Page 57 of Unraveling the Truth About Love
She texted back.Went great. Will call 2moro. Xox.
She called Josh’s cell, then remembered that he had a meeting and hung up before it rang. She sent a text instead.Show was awesome.Mind if I go out with Mia and Simone? Home before midnight I think. Luvu. Xox.
MUSIC BOOMED THROUGH the dimly lit club. Riley, Mia, and Simone sat in a booth by the bar, sipping their drinks and letting the stress of the day roll from their shoulders. Simone had ordered a round of seven and sevens. It was not Riley’sfavorite drink, but she could go with the flow for one night.
She looked around the bar, thinking about how different it was from a night out in Weston. Here everyone looked like they had money. The women had stylish coifs and expensive clothing. They wore sky-high heels, and every motion they made seemed practiced and graceful. The men’s styles looked just as manicured, some with an artsy flareand others in suits that probably cost more than a month’s worth of horse feed back home. Riley could be happy anywhere as long as she was with Josh, but she wondered what Jade would make of New York.
“That was a killer show. JB is gonna be psyched,” Simone said. She lifted her drink to her lips and threw back her head, taking a hearty gulp. “And that, ladies, is what tonight is all about.” Whenshe smiled, her slim black frames slid down her nose a tad and she set them right back on their perch with her index finger.
JB?Riley realized that she might hear things about Josh that she would rather avoid. What if they told her they had a crush on him and then they found out she was dating him?Oh no.Or worse, they might dislike something about him and she’d have to pretend to not takeoffense.Maybe this was a bad idea.
“Riley, what’s the scoop with you?” Mia asked.
“The scoop?” Riley asked.
Simone finished her drink and held up her glass toward the blond waitress. “I swear they should just bring two out at a time.”
“You know, tell us about yourself. All we know so far is that you’re a killer designer working as a design assistant, and you’re from Josh’s hometown,” Miasaid.
Riley furrowed her brow. “You know where I’m from?”
“Of course. We know where you worked, about your awards; we even know that you dislike Cruella as much as we do,” Mia said.
Do you know I’m sleeping with Josh?“I don’t dislike her. She’s okay; she’s just trying to move up.”And using all the wrong tactics.
“Speaking of moving up, did you guys hear about her and JB?” Simone asked.
Mia’s eyes opened wide. “No, please don’t tell me he gave in to that snark.”
Riley bristled.
“No, but I hear she tried…again. Wella—the night cleaning woman—told Chantal she saw Claudia storm out of his office late one night looking pissed and flustered,” Simone explained.
“She deserves to be fired, if you ask me,” Mia said.
“Sexual harassment, that’s what it is. And JB can do so much better,”Simone said.
Riley swallowed the urge to tell them about her relationship with Josh. She gulped down her drink. They clearly liked him enough to want him to be with a good person, but was she that person in their eyes, or would she be seen just as Claudia was—a career climber using sex to get to the top?
“I hear he is.” Mia sipped her drink, her eyes on Riley.
Riley froze.Does she know?“Really?”she managed. The waitress brought another round of drinks, and Riley took another gulp to numb the pinch that was slowly creeping across the back of her neck.
“That’s what I hear, too,” Simone said. “He’s got a woman stashed away somewhere. All I can say is that I hope she’s not witchy and backhanded. The guy’s loaded, and you know, I wouldn’t kick that body out of bed for eating crackers.”
Riley choked on her drink, coughing and fanning her face. “Sorry, sorry,” she said, catching her breath. “Went down the wrong tube or something.”
“Drink some more. It’ll help.” Simone pushed Riley’s drink toward her. “Anyway, I always thought Mia would hook up with JB.” She flashed a half smile and nudged Mia’s arm, then flagged the waitress for another round.
“Please.” Mia rolled her eyes. “I’man excellent assistant, and he values that, but there’s nothing more to it. He’s like an older brother to me more than anything else. Don’t get me wrong. I’d do him if he asked, but I’d never pursue him. I like bad boys. You know that, Simone. Besides, he doesn’t even take home those gorgeous, airheaded, easy-lay models he dates. I think Mr. B. is pretty picky, if you ask me. How about you, Riley?Have a boyfriend?”
Yes, and you’d do him. Oh no, no, no.She finished her drink and said, “Are you guys hungry? Want to get an appetizer?”
“Oh, we are so much more clever than your Colorado friends, chickadee. Spill it,” Simone said.
“Now, now. She’s new to the city. Don’t pressure her. She has morals and values, and—”
“Really? I’m not some dumb hick, you know,” Riley said. She accepted anotherdrink from the waitress and took a sip.
