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“You won’t regret it, boss,” he says. “Oh, and before I forget, David Price called again today. He really wants to buy the place?” Joe asks, with a slight look of concern straining his face.
“Joe, I’d never sell the bar.”
“Next time he calls, want me to tell him to go to hell?”
I laugh. “No. He’s still a colleague. Be professional. He’ll get the hint one day.”
When I get back to the table with the girls, I only smile at Mandy before she jumps up and hugs me. She doesn’t even give me the chance to tell her I’m going.
“It’ll be amazing, you’ll see,” Mandy squeals. “Drinks are on me. All night tomorrow night.”
“Nope. Not drinking,” I say. “I’ll be driving.” I grin at her.
“You don’t mean . . .” Mandy trails off and covers her mouth from the gasp she let out. Seriously, what a drama queen.
When I nod, Mandy jumps again and hugs me tight one last time. “I get to ride Bonnie? No freaking way. It’s going to be the best night ever.”
When I sit with them, Mandy announces she has to go home and get ready for the next day. I watch her leave the bar with a pep in her step, her calves accentuated by the red pumps she’s wearing.
When I look back at her, Carolina tilts her head to the side and crosses her arms. When her right eyebrow floats up, and her perfect lips form into a scowl, I know I’m in for it. “What did I do now?” I ask, annoyed. This is what she wanted. Isn’t it? For me to take her assistant to the damned concert?
“Mandy’s straight,” Carolina deadpans.
“I know.”
Sara interjects before any further questioning. “It looks like you two are going to be arguing for a while. I’m going to hit the hay. Caro, I’ll get you next time?” Sara says and leaves me alone with Carolina.
“Please don’t put the moves on her,” Carolina says when we’re alone.
“I wasn’t going to—”
“It’s your MO. Whenever you have the mood for a woman, you wow her with Bonnie, then take her to bed, and it always ends with the poor woman’s heart broken.”
I do my best to look offended. “My god, you’re paranoid. I don’t only takeloversfor a ride. I thought it would be fun for Mandy. That’s all.”
“You promise?” Carolina asks.
“What’s it to you, anyway?”
“I care about Mandy. You’re both important to me. I’d hate to have to pick sides here.”
The thing is, Amanda “Mandy” Gomez is very attractive. She is short, barely five-foot-three, and her frame is slender in a muscular sort of way that’s always been catnip to me on a woman. She always makes me smile because she basically lives in high heels, trying to be just a little bit taller, and it’s adorable. Her cool-toned, light-brown skin brightens with her broad toothy smiles that can cheer anyone up. But I’d never go there. She’s a big part of Carolina’s life, and I respect those bonds.
“Look, Mandy’s hot and all,” I finally admit. “I’m not blind, and I’m only human, but you know I don’t date. I wouldn’t jeopardize any friendship for a fuck. It’s not that important.” I don’t say out loud what Carolina already knows. I don’t do relationships. Period.
“I’m going to trust you here—”
“Have I ever given you a reason not to?” I ask my friend.
Carolina eyes me warily and takes too long to respond.
“And if you remember, it was you and Sara who pushed me to take her to the stupid concert,” I add.
“Okay, I’m going to let go of the fact that you just called my favorite band ‘stupid.’ But you’re right. You can’t win tonight, can you? I’m sorry. I’ve been in a mood.”
My eyes soften when I take a moment to study Carolina’s tired features. Her eyes are sunken, and she looks a little worse for wear. “I know. Hey, how are you doing—reallydoing?” I ask her, worried about my stubborn friend trying to pick up all the pieces of her life by herself when she doesn’t need to do it alone. She has friends, damn it.
But I also get her. I’m just as fiercely independent as she is, if not more.
