AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Nothing?”
She shrugs. “Can I buy you that drink? I just found this awesome little vintage-y bar near the Museum of Natural History. And it’s like nobody even knows about it.”
My brows perk up. Victoria makes a face. “I mean, unless you want someplace livelier. I just hate busy—”
“No, no, secret vintage place with no one else in it soundsperfect,” I grin. “I hate crowded bars.”
“Oh my God,same,” she groans. “No thanks. So, what do you think?”
I grin. “Lead the way!”
* * *
As it turns out,Victoria isawesome. She’s also almost exactly like me: only daughter of a single mom. Shit-head dad who took off basically the second she was conceived. Unconventional upbringing, moving around a lot. Stepdad that ended up screwing her mom over. And even though neither of us says it in so many words or out loud…well, you know it when you see it in someone else’s eyes. She’s got trauma somewhere in her past too, just like me.
And yet here we are: surviving. Thriving. Building futures. Kicking ass and taking names.
She’s got the same taste in music as me, we order the same cocktail, and honestly, it just feels great to let go and relax with a new friend.
“By the way, how’s your internship going?”
I feel the burning rising to my face before I turn to hide it by sipping on my cocktail straw. But the couple we’ve had so far have either heightened Victoria’s sense of perception or lowered her inhibitions enough to call it when she sees it.
“Oh, no. There’s no way you’re leaving it like that,” she giggles, smirking at me. “What wasthatlook for?”
“Nothing!” I blurt, blushing fiercely.
“Eek! Co-worker?”
“Victoria, it’s seriously nothing—”
“Oh myGod,” she blurts. “Your boss?!”
My face gives me away despite my silence. Victoria howls with glee, biting her lip as her eyes dance.
“Uhhh, details?”
“Uhhh,no?”
“Come on, spill! Is he way older? Super-hot? Daddy vibes?”
I roll my eyes. “Okay, I think that’s your last Aperol Spritz.”
She laughs, immediately turning to the bartender and ordering another.
“No, he’s basically my age,” I blurt out. “And….”
“And?”
“And we have…history.”
“Ooooo,” she grins. “And? Is he hot?”
“Incredibly,” I groan. “Like, ridiculously so.”
“Okay, seriously, this is the way they need to pitch business school. Fuck the whole ‘build the best future for yourself you can through hard work and networking’ spiel,” she snickers. “Just hit us with ‘steamy office affairs with your hot internship boss’. Enrollment will go through the flipping roof.”
I laugh as she drains her drink, just as the bartender is bringing over another.
