Page 11 of False Start

"Hey, bro! Some of us are trying to sleep!"

I ignore him and grab my phone from the counter before heading back to my room.

Denise (Maya's girl)

Hey, Denise. It's Cory, Adam's brother. I found your necklace!

Sitting on the edge of my bed, I smile to myself. I can't imagine how relieved she must be, considering she almost had a full-on breakdown when she thought it was lost. We were both still a little drunk, so I won't judge her too hard.

Her response comes less than a minute later.

Denise (Maya's girl):Seriously?! That's so great! Where was it?

Inside one of the pillowcases.

Denise (Maya's girl):Oh my God, no wonder we didn't find it. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Denise (Maya's girl):You have no idea how much I was freaking out.

No problem. So when do you want to come get it? Or should I bring it to you somewhere?

Her response takes longer this time, and I realize I'm holding my breath. Do I want her to come back here? She acted like I was barely tolerable the last time she was over, but—My phone dings, thankfully ending that train of thought.

Denise (Maya's girl):I'll just swing by after work tomorrow. Does that work?

Depends. What time do you get off work?

Denise (Maya's girl):6?

Can you make it 8pm? I've been pulling longer hours recently.

Denise (Maya's girl):Sure. I can do 8. I'll see you there.

Denise (Maya's girl):Thank you so much AGAIN!

I put the necklace in with my watches and run down to the basement to drop off my laundry. My brain is still buzzing. Why does this chick have me acting so weird? Hopefully, once she's got the necklace, we can go back to being just distant acquaintances.

Chapter six

Denise

Ifsomeonehadtoldme before the wedding that I'd end up at Cory's place not once, not twice, butthreetimes in the span of two weeks, I would've asked which edible they were on. It must be a hell of a lot stronger than the one I take to deal with my insane commute. That I even know where he lives is bonkers. He's supposed to be one step up from a stranger.

Sure, he's hot—tall and jacked, with long, dark, barely tamed hair and a wide mouth that I bet says the filthiest things in bed…Under normal circumstances, I'ddefinitelyhit that. But he's already proven himself to be a garbage human being, and sleeping with him was a huge party foul on my part.

Yet here I am, pacing in front of his swanky building off Columbus Circle, when I should be home, finalizing my sketches for the Bailey Maxwell show. New York Fashion Week is mere months away, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. It's my tenth year, but my first time working on a team with plus-size representation. Nine months from now, my designs could be on the racks of Saks Fifth Avenue!

The pressure of the impending show on top of the days I spent worried sick my necklace was gone forever has me taking a fortifying hit of my vape to calm my nerves. Anxiety and depression continue to be the gifts that keep on giving!

I turn to blow my smoke towards the street—some doormen are weird about THC even though it's legal now—but instead, blow it directly into Cory's face as he comes up behind me.

"Shit!" I say, desperately trying to clear away the smoke.

He lifts his head to take a whiff of the air, then cracks a sly smile.

"You partake?"

I eye him warily and brace myself for judgement better suited to the 1950s.

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