Page 4 of Muerte

“You should have left that on the floor. I take back what I said earlier.”

Finally reaching the other side of the lobby, I looked over at her. “Can you be more specific?”

“They were fine!”

Her elevated voice caught the attention of everyone within a few feet of us. I didn’t have the courage to look back and see how many more people were staring now.

“Did you need to announce that to the entire resort?”

“Hell yeah! I swear I’ve dreamed of at least two of them before.”

Cheeks flaming, I couldn’t help but grin at her. The girl was shameless, the total opposite of me. I loved her exactly for that reason and had from the moment we’d met at a mutual foster home years ago.

“I hope you die a happy woman now.”

“That won’t happen until one of them bends the knee and professes their undying love for me.”

“You have issues. Maybe you should see about talking to someone. I’m sure Shana could squeeze you in. You know how much she loves to remind us girlies that she’s always here if we want to talk.”

She laughed lightly. “You’ve got jokes, but just wait. One day I’ll be living a lavish life and putting you on as my sister-wife.”

“Uh, I think I’ll have to pass on that.” Sticking my hand in a high-speed blender would be more enticing. “I thought you weren’t into sharing?”

“I’m not, but I can still make sure you’re taken care of. All joking aside, I would never go from rags to riches without you, Lo.”

Her tone was playful yet genial. That warmed my heart and also sort of broke it. “I appreciate the sentiment, but don’t ever let me stop you from living your dream.”

She scoffed and nudged me with her shoulder. “It wouldn’t be much of a dream without you.”

“I am pretty irreplaceable.”

“Exactly. And this goes for you too. If you get on with a rich guy, bring me along for the ride.”

I smiled but didn’t reply.

The chances of that ever happening were about one in a zillion, and I wasn’t at all put off about it. Unlike me, Anya was dead set on manifesting herself into fortune by adorations from a man. There was no doubt in my mind that the kind of men she wished to pursue wouldn’t refuse what was offered.

Her Asian-Konkani ethnicity took a vibrant soul and wrapped it in a ridiculously gorgeous shell. I would proposition Anya if I swung that way. But that was never the issue. The problem was with the men she allowed to know her intimately. They treated her like a novelty with a short-term shelf life instead of a priceless treasure.

She’d been down the road of wealthy men already, which was why I didn’t understand her endless need to have one. Every time she got to the inevitable end, I helped her pick up the pieces of a broken heart and slighted ego.

I wondered if she realized that her hurting hurt me too. Bearing witness to her crying and raging was mentally taxing. Over time it had hardened my resolve to remain single. I was too unsure about life at the moment to get involved with anyone. I had no clear-cut path I wanted to walk. I couldn’t project a visual of me in any one profession.

Whatever my calling was, I hadn’t gotten it yet. Dragging someone along while I figured it out didn’t seem right or fair, not to mention distracting. And the bar men thought they had to reach was in hell. I had plenty of time to settle my love life in the future.

“All I’m saying is that you’re aware from experience that wealth doesn’t make a person decent. Why not try something different?”

She looked at me as if I’d just announced I could fly. “Because I want to be disrespected and have my guts rearranged on a pile of money.”

“I…I don’t know how to respond to that. Have I told you you’ve got issues?” I reiterated with a laugh.

“Yeah, but I also know you love me because I’m a headcase.”

“Whatever. You’d better be careful.”

“I’m always careful,” she retorted.

I urged her in the direction of the bistro, deciding where to eat for the both of us.

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