Page 79 of For Eva

December 1990

“So what do you think? This place is pretty swank, huh?” I took a sip of champagne from the delicate flute a server had just handed me.

Denise nodded, surveying the room of the restaurant Aaron’s friends had rented out for their New Year’s Eve bash. There were glittering gold streamers and warm white twinkle lights draped along the ceiling. Tall bouquets full of lush greenery and white flowers sat in the center of each table covered in a crisp black cloth.

“Way better than the seedy clubs I’ve been hanging out at…for way too long,” she said, shaking her head.

I ran my hand along her arm. “Sorry that didn’t work out, babe.”

She rolled her eyes and took a long swallow of her drink before placing it on the table beside us. “Well, when you’re stuck in Reseda because your boyfriend nodded off in the bathroom with a shoelace tied around his arm, you know it’s time to cut your losses. Fucking junkie.”

“Well, Aaron’s friend, Mark, was asking about you, so I thought maybe I could intro—”

Denise held her hand up. “Nope. Not happening. I’m done with men for the foreseeable fut—”

“Eva! I’ve been looking for you all night.”

A tall dark-haired man dressed in a light blue button-down slid up to me, and I shot Denise a nervous glance indicating I may have already told Mark I would introduce them.

“You look stunning, per usual,” he said, standing back to appraise my black sequined A-line before shifting his gaze to Denise, who was tightly wrapped in a strapless red satin dress. “And is this gorgeous creature the friend from LA you were talking about?”

I opened my mouth to answer his question but shut it as soon as Denise stuck her hand out, which he took into his.

“Hi, Iamthat friend from LA, but my drink is empty, so I need to go get a fresh one.” She unclasped his hand and grabbed mine before turning and yanking me in the direction of the bar.

“Wait, I can get that for you,” he called.

“No, I’m good, but thanks!”

Denise pulled me into a corner of the room and leaned against the wall, running her hand along her forehead. “Sorry, I just…I don’t want to meet anyone.”

“Okay, you don’t have to. We can just go to the bar and get you another vodka cran.” I nodded and squeezed her hand.

Concern crept like a shadow over her face as she smoothed her hands over her dress. “We can’t do that, either.”

“Why not?”

Her jaw tightened, and her eyes turned up toward the glittery ceiling. “Because I’m fucking pregnant, Eva.”

“You’re what?” My eyes widened as my hand slid slowly from hers.

“Pregnant,” she repeated in a hushed tone as her eyes settled back on me. “I’ve been drinking straight cranberry juice all night.”

The champagne flute nearly slipped from my grasp before I caught it and set it onto a table beside us. “What the hell? How…When?”

“It was an accident, obviously,” she said, brushing her dark hair from her face. “And yes, it’shis. There was one day when he came to my door, swearing he’d never touch the shit ever again, and I believed him. Like an idiot.”

I swallowed hard. “So are you gonna get an—”

“I don’t know. I just found out a few days ago.” She sucked in a shaky breath. “I should’ve called you, but then I thought I should tell you in person, but I also didn’t want to ruin your New Year’s Eve, and I—”

“Hush,” I commanded, placing my hands on her shoulders. “You haven’t ruined anything. Do you wanna leave and talk about it? I can tell Aaron I’m not feeling well.”

“Eva!” A male voice called from behind me. “Aaron needs you for a sec.”

I turned my head to see Mark motioning me over to him. “Yeah, just a minute, I’ll be right there.”

“He said he needs younow.”

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