AllFreeNovel
Share Us
With that, he stomps into his bedroom, slamming that door as well. What an ass.
Left even more confused than before, I go to my own room to get ready to go out with Sloan. It’s going to be good to see her. Losing the sweats, I find some skinny jeans, boots, and a sweater. Rushing around, I put some light makeup on my face before heading out.
Sloan rolls up in a bright yellow Toyota hatchback. She’d told me she got a new car, but I didn’t know it was basically a submarine. Rushing toward her, I get into the car and hug her fiercely. When she releases me, she looks into my face and frowns.
“What’s on your mind,” she says, “you look troubled.”
“You just got here, let’s catch up before I unload my problems on you.” I thought I looked elated to see her and excited for the evening. I’m going to have to work on my poker face.
“Fair enough, let’s get this party started, hot stuff. I’m thinking of sushi and dancing.”
My best friend since our first year of college is sporting some purple hair and large false lashes. She’s always been fashion-forward. Today she is wearing a bright blue dress that somehow doesn’t clash with her hair. One sleeve is long, and the other side is sleeveless. She’s paired it with black tights and studded black boots. She looks fantastic, and I feel frumpy in my blue sweater and jeans.
After catching up in the car on the ride over, I wait until we’re settled with sake at our favorite sushi spot before I start talking.
“Okay, so first, you have to know my new roommate is Travis,” I say.
“Travis as in, I gave him my cherry, and he skipped town, Travis?” she says, not very quietly.
“Yes, and hush, you’re scaring our waiter.” I look over at him, cowering behind the register, not wanting to come and take our order.
“Aw,” she says, “cute little guy. I can’t believe it; did you tell him what an asshole he is? Wait, you let him live with you? Why?”
I tell Sloan the entire story from the beginning. Starting with my roommate and my brother. Ending with Sam and Travis. By the end of it all, she wants to fight both Vicki and Grady.
“It’s okay,” I calm her. “We are actually getting along now.”
“You are?”
“Yes, I even thought maybe we were heading in a certain direction. Then this crazy sex-crazed woman he’d been seeing showed up.” Remembering Sydney makes me angry and jealous. If only I could be as forward about what I wanted as she was. Maybe that’s what Travis is missing from me.
“Wait, you thought it was going...” She makes the universal sign for doing it with her fingers.
“I mean, yeah,” I say. “Now I’m seeing someone. He’s taking me out this weekend.”
“Good, you let Travis see what he’s missing,” Sloan says, nodding. “Where is that waiter?”
By the time we leave the sushi restaurant, we’ve had plenty of sake and some beers. The place she decides to go dancing is a country bar because she’s feeling like taking home a cowgirl or cowboy tonight.
Sloan has always been very open with her sexuality and expresses she goes with who feels good. It’s not about labels. I respect her for that even though sometimes her antics are too much for me to handle, and I check out. Part of me thinks maybe she’s a little afraid to get serious because of the crazy way her parent’s relationship went down. There’s a lot of scary stories that came from the Bendel residence, and they’re totally loaded. I could write a book about the insane things her parents put her and her sisters through.
After a good amount of line dancing, we go to the bar for more beer and a break. I’m realizing I should probably go to the gym more. The sweat coating my body, and speed at which my heart is racing is showing me I’m not in the best shape.
“Where are you staying?”
“Some hotel in town.”
“Why didn’t you ask to stay with me?” I ask, feeling bad she’s paying for a hotel.
“I didn’t like Vicki. I didn’t know about Travis, but now that I do and you’re going to go home lubricated and ride that dick, I’m glad I booked the hotel.”
“Sloan,” I hiss, looking around. Once again, she’s not quiet, and people are looking at her. “Besides, I’m going out with Sam this weekend. He could be the one, you know?”
“Okay, darling,” Sloan says, “if that’s what you want. I can just tell you’re still carrying a torch. Sometimes, you have to just get it out of your system. Once you’ve done Travis again, you can move on and date Sam or whoever.”
Those words stay with me for the rest of the night. Sloan finds a guy who fits her, he’ll do for tonight, attitude, and agrees to meet him later. By the time we get home at almost midnight, all I want to do is lay down and go to sleep. Somehow, I fight myself into the shower and then go collapse on my bed.
At about two in the morning, I sit straight up, my stomach growling. Somehow, in my sleep, I’ve become hungry. I make my way to the kitchen and pull out some cheese and crackers. I try not to make a lot of noise as I open the packages, but it’s nearly impossible in a quiet house.
