Page 13 of Is It Casual Now?

“I’ve fucked up,” Siena said, the whiskey she had already drunk having loosened her tongue.

“Well shit.” Ingrid pulled her handbag around to her front and sat down on the chair opposite Siena. “This isn’t some petty little shit who has pissed you off.”

“Nope.” Siena shook her head and then narrowed her eyes. “Actually. She is a petty little shit who has pissed me off, but I can’t say I’m surprised or even that I entirely blame her.”

“Her?” Ingrid lifted a hand and got the attention of the waitstaff. “This sounds like I’m going to need a drink as well.”

“Oh yeah.” Siena leaned forward and chuckled. It was the first moment of lightness that she’d felt since hanging up with Tori. The call had been a bad one. Tori hadn’t screamed or yelled or anything like that. It really wasn’t in her nature. She had even tried to be understanding and give Siena a break from the guilt, which of course only made her feel that much worse.

She’d even offered to tell Harley for her, but Siena didn’t want Tori to take the blame for Siena’s parenting fuck ups. That had never been something either of them would do to their darling daughter or to each other.

“I have to miss Harley’s open house at school next week. Her first one.”

“What? Why?” Ingrid pulled the straw from her drink and took a healthy gulp of the amber liquid before she snuggled into her chair, clearly getting ready to settle in for the long haul.

Siena gave a small snort. Not the most attractive of hermoments but fuck it. What else could go wrong right now? “Because I fucked up and have to tour with Bunny and Piper so the accusations can’t stick.”

“Ah fuck. You’re talking about the JK blog?” Ingrid nodded and took another gulp of her drink.

“Oh yeah.” Siena lifted her eyebrows and nodded. Despite the heaviness in her chest over the entire situation, the corners of her mouth curled up just a touch.

“She has really fucked over a lot of us managers with that one. And it looks like it’s getting a bit of traction as well.”

“Exactly.”

“So then, how come your cheeky grin is showing?” Ingrid gave her own half grin and raised a single eyebrow at Siena.

No wonder they had become fast friends and stayed that way. They didn’t catch up all that regularly, but when they did, they slipped into the easy friendship of a history and understanding that few others could grasp.

“Well,” Siena chuckled, a self-deprecating sort of hard chuckle that made no secret of the desolation and stupidity she felt. “I fucked her.”

“What?” Ingrid’s eyebrows knitted together, and her glass stopped halfway to her mouth. It hung in midair, and Siena focused on her friend’s fingers as they warped through the thick glass, instead of meeting Ingrid’s eyes.

“I didn’t know it was her at the time.”

“Oh my God.” Ingrid’s hand lowered and the glass landed with athunkonto the tabletop, the next gulp forgotten. “You’re serious? You slept withJamie Kettlehouse?”

“Ssshhhh.” Siena quickly looked around the space.

She really didn’t know why she bothered. It wasn’t as though this was a popular hangout joint. It was nothing more than a dive bar really, but it was theirs.

“What the hell happened, Siena? You don’t just sleep with people.”

Siena cringed as she thought about the words that she planned on saying next. “Apparently, I do now. And with my impeccable taste and timing, the person I decided to change my entire personal vow for is none other than the demon spawn of my entire fucking career.”

“Wow.” Ingrid shook her head as she took that previously forgotten drink. “Just how did this even happen?”

“She hit on me, and she has delicious tits.” Siena groaned and dropped her head forward as memories of sucking those tits rushed to her mind.

“Wow.”

“That’s it? That’s all I get?”

“Well, until you explain a bit more.” Ingrid held up her hand. “And no, I don’t mean more about the tits and whatever has got your face flaming red again. But how do you go from mortal enemies to fucking?”

“I need another drink for this,” Siena said.

“I’ve got it.” Ingrid raised her hand again, slugging back the last of her current drink as she did.

---