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I hadn’t slept much after the startling shadow in my kitchen. The dreams I’d had were too vivid, and I had woken up at the crack of dawn drenched in sweat.
The coffee shop was busy, with plenty of people picking up their orders and bustling around. After putting in my order for a large caramel latte with an extra shot of espresso, I made my way to where Rhomi stood facing the large window.
She smiled brightly and threw her arms around my shoulders.
“How have you been, girlie? It’s been years. Didn’t you move to France or something?” The apples of her cheeks were pink and full with her warm smile.
“Yeah, I’ve been back for a few months now. I should have reached out sooner.”
“Oh, honey, no worries at all. I’m so stoked to see you and catch up.” She giggled and nudged the top of my hand with her manicured fingers.
“I think the last time we saw each other was two summers ago,” I said. “When our dads did that summer park cleanup fundraiser.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fuck my dad and his fake caring-for-humanity bullshit. I haven’t let him drag me to one of his phony events since. That was when Kip Spokes pushed me into the buffet table and shrimp cocktail flung all over my dress. Hate him.” She flicked her wavy brown hair over her shoulder in indignation.
I wasn’t sure what to add to the conversation, but the barista saved me by calling out my order.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, but Rhomi was already digging through her purse and pulling out her phone.
The barista smiled and gave me a quick nod when I reached for my coffee. I took a deep breath and fought the urge to fake some kind of emergency.
What was I thinking when I asked Rhomi for coffee?
We didn’t have anything in common, even when we were younger. She was flirty, talkative, and always the center of attention, whereas I preferred the company of smaller groups. I didn’t mind dancing at clubs but was typically along for the ride when it came to going out with our friends.
I walked back to her, and she set her phone down and smiled again.
“Okay, so tell me about Europe. Did you meet anyone special?”
“I loved it there, actually. I’m sad I had to come back, but it was hard to find a job in London.”
It wasn’t a lie, but it also wasn’t fully the truth. I’d had a job before I left but didn’t have the stability my colleagues had and was laid off within a few months of starting.
She didn’t cut in to speak; she just chewed on the end of her paper straw and focused her dark eyes on me.
So I went on spilling my guts to a practical stranger. “I was dating someone but we decided the distance wouldn’t work. But maybe someday we’ll find our way back to each other, you know?”
She nodded along, a pitied pout on her bottom lip at my supposed European love affair gone wrong.
“What about you?” I asked, eagerly shifting the conversation back to her. “Are you dating anyone?”
She’d have tons to talk about until I could peel away to my father’s house for lunch and chalk up the outing to a failed attempt at rekindling friendships over coffee.
“I don’t do commitment, but I have a few regular hookups here and there.” She winked and shimmied her shoulders playfully. “Actually, one of my sneaky links just texted me an invite to The Deacon Saturday night. Do you want to come? I can totally put you on the guest list. She’s DJing and on the verge of making it big.”
“Saturday night?” I picked at my cuticles, unsure if I should make up an excuse to stay home on one of my only evenings off work.
“Whatever your plans are, dump them. I promise you won’t regret it. The Deacon is a life-changing experience.”
“What’s The Deacon?” I was unsure if she was part of some Hollywood-BDSM-Jesus cult.
“It’s a club. Very hard to get into without knowing someone. I mean, you should be thanking me on your knees for the invite, to be honest.” She giggled, but the joke wasn’t lost on me.
“I don’t know. That doesn't sound like a scene that I’d fit into,” I said with a playful laugh, hoping she’d take the invite back.
“Don’t say no, Evie. I refuse to hear it.” She waved her hand about, swatting away any doubt in the air. “I’m getting there around 10 p.m., so if you get there after that, text and I’ll come get you.”
“All right . . . I guess . . .”
