Page 7 of Best Served Hot
Nicole was confused. ‘What the hell are you…’ She remembered she’d dropped her shoe outside the house. ‘How did you get that?’
‘I found it after Ethan kicked me out very suddenly,’ Alex said.
Nicole was befuddled. It wasn’t supposed to go like this. She had to get back on track. ‘I don’t care about the shoe. You thought I was stupid and that I’d never cottoned on to your games. Well, think again!’ Nicole stopped, not completely happy with how this was going. She sounded like a soap opera character. Actually, she sounded like someone from Ethan’s awful show.
‘I thought I was imagining it,’ Alex said. ‘That I was being paranoid because of everything. But I couldn’t find a real sign, and I looked. I really looked,’ she said with melancholy. ‘And then the shoe.’ Her sadness quickly turned to anger as she slammed her fist down on the table. ‘THAT BASTARD!’ she said as coffee went flying. Quite a bit got on Nicole. Luckily, it was only a latte, so there was no burn. Had it been a black coffee, she’d have had her skin melted off.
‘Oh shit!’ Alex cried. ‘I’m sorry. I’m so, so… As if you haven’t been through enough,’ she said sympathetically.
‘Oh, you’re gonna pretend you didn’t know,’ Nicole said, standing up, not ready to accept Alex’s performance, though it was convincing.
Alex’s friend, who’d been quiet for a moment, piped up. ‘Trust me. She wouldn’t have known.’
‘And why’s that?’ Nicole said, rounding on her.
‘Because her ex was a cheat. She hates cheats.’ She turned to Alex, apologetic. ‘Sorry. I know that wasn’t for me to say.’
Alex shook her head. ‘If there was ever a time for indiscretion, Andie, I think you found it.’
Nicole was livid. All she’d wanted was to hate this woman unreservedly, but she couldn’t even give her that. But she wasn’t ready to just give it up and believe her, even if she did seem kind of…
Nicole took a step toward Alex, leaned in—in what she hoped was an intimidating way—and said, ‘I’m not an idiot. Not anymore. Don’t treat me like I am.’ She walked out.
She stormed across the park, her heart in her stomach. She’d lied to Alex. Shewasan idiot. She had never felt more stupid in her life.
Six
Nicole, covered in coffee, looked Alex in the eye. Her lip was wobbling, and her eyes shone with tears that hadn’t quite breached her lids. ‘I’m not an idiot. Not anymore. Don’t treat me like I am,’ she said, her voice breaking.
Alex didn’t think she could have felt more for Nicole as she left the café.
Alex went to follow her, but Andie put a hand on her shoulder. ‘Let her go.’
She turned to Andie. ‘I’vegotto.’
She struggled out of her grip and left the coffee shop. She burst out of the doorway and looked around wildly. It took a second to spot her. The woman was almost running, and Alex had to jog to catch her.
‘Nicole!’ she called. The woman turned back, surprised. ‘Piss off!’
‘Justwait,’ Alex called, finally catching up with her. ‘I just need to tell you—’
The woman stopped and turned. ‘What?!’
Alex paused. ‘I know it shouldn’t matter. But I just need you to know I didn’t know he was married. I swear.’
Nicole looked at her with disgust. She didn’t give a shit. Nor should she. Alex’s hurt wasn’t her problem. But Alex couldn’t let it go. ‘Look!’ she said, getting her phone out. ‘I’ll call him now! I’ll ask him if he’s married. You can hear it for yourself.’ Alex went into her contacts. Her phone was slapped out of her hand.
‘No!’ Nicole cried. ‘Don’t call him.’ She sounded desperate.
Alex looked at Nicole. ‘Why not?’
Nicole was embarrassed. ‘Because I haven’t spoken to him yet.’
‘What do you mean?’ Alex said. ‘You live with him.’
‘I’ve been hiding. I’m not ready,’ Nicole admitted. She gave Alex a long hard look. ‘You wereactuallygoing to call him, weren’t you?’ Alex nodded.
Nicole heaved a sigh and picked Alex’s phone up off the grass. She looked at it for a moment. ‘Can I—’
