in different stages of measuring, fitting, and dressing for whatever upcoming project or show they were working on.
I scanned the controlled chaos, searching out a high blonde ponytail swaying around dainty shoulders several feet from me, as Serena stood back from the gorgeous model standing on a pedestal.
I swallowed around the lump that had formed in my throat, and reminded myself that the sooner I did this, the sooner it would done.
Man, what I wouldn’t do for a “Van Talk” right about now. Out of all my friends, Donovan was the absolute best when it came to handing out relationship advice, and I knew he’d have some fantastic ideas on how to deal with this.
Only problems were: a) he thought I was straight and b) I wasn’t actuallyina relationship with Serena. Well, not the kind he thought, anyway. Also, how did one tell their friend that they were in a bind because they wanted to fuck their fake girlfriend’sdad?
Maybe Archer was right. This was going to be complicated.
“Can you turn a little to the left for me?” Serena studied the lines of the garment she was pinning with painstaking detail as I walked up behind her and whispered by her ear, “Hello.”
She whirled around, her bright, sunny smile lighting up her features when her eyes landed on me. But the smile somewhat faded as she got a reallygoodlook at me—my disheveled state was unusual, to say the least.
