Page 65 of The Heartbreak Hotel
I hear a door close over the line. “What happened?”
“Henry went down on me in my bathroom and then Goldie showed up and I kind of kicked him out and now I’m pretty sure he hates me.”
Mei is silent for five full seconds. “Wait,what?” Then she asks a string of questions in such rapid succession I have no time to answer any of them: “Hot landlord Henry? In yourbathroom? While Quinn was there? Did Goldie know? Why would you kick him out?”
“Because I panicked,” I say, flapping my hands around thebedroom even though she can’t see me. “I didn’t want Goldie to know and make it a whole other thing about how I’m distracted from my career or not taking my life seriously or whatever else.”
“Oh my god,” Mei says. “Okay, damn. Okay. Why do you think he hates you?”
“It’s beenfour days, Mei, and he still isn’t texting me back.”
“Does he usually…text you back?” I can hear Mei playing catch-up, and feel guilty for not telling her about this sooner.
“No,” I say, “I don’t know, we haven’t really texted before.”
“So maybe he’s busy?”
“For four whole days? Maybe I’m just stupid and I hurt his feelings and he’ll kick me out of—”
“Lou?” There’s a rapid knock at my door, followed by Willa’s voice. “Can you come back? We need you?”
“Fuck,” I whisper into the phone. “I’m neglecting my house duties, I’ve got to go. Sorry, Mei.”
“Okay, well, call me back. Jesus.” She sounds exasperated, like she can’t catch her breath. “Clearly you have a lot to fill me in on.”
“I know, I’m sorry.” I stand from the bed, my face burning. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Bye.”
I draw a sharp breath and yank the door open, plastering on a smile. “Willa, hi. What’s up?”
She grins, reaching one hand up against the doorframe and leaning into it dramatically. “We want to go out. And we want you to come with us.”
There’s one bar open pastten in Estes Park: Ophelia’s Saloon. I’ve been exactly once, years ago with Nate when the guys fromSay It Now stayed over for a weekend and needed a little moregothan our quiet mountain home could provide. It’s dark inside, all wood panels and mounted animal heads—the kind of décor only a cretin carnivore could love. It’s Halloween, and it’s packed.
Lucy’s entourage makes short work of getting her to the front of the line and ordering a round of absurdly blue shots that make me think of Henry’s irises. I’ve barely knocked mine back when I decide to text him again.
I’m at Ophelia’s with some guests. Will you please come?
“Okay, Lou, what do you want next?” Willa’s eyebrows are hiked at me over the head of one of her other friends, a short woman with box braids named Dahlia. Willa has incredible energy—she commands every single room she enters. Somehow, she’s managed to get the bartender’s undivided attention in this packed space.
“Oh, I’m good,” I say. I can already feel the liquor, whatever it was, burning in the pit of my stomach.
“You sure?” Willa shouts. She and her friends are all wearing their black tutus; I’m decidedly unfestive in my usual jeans and a black V-neck T-shirt. The music is earsplitting, a heinous mash of country and EDM that vibrates up through the soles of my boots. “We’re doing cosmos.”
They makecosmoshere? I glance down at my phone, which remains silent. I hate myself for fucking this up so fast.
“Okay, yeah,” I tell Willa. It’s a holiday, after all. “I’ll do a cosmo.”
I’m at the bottom of it, slurping the last dregs of pink from my glass, when I decide to text Henry again.
Please, I send.I’m sory.
Lucy’s little sister, Eloise, knocks her hip into mine. We’re dancing in a circle in the middle of the sweaty room; it’s mostly old men in motorcycle jackets in here, sipping whiskey and standing perfectly still. I text Henry again, correcting myself.
Sorry.
“Who’s that?” Eloise shouts over the music. “No men!”
“He’s my landlord!” I tell her. “Not amanman.”
