TERMS OF ATTRACTION

There were three things I knew about shopping with my friends. One, Ana would somehow turn a simple shopping trip into a full-blown fashion emergency. Two, Cassandra would lose interest within the first thirty minutes and start digging for gossip on her phone. And three, Kate would buy absolutely nothing and still somehow become the final authority on everything we picked. I was currently working on number four: finding the latest Verúche heels before someone else bought my size. I stepped farther into the boutique, my eyes moving across the immaculate displays of shoes and handbags. “Stella.” I ignored her. “Stella.” Still ignored. “Stella, if you walk past me one more time, I'm throwing something at you.” I stopped. Slowly, I turned around. Ana stood in the middle of the boutique with two dresses draped over one arm, a pair of heels in one hand, and an expression that suggested she had been personally betrayed by the fashion industry. “You've been calling me?” “No. I've been screaming your name for the last five minutes.” I glanced at Kate. She was sitting comfortably on one of the boutique's cream leather sofas, one leg crossed over the other, looking entirely too relaxed for someone who had just returned from Italy. She lifted her eyes from her phone. “She has been screaming.” “Traitor.” Kate smiled. “You asked.” I turned back to Ana. “What?” She held up the first dress. “Does this work with these?” I looked at the dress. Then the heels. Then her. “No.” Ana's mouth dropped open. “You didn't even think about it.” “I did.” “You thought for two seconds.” “Two seconds was enough.” From the sofa, Kate nodded thoughtfully. “She’s right.” Ana stared at both of us. “I hate you.” “No, you don't,” Kate said calmly. “I might.” “You won't.” Ana sighed dramatically and threw the dress over her arm. “I have an event tomorrow. I need to look good.” “You're a model,” Cassandra said without looking up from her phone. “You could wear a curtain and someone would call it a statement.” Ana pointed at her. “See? This is why I love you.” “I didn't compliment you.” “I know. That's what makes it better.” I laughed under my breath and continued toward the shoe displays. The boutique was one of those places where everything looked expensive without needing to announce it. Cream walls, dark wood, gold accents, soft lighting, and glass cases displaying pieces that cost more than some people's monthly rent. It was exactly my kind of place. I spotted the Verúche display. Finally. I picked up one of the heels and inspected it. Black leather. Gold detailing. Sharp enough to make a statement without trying too hard. Perfect. I checked the size. Perfect. I looked at the price. Still perfect. “Don't.” I glanced over my shoulder. Kate was watching me. “Don't what?” “Buy them.” I looked back at the shoes. “Why?” “You have four pairs that look almost identical.” “Almost.” She gave me a look. I smiled. “They're different.” “Of course.” “I work hard.” “So do I.” “I deserve nice things.” Kate smiled. “You deserve many nice things. You don't need those.” I placed the shoe back in its box. Then picked it up again. Kate laughed. “You're impossible.” “I'll take them.” “Obviously.” I handed the box to an employee before Kate could say anything else. Cassandra finally looked up from her phone. “Did she buy the shoes?” “Yes.” “Good.” Kate frowned. “You encouraged her.” “I didn't say anything.” “You said good.” “I support women.” I laughed. “You're ridiculous.” “And yet you love me.” Unfortunately, she was right. I looked around at the three of them and smiled. It had been almost three weeks since we'd all been together. Kate had spent the last few days in Italy after finishing a major case that had apparently drained every ounce of patience from her body. Ana had been flying between cities for work and had somehow managed to find herself involved in three separate dating rumors before coming home. Cassie, as usual, had been everywhere at once. And me? I'd been busy pretending I wasn't exhausted. Today was our annual reunion. No work. No meetings. No obligations. Just the four of us spending an unreasonable amount of money and pretending it was self-care. Honestly, it was. “Okay,” Ana announced. We all looked at her. She held up two dresses. “This one or this one?” Kate didn't hesitate. “Second.” Ana looked at me. “Second.” Cassandra finally glanced over. “First.” Ana groaned. “You people are useless.” “You asked four people,” I said. “You got three opinions.” “I need one answer.” “You need to make your own decision.” “That sounds like something someone who doesn't know fashion would say.” I gasped. Kate laughed. Cassie actually put her phone down. “Oh, she chose violence.” Ana smiled. “I did.” I shook my head. “You're wearing the second one.” She stared at me. “How did you know?” “Because the first one looks like you're trying to impress someone.” “And the second?” “Like you already know they’re impressed.” Ana grinned. “See? This is why you're my favorite.” Kate raised an eyebrow. “You said I was your favorite five minutes ago.” “I have room for two.” Cassandra snorted. “Liar.” The afternoon went on like that. Kate rejected three handbags, approved two pairs of shoes, and somehow convinced Ana to buy a dress she hadn't even considered. Cassie finished her shopping before the rest of us had made it halfway through the boutique. She had officially reached the point where she was sitting on the sofa, scrolling through her phone while occasionally throwing gossip into the conversation like grenades. “Oh my God.” We all looked at her. “What?” She turned her phone around. “Guess who's apparently back together?” Ana leaned forward. “Who?” Cassie named two celebrities. Kate frowned. “They broke up.” “Exactly.” “So they're back together?” “Apparently.” I looked at her. “How do you know?” She smiled. “I edited the article.” There was a beat of silence. Then Ana burst out laughing. “You are such a cheat.” “It's called having a career.” “It's called having an unfair advantage.” Cassie shrugged. “Same thing.” By the time we finally left the boutique, we were carrying enough bags to suggest we'd spent the day preparing for an international evacuation. Kate's father's driver was waiting outside. His black uniform stood out against the sleek bubblegum-pink Mercedes parked by the curb. Ana stopped. “Your dad really bought you this?” Kate looked at her. “Yes.” “Can I have it?” “No.” “Can I drive it?” “No.” “Can I sit in the driver's seat?” “No.” Cassie opened the door. “Can you stop asking?” Ana climbed in. “No.” I laughed as I followed them. The inside smelled faintly of Kate's perfume and whatever expensive car scent she insisted on buying. I settled into the seat beside her while Ana and Cassie took the back. For a while, we just talked. Nothing important. Nothing that needed solving. Ana complained about tomorrow's event. Cassie complained about her editor. Kate talked about Italy. I listened. And somewhere between Kate describing the hotel she'd stayed at and Cassie threatening to expose a celebrity's ridiculous dating history, I realized how much I'd missed this. Them. The noise. The laughter. The complete lack of seriousness. I didn't say it aloud. I didn't need to. They knew. Ana suddenly leaned forward between the seats. “Wait. I forgot to tell you guys something.” Cassie groaned. “That sentence has never ended well.” Ana ignored her. “Remember the guy I told you about from Paris Fashion Week?” “The actor?” “Yes.” “The one you said was gorgeous?” “He was.” Kate smiled. “And?” Ana's eyes lit up. “He tried to flirt with me.” Cassie gasped dramatically. “Shocking.” “I know. Anyway, he gave me this whole speech about how he'd seen me before and how he'd always wanted to meet me.” I turned around. “What happened?” Ana smiled. “I told him he had the wrong girl.” Kate frowned. “Why?” “Because he thought I was someone else.” There was silence. Then Cassie screamed. Ana burst out laughing. “I swear! He spent ten minutes flirting with me before realizing he'd mistaken me for another model.” I couldn't help it. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. Kate covered her mouth, trying to contain herself. Cassie was practically folded over in the back seat. Ana was laughing harder than all of us. For the first time all day, I wasn't thinking about work. Or family. Or anything waiting for me at home. I just sat there, laughing with the three women who had somehow become the safest part of my life. I loved them. I didn't say it often. Probably because they already knew. Eventually, the laughter faded into smaller conversations. And, naturally, Cassie found a way to ruin the peace. “So, Stella.” I looked at her through the rearview mirror. “No.” She grinned. “You don't even know what I'm going to ask.” “I know you.” Ana immediately caught on. “Oh, we're doing this.” Kate smiled. “Doing what?” “Stella's love life.” I groaned. “There is no love life.” “That sounds like a problem,” Cassie said. “It isn't.” “You haven't dated anyone seriously since high school.” “I've been on dates.” “Exactly.” “That's what dating is.” “No,” Ana said. “That's what interviewing is.” I rolled my eyes. “I have standards.” Kate quietly nodded. “You do.” “Thank you.” “They're just very specific.” I looked at her. “What does that mean?” She smiled innocently. “Nothing.” Cassie laughed. “You rejected a man because he wore loafers without socks.” “He was thirty-two.” Ana stared at me. “And?” “He looked like someone's divorced uncle.” The car exploded with laughter again. I shook my head. “You're all impossible.” Cassie leaned forward. “So what are you looking for?” “A man.” Ana laughed. “Obviously.” “A real man,” I corrected. “What does that mean?” Kate asked. I thought about it for a second. Someone confident. Independent. Someone who didn't need to be mothered. Someone who knew what he wanted. Someone who could stand beside me without feeling threatened by me. I shrugged. “I'm not looking for a daddy's boy with a trust fund and an ego.” Cassie nodded solemnly. “Reasonable.” “I want someone who knows who he is.” Ana smirked. “So basically, impossible.” “Apparently.” Kate smiled. “Maybe you just haven't met him yet.” I looked out the window. “Maybe.” The car slowed outside my building. The familiar sight of my apartment tower came into view, its glass exterior reflecting the fading afternoon light. The driver pulled up to the entrance. I gathered my bags. “Tomorrow?” Ana asked. “Tomorrow,” I promised. Kate reached over and hugged me. “Call me when you get upstairs.” “I will.” Cassie leaned across the seat. “Don't buy anything else tonight.” “No promises.” Ana laughed. I stepped out of the car. “Love you, idiots.” “Love you too!” Cassie shouted. The Mercedes pulled away from the curb, leaving me standing there with my shopping bags and a smile I couldn't quite hide. I watched the car disappear around the corner. Then I turned toward my building. For once, I wasn't in a hurry to know what tomorrow would bring. Tonight was enough.