Behind the Scenes(13)

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” She puts her palms up and steps between us. “What’s the problem?”

“Don’t try to act like a marriage counselor, Crystal,” I snarl. The second the words leave my mouth, I bite my bottom lip. Eryk is right. I am in a bad mood. “Sorry,” I mumble, staring at the ground.

Eryk’s voice is quiet. “I’ll ask him to make sure he wears clothes from now on. And no more rape jokes.”

“Who?” Crystal asks.

I sneak a look up at Eryk. He’s leaning against the counter, his head inches away from the pots and pans dangling from the ceiling. “Brian,” he says softly. “And keep your voice down. He’s here.”

“Ah.” Crystal goes to the fridge and pulls out a bottle of water.

“I’m sorry, Crystal,” I say. “I didn’t mean to be such a bitch.”

She shrugs. “It’s okay.”

“She’s in a bad mood,” Eryk offers.

I grit my teeth, but don’t say anything. He’s right, yes. But why would I admit it?

Crystal leans against the kitchen wall. “I know why,” she says and I stare at her. “Eryk told me about your dream.” She waggles her eyebrows.

I sigh and fall back on the couch. “Well, I’ve had more than one.”

“Damn, girl. Obviously I need to see this man in person.”

“He’s a jerk.” I grab one of the throw pillows to hug against my chest. “At least I think.”

“What do you mean you think?”

“The other day he was actually kind of nice to me. He said I looked good… and not in a creepy way. He was almost polite.”

“So he likes you,” Eryk says.

“No,” I quickly respond. “I mean… God, I don’t know. No. He can’t like me like that. We can’t get together. That’s impossible.”

“Slow down, Juliet. Don’t stab yourself to death just yet. I didn’t say he liked you in a romantic way.” Eryk gives me a look I swear is laced with pity.

I shut my mouth. I’m talking myself into a corner.

Crystal sits down on one of the bar stools at the counter. “Sydney, you need to get out. Like, seriously. When was the last time you went on a date?”

“I don’t want to go on dates. It’s so impersonal.”

Crystal rolls her eyes. “How do you expect to meet people?”

“I can meet people. You know, like at parties and stuff.”

“Work?” Eryk asks. “You mean you can meet them at work.”

“Whatever,” I mutter.

“It’s settled,” Crystal says. “We’re going out tonight.”

Eryk claps his hands excitedly. “Should I bring Brian?”

“Only if he puts some clothes on,” she answers.

*

“This place is boring,” Eryk complains. He swirls the straw in his drink and looks sullenly down the bar at me.

“Text your boyfriend,” Crystal snaps from in between us.

“He’s not my boyfriend. And he’s at work, remember?”

“That’s right,” I laugh. “I love that cage dancing is actually a legit job.”

“Does it come with benefits?” Crystal asks. “Like health insurance? Do you think he can hook me up with a discount on g-strings?”

Eryk playfully pushes her shoulder. I take a sip of my gin and tonic. He’s partially right. The hotel bar is slow, and maybe for some people that equals boring. I don’t mind all that much. I wasn’t exactly thrilled about going out, and when Crystal picked the spot, I only went along with it because it at least wasn’t a night club.

“We should go to Destiny next,” Eryk says, reading my mind.

I hesitate. “I don’t really want to go to a club.”

Crystal nods. “It’s hard to meet people there. It’s so loud. Plus, the men at clubs are so skeevy.”

Eryk snorts. “And men at hotel bars are any different?”

I smooth down my sequined skirt. Crystal loaned it to me, and it’s almost too short to wear. To tell the truth, I’m perfectly okay with just sitting at the mostly empty bar nursing a drink and listening to the soft jazz play overhead. The place is nice, with low lighting, lots of polished wood, and a bartender who wears a bowtie and calls me “miss.” It feels like a throwback to a classier time.

I still stand by what I said at the apartment earlier. Trying to meet guys by going out is hard. I’m not interested in it.

“What about him?” Crystal asks.

“Damn,” Eryk murmurs. “He’s hot. How old do you think he is?”

“Hard to say.”

“Who?” I ask, looking up.