Answer Katie’s phone call
631 Words
Answer Katie’s phone call
I answer the call. Ignoring calls isn’t a great way to start a friendship and I have thirty minutes before the pizza comes anyway. I sigh, lift my wine glass from its coaster and press accept. “Hey. What’s up?”
“I thought I was going to get your voicemail again,” she says. “I called about thirty minutes ago.”
I recognize the petulant tone from our training sessions. “Sorry. I was in Laura’s office.”
“In trouble already?”
“Ha—no. She wants me to go to Labyrinth.”
Katie cries out. Her squeal makes me pull the phone away from my ear. Sushi’s ear twitches. “Oh my god, yes! Take me!”
“I barely know you. Shouldn’t we go for coffee first?”
“Har-har. I’m serious!”
I sip my Moscato. “I’m going tomorrow night. You can come if you want.”
“Yes, I want. Are you kidding? Half the people who line up aren’t even let in.”
“I’m pumped,” I deadpan.
Katie takes no notice. “Rick says it’s been packed since it opened. Your job must be so easy.”
I think of Spencer’s hateful glares. So easy indeed.
Katie barrels on in that sharp east coast voice of hers. “Rick thinks Labyrinth probably aims to be famous nationwide. Like Avalon in LA.”
I’m noting all the Rick in the conversation. He’s in Katie’s department and has seemed pretty into her from day one. But I don’t dare ask if something is developing there. I’m not sure I want to know or if we are close enough for such questions.
“LA has more to offer than a fancy nightclub,” I say. “I can’t imagine people will come all the way to Castle Cove just for a nightclub.”
She doesn’t seem to hear me. “Okay so Labyrinth tomorrow, but what about tonight? We could check out one of the bars in the Red Light district.”
I snort, and wine burns my nose. But hey, I’m not in a tub eating canned spaghetti and crying. Progress. “What kind of girl do you think I am?”
“You’re right. You’re too tame for that,” she says, and I try to decide if I should be offended. “Actually, there’s a bar closer to campus. I think it’s called Alpha’s. Rick goes there. He says it’s the best bar in town.”
“And will Rick be there tonight?” I tease.
“I don’t know,” she says, and I can hear the unmistakable smile. “Let’s find out.”
“You lost me at the word bar,” I say, taking another generous sip from my Moscato. Sushi leaps up on his cat tree tucked into the corner of the living room and gazes lazily out at the darkening streets.
“Come on, Alpha’s might be a nice warmup for tomorrow.”
“This Moscato is a nice warmup. And hey, I didn’t have to pay three times the price for it.” I hate how bars overprice their drinks. I can drink a whole bottle of Moscato for the price of one martini.
“Come on! Alpha’s is whispering your name.”
I laugh, relaxing into the cushions. The alcohol is kicking in finally, working on these stiff muscles in my neck. “Katie, if I could hear a bar whispering my name, I’d get the hell out of this town.”
“Please tell me you aren’t in your pajamas already?”
“With a pizza on the way. I’m not going out tonight. Sorry.”
“Oh, come on!” she begs. “It’s a new city. New dating pool. I know you need it as bad as I do.”
She has no idea how true that is. I didn’t give her any details about my failed relationship with Greg or my life before Castle Cove. I referred to it vaguely as a bad breakup.
“Come on. Be my wing man!” she begs. “It’s no fun going to a bar alone. And you might really like Alpha’s. I hear it’s more like a pub. Very chill. What do you say?”
Choice 6
It would be nice to go out
I want to stay home
- Writer
