Page 66 of Scoreless Nights

“You FaceTimed me before noon,” I laughed. “If you get flashed, that's your fault.”

She threw her head back laughing, and it made me miss her. It’d been practically a whole week since we’d hung out, and even though I was glad I got to spend a lot of time with Cruz, I still needed my friend.

“My interview is at three today, are we still on for dinner?”

“That’s why I’m calling. Jackie wants to meet at a place called Tico’s.”

Thankfully, I dropped my phone when I heard the name of the restaurant, so Angel couldn’t see the way I nearly started hyperventilating when she mentioned where she wanted to go. Or where Jackie wanted to go.

“If she wants Cuban food, I love that place we went to before.”

“Yeah but Cruz Martin’s cousin is working tonight at Tico’s and she wants to sweet talk him into getting more tickets for Friday’s game.”

“I have to go home Friday morning,” I lied knowing I had already told my mom I was staying until Saturday. Of course, those days were supposed to be for Cruz and me, and I knew for a fact that I already had his tickets for Friday’s game.

“Oh yeah, I know, girl. No worries, she's just gonna ask for the tickets, and I’ll go along with her.”But she won’t get them,I thought to myself.

“It feels weird that she uses this guy, Deon, to get to someone famous.”

“Deon knows exactly what Jackie’s game plan is. He has no problem getting his dick sucked every once in a while and giving Jackie tickets.”

Sucked? I thought she just touched him?

I did a really good job at not flinching when she spoke about what Jackie did to get tickets. Not that it shocked me.

“You must’ve slept well,” she changed the subject before I had a plan and distracted me from thinking of it again. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say that it looks like someone had sex.”

“Ha,” I rolled my eyes. “I wish. This bed is just so comfortable.”

“What sucks is you’re leaving Friday morning and we never got to party. When are you thinking about making the big move?”

“It depends on if I get an offer today, and when they would want me to start, I’m not sure yet if I’m going to take my first offer, but they wanted me to start in a month.”

“I’ve been looking at apartments with three bedrooms,” Angel clapped. “I’ll send you some listings.”

“Sounds good.” I tried to act excited, because that was the original plan for us three. But after the week I had with Cruz, and how far our relationship had gone, I wasn’t sure if I was gonna be able to live with Jackie. I could probably keep Cruz a secret for the rest of my life, but I would always secretly resent her for crushing on him and using Deon. Eventually, I would probably yell that she couldn’t have him because he was mine.

* * *

“Well, Miss Harris, we’d like to offer you the job. We’re hoping that you can fill the position in the next couple of weeks.”

I smiled and stood up, reaching my hand across the desk to shake Mr. Henderson’s hand. “I’d love it, sir. I have to get a few things ready for my move down here, but you tell me when to be here, and I’ll make it happen.”

“Let's say two weeks?”

“Absolutely.”

Everything was falling into place, and before long I would be living full-time in the warm Miami sun with a new job, and a new lease on life. The thought made me bounce out to my car with an extra pep in my step.

Before I even got to my car, my phone rang and I looked down, seeing Cruz’s name. “Do you have drones keeping an eye on me?”

“Wow, our parents really have you messed up if that was your first thought.”

“I just left the museum so your timing is perfect,” I laughed.

“Well then that’s just a coincidence.” I could hear how playful his voice sounded. It made me feel like he’d had a good day as well. “So how did it go?”

“I start in two weeks.”

---