"You think your mom told them about what happened at the apartment?"
"Well, I kind of tripped up and told him myself."
"You told him about Ethan!"
"I felt like I had to explain why I didn't think Owen was going to give me the security deposit."
"How about my landlord is a dick. The end."
"Ha. Ha. I guess that would have been another way to go, but you know I'm not a good liar. He could tell that I was hiding something."
"Really? Because you've just met the guy and already he can read you?"
"Like I said and as you well know, I'm not a good liar."
"You're also not a kid Bitsy. You're a grown ass woman. Take your butt down to Java tomorrow morning and don't let any of them know where you're going. Just because you live with them doesn't mean that they need to know your every move. Worse case scenario is Jagger doesn't show up and you get some work done while you have a latte. Best case scenario is he throws you in the back seat of his car in the parking lot and has his way with you for an hour."
"You're crazy!"
We both start cracking up as I gobble down a little more popcorn.
"I wish this was a Long Island iced tea instead of a sweet tea," I say breezily. "Okay. You're right. Of course you're right. I'll meet him."
"Good!" I can hear her clap her hands together. "In fact, I'll pick you up tomorrow morning. That'll make it easier. Juliette will think you're out with me."
"Okay cool. I'll be ready by ten. Hold on it's my other line."
A call is coming in on my phone from an area code I don't recognize.
"Hello?"
After a long pause a woman finally speaks. "Is this Elizabeth?"
"Yessss?"
Then nothing.
She hangs up.
I click back over to Sloan. "Sorry about that. Just a crank caller."
"That was kind of long for a crank call."
"She asked for me by name, then she hung up."
Sloan was silent for a moment. "Are you okay?"
"Sure. It was probably one of Ethan's many hussies unaware that he's in rehab and that we are completely finished with each other."
"I'm sure it was, knowing him. That's why we're on to project Jagger starting tomorrow!"
"So excited."
"You know I love it when I make a good match."
"I don't know how. You've never been good at it."
"Shut it. You talk too much girly."
And we laugh and giggle with each other like old times for another hour on the phone, although in the back of my mind I can't help but wonder what or who Roman might be doing right now.
Chapter Twenty-One
Elizabeth
AS USUAL SLOAN IS RUNNING late and I didn't get a good night's sleep, so I'm cranky. Someone called my cell at 3:30am and hung up on me. The same crank caller who's been calling me randomly for the last few days, although now I'm starting to wonder if it was the woman who called yesterday. Hell I thought crank calling ended in the 90s. Anyway, since I had the inability to go back to sleep after being so rudely woken up, I jumped on the computer and got some work done. Next thing I knew it was 5am. Now I have dark circles under my eyes that I'm desperately trying to cover with concealer, and I'm totally exhausted.
Unfortunately Sloan's tardiness has left Aunt Juliette just enough time to seek me out and knock on my door. Which sucks because I really had hoped to sneak out of the house without seeing her (she usually sleeps in on Saturday mornings). I really like my aunt, but I'm just not in the mood to hear how I'm working myself to an early grave and how I need to eat a hearty breakfast before I start my day. My aunt's idea of a hearty breakfast is a plate of so much food that it could choke a horse. Now I completely understand why she exercises like a maniac half the time. She has to or she'd weigh five hundred pounds.
"Oh you're dressed. Great. How about we go out for an early lunch today? My treat." See what I mean. "You look pretty by the way. I love how you wear so much yellow Elizabeth. It's so common to see girls your age wear nothing but black when wearing bright colors does so much to improve one's disposition."
"Oh thanks Auntie, but I kind of have plans with Sloan today. She's actually on her way. Can I have a rain check?"
"No worries. Where are you two going this time of morning? You're usually working on that computer of yours. Not that I'm complaining. It's good for you to get out more sweetie."
"Umm ... we're going to Java."
"What's that?"
"It's a coffee house that Sloan and I used to go to all the time near school."
"I have perfectly good coffee downstairs in the kitchen that you can drink for free. Why would you go pay five dollars for coffee? I've never even seen you drink a cup of coffee."