Cole(15)

Her eyes were still trained on Jake’s ass. “I was, but whoever he is, he’s not in my circle. That means he’s either wealthy beyond wealthy, or he’s a criminal.” She sighed. “Goddamn. Why didn’t you warn me about Jake? Wait.” She stiffened. “Do you like him? I’ll back off if you do. You haven’t shown interest in a guy since…” She trailed off, her eyes darkening. “Sorry.”

Liam.

I could sense an apology about to spill from her lips, but held up a hand. “Don’t. I mean it, and yes, I thought Jake was attractive when I first met him. But it’s dwindled since then. He’s just another building resident to me now.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” I glanced around. An older couple stood on the other side of Jake’s place. Both held champagne glasses, and they were talking to another man. I assumed they were the couple from the fifth floor, and the other man was from sixth, the computer guy. I skirted around to take in the rest of the space. Dawn stood in the corner, hostile eyes latched onto Sia. She held an entire bottle of champagne in front of her like it was a shield to ward off evil spirits. Sia looked at her, too, and Dawn’s eyes widened. She jerked. Her back hit the wall. “Um.” My hand closed over Sia’s arm. “You might get hit by a bottle if you go over to see Dawn.”

“That’s the shut-in?”

I nodded. “Let me do the introductions.”

It was pointless. Sia headed right for her. Dawn looked around her—down to the floor, back to the elevator, and then to the windows. Then Sia was in front of her, her hand stretched out. I watched my friend in action. Dawn was a cornered wild animal, but as Sia kept talking, her shoulders relaxed. The weapon lowered. She sagged back into the wall instead of bouncing off it, and she began to nod. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and a smile appeared. Sia had her. Just like that. Whatever lie she was weaving, it worked. Sia took the bottle and placed it on a nearby table. Her phone came out, and the two bent over it as they continued to talk.

“Holy shit.” Jake breathed into my ear, stepping around to my side. “I wouldn’t believe that if I hadn’t seen it for myself.”

“That’s what she does.”

“You’re proud of her.”

I paused, and decided he was right. “I wish I had skills like that. She has the ability to make everyone in this room feel like her best friend. I’m most definitely not that way.”

“You and me both. I’m friendly, but I can’t compare. Took months for Dawn to warm up to me. She’s eating out of your friend’s hand within ten minutes.”

His voice dipped down, and I readied myself. I knew where this was going.

“I have to ask…” He leaned even closer. “Is your friend single?”

“And ready to mingle.”

“Do you mind if I…?” He gestured with his head.

I could see it now. Sia would be at the pool. She’d be in the exercise room. She’d pop in every now and then. That’d be great, until the other shoe dropped. Then she’d pop in to vent, not to chat. She’d want to know if I’d seen Jake that day, if I’d heard laughter from his floor, if I thought another girl was with him. Sia’s love affairs were hot until they got chilly. And if she was here, if she was my friend, and they broke up—that’d be awkward. She wouldn’t want to come over. She’d be tense, wondering whether she was going to run into him or not.

A sense of impending doom slowly slithered all the way down to my feet, but I waved him toward her. “Have at it.”

“Thanks, Addison.”

Jake was smitten.

He couldn’t stop staring at her, and then introductions happened. The couple was Doris and William, sixty-year-old socialites having the time of their life. They loved living so close to the museums, nicest restaurants, and concert halls. They recited all that with a slight nasally sound in their voice, and then Jake came around with more champagne. Their inner hippies came out shortly after that. Their son disapproved of their lifestyle, Doris informed me. They were supposed to volunteer for the nursing home he ran. Their daughter more than shared their love of the scene. She was a third resident on their floor, often staying longer than they wanted when she was in between boyfriends, and her little Shih Tzu too. I didn’t know there was a dog policy, but based on how they suddenly grew hushed, I didn’t ask.

Then Doris whispered loudly, “That’s all on the downlow, though. Be a dear, sweetheart. Mum’s the word. Hmmm?”

I felt like I’d just agreed to be their drug dealer. The next introduction was Derek, who wasn’t just an IT guy, he was a computer genius. He created programs, and the “heads,” he explained with finger quotations, liked to meet at their offices downtown. He was a geek in all the best ways: wrinkled T-shirt, baggy jeans cropped too short at the ankles, and champagne in his favorite coffee mug, which said, Don’t Worry, I Won’t Byte.