“Look, we’re having an impromptu engagement party tonight at my place. Do you think you can find some unsuspecting soul to be your date?” I tried to ignore her sarcasm.
“Yeah, I already have someone lined up.”
“Oh! What’s he like? Is he handsome?” she asked, sounding surprised. Resentment swelled in my gut.
“He’s…” I hesitated, thinking about the night prior, “He’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”
“Sounds like a dream. Bring him tonight at 8. I’ve gotta run. Ciao, Bella!” And with that, she was gone. I often wondered how we ever maintained a friendship. She was so hard to pin down. The realization that I had just committed to bringing a date sunk in. Dammit. Despite the wonderful evening I’d shared with Liam, I didn’t think I could bring myself to invite him. The last man who ditched out on me took everything and left me a shell of a woman. I refused to be a victim again.
Browsing through my phone, I dialed the only number that made sense.
We arrived at Jill’s at 7:45 sharp. Everyone who knew her understood the obsessive need for punctuality. If you weren’t early, you were late.
“Claire, honey,” she greeted me, kissing the sides of my cheeks. She turned to my escort and said, “This must be…”
“Andrew,” he stated, politely taking her hand and kissing the top of it. Jill’s lips turned up in a satisfied smile.
“So handsome and well-mannered too.” Her tone made it sound like she was speaking of my dog. Andrew didn’t seem to notice or care much as he hooked his arm in mine. We hadn’t seen each other since the rendezvous in Liam’s apartment, but we kept in contact. A flirtatious text here, a voicemail there. He was even more attractive than I remembered. Eventually I left Andrew with a few of the other men at the party and joined the ladies in the den. Jill had an incredible high-rise with a 360 degree view of greater Los Angeles. Not to mention it was impeccably decorated and spotless, much like Jill. It brought back memories of the apartment I had shared with my ex husband, Jason. Jill would never admit it, but there once was a time where my wealth and influence spanned even farther than hers. It seemed like a lifetime ago.
“Claire. Come, sit.” She patted the maroon cushion conjoined with hers. I poured a glass of scotch instead and carefully lifted my glass as a gesture of camaraderie. Whether she took it that way or not, I didn’t care.
“So, where’s Lucca?” I asked, going straight for the jugular. It pained me to behave this way but I couldn’t wrap my mind around how cold Jill had become. We weren’t exactly the fondest friends before. In fact, Jill had always been an at arm’s length type. It wasn’t until here recently that she’d become snide. Assertive. Jealous. But of what?
“Work ran a bit late for him. He should be here soon.” She smoothed her short, cream dress across her perfectly tanned legs and smiled. I wanted to shake her. “What’s the story with you and Andrew? You’ve never mentioned him before. How did you meet?” Knowing she would be curious, I’d rehearsed a story with Andrew on the way over. He understood my desire for discretion.
“I was looking for a larger space and he is subletting his condo. He showed me the place and while it wasn’t quite what I wanted, we ended up getting coffee and the rest is history.” My eyes lit up and for a moment I almost believed my own story. A few of the other women offered their well wishes and Jill looked like she was going to say something more but the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” I said, taking the opportunity to get out of dodge. I knew it was Lucca and I was sure he wasn’t expecting to see me. It’s always better to get the awkward part out of that way. Jill wasn’t far behind me when I opened the door to see Liam standing there. Our jaws dropped. Before I could confront him, Jill appeared next to me practically jumping into his arms.
“Lucca, this is Claire. Claire, my fiancé Lucca Morretti.”