Page 36 of King of Guilt

“I’m up for it if you are!”

“I can even tell Chloe. Did you know she’s in town?”

“No way! Of course, tell her!”

“Alright. I’ll set it up and text you the deets.”

“Deal.”

It wasn’t easy to convince everyone to come out so late on a Sunday night, but Sara was persuasive, and they all wanted to see me. We agreed on meeting at Chloe’s favorite bar, since she was the one who now worked and lived in Los Angeles and barely came to visit.

At the bar, we were shocked to see that everything had changed. The only thing that remained the same was the name of the place—Shotz—but the décor, the team, and even the music had been modernized. Now, an entire generation of youngsters filled the place, and the dance space became so much bigger.

With fewer tables scattered along the walls and in the corners, it took us a while to find a place to sit at. We used that time hanging out by the bar, catching up and drinking colorful, sweet cocktails.

“So, what’s it like being married to a billionaire?” In her eyes, I saw the jealousy Chloe didn’t try to hide. When she had moved to L.A., her dream was to become a big-time band manager and hopefully, marry a successful musician. Instead, she wound up working at one of the celebrity clubs there, booking live numbers for the weekends.

Shrugging, I didn’t want her to think that my life was that much better than hers. “Marriage is marriage, no matter who the man is. It’s still hard work.”

Rolling her eyes, she toyed with the cherry in her glass, sucking on it with her lips. “Come on, Em. You can’t possibly tell me that you work as hard as your ordinary Jane Doe who lives in a studio downtown with a smelly, shared laundry room in the basement.”

I laughed. “Oh, if we’re talking housework… no, that’s taken care of.”

“And the other work?” Her eyes ludicrously crawled down to my crotch, and the others laughed. “I hope Mr. Allen lives up to the reputation of Billionaire Playboy.”

“Hey!” I playfully aimed to smack her arm, but she quickly recoiled, laughing.

“What? Those guys know everything there is to know about the realms of pleasure. Even more than actors, because some actors are just losers. Your guy’s hot, from what I’ve seen in the pictures… and he’s got all the dough! He’s not some creepy virgin, is he?”

Tilting my head, I pressed my lips into a line and watched my friends laugh at Chloe’s usual humor. “I missed you. We all did,” I admitted.

“Ladies, your table is ready,” a hostess announced, and we quickly grabbed our purses, rushing over to the promise of comfort as the bar got crowded.

As soon as we sat down and placed our order for the next round of drinks, Maude gave me a coy look from under her eyebrows. “So… what does Mr. Perfect have planned for Valentine’s Day?”

Sydney let out a sharp laugh. “It’s got to be a surprise! It’s their first one as husband and wife.” She turned to me. “Right, Em? Please tell me he didn’t make you plan it like you’re still his assistant!”

Having not thought about Valentine’s Day in the slightest, I felt my eyes turn into perfect circles while my mind raced to come up with an answer. “No, he didn’t. But honestly? Wouldn’t you rather plan your perfect day yourself?”

Chloe quickly shook her head, pulling out the straw from her drink and biting it until it bent. “Nope! Of course not. I’d want to see what the man I chose to spend the rest of my life with will conjure up!”

Maude giggled, her eyes beaming. “I’m sure it’s something wonderful. He’s not young and silly. At his age and with those resources, I’m sure he has learned a thing or two about reaching a woman’s heart.”

Rolling her eyes again—as it was her habit—Chloe snorted. “Hell, tell me about it. The last one I thought would get married suddenly like that was Em here! Dude’s got to be a sorcerer.”

Once again, they all laughed. But then I saw Sara’s face change as she stretched her neck slightly, looking over my shoulder before she gave me an apologetic look. “Shit, Em. You’re going to hate me for this.”

“What?” I quickly glanced over my shoulder but saw nothing but the dancing bodies behind. “What happened?”

“I sort of told Kyle that we’re coming here tonight… and… he’s here—”

“What?” Slightly panicking, I shouted over the music. “Why?”

“Well, he owes Chloe some cash and—”

Chloe clicked her tongue, slowly shaking her head. “I’ve been here a week. You couldn’t find a better time?”

“I wasn’t thinking!” Sara defended herself.

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