“Let’s go.” She takes hold of my hand. “Back soon, Benny Boy.” She pats his shoulder as we pass.
By the time we make it to the restroom, I am actually in need of going.
When I’m finished, I come out of the stall. Petra is at the sink, applying her lipstick in the mirror above it. I can see her eyeing me carefully as I wash my hands, but she doesn’t say anything.
I appraise my outfit in the mirror. I’m actually wearing a skirt tonight. Cute little floaty black number that I got when I went shopping with Petra the other day. I’ve teamed it with a pretty sparkly strappy black top and some low silver heels. My hair is down in loose waves.
I look nice. Well, not as nice as the pop princess, but whatever.
I blow out a breath.
“You okay?” Petra asks.
“I’m great.” I flash her a smile, and then I get my gloss from my clutch and start applying it to my lips.
I’ve been faking smiles and saying, “I’m great,” a lot lately.
“I didn’t know Carrick and the mega bitch were coming tonight.” She grimaces.
That’s brings me around to face her. “It’s not your fault they’re here. And I didn’t know they were coming either. But it’s not a big deal.” I lift my shoulders in a way that says I don’t care—when we both know I really do. “I’m fine about it.” I turn back to the mirror to finish applying my gloss. “I’m over the whole Carrick-and-Sienna thing anyway.” I press my lips together, making a smacking sound. Then, I fasten my tube of gloss up and drop it in my clutch.
“Sure you are.” She gives me a disbelieving look. “This is me you’re talking to, Andi, not Ben. You don’t have to bullshit me. If you don’t want to spend the night around Carrick and the mega bitch, then we can go somewhere else, no problem. Today has been a tough day for you, and I’m not having the good mood we’ve got you in ruined by that talentless, humongous pain in the arse.”
I snort out a laugh at her candid description of Sienna.
Yesterday, I did succumb, out of morbid curiosity, and listened to one of the most recent songs by The Diamond Babes. Not my thing, but I can see why they’re popular. The main singer is really talented. That being said, Sienna is definitely only there to make up the pretty numbers. Petra insisted on playing me some of their live stuff—you know, just to torture me. It’s fair to say that Sienna can’t sing a note, and that’s not me being a bitch. She really can’t.
“Okay…” I concede on a breath. “But I am fine to stay, I promise. I need to get over my stupid crush or whatever it is that I have going on for Carrick, and the way for that to happen is for me to be around him and her.”
She stares at me for a long moment, her head tilted to the side.
“What?” I shift, uncomfortable.
“It’s not just a crush, is it?”
“What?” I give a nervous laugh. “Of course it is. What else would it be?”
“Love? If not love, then it’s definitely well on its way to being that.”
“I am not in love with Carrick!” I scoff.
Am I?
No…definitely not.
Her hands go to her hips. “Andi, I might not have known you for a long time, but I’m good at reading people, and you might not even realize it yourself, but you’re in love with him.”
I laugh loudly because I really don’t know what else to do.
I’m not in love with Carrick. Definitely not.
I pick up my clutch, tucking it under my arm, as I’m gearing to leave the restroom and put a quick stop to this conversation.
“If Carrick wasn’t a driver, would you be with him?”
I’m jolted back to that moment in Barcelona, dancing with Carrick at the party, when he asked me pretty much the same question, only in a different context.
Sighing, I lean my hip against the sink. “Maybe.”
She mirrors me. “I think it’s a definite yes.”
“Are you a psychic nowadays?” I smile so not to come off as bitchy.
But she doesn’t say anything.
A somber sigh escapes me. “Okay, fine. Yes, maybe I would risk being with Carrick if he were just a normal guy. But he’s not a normal guy. He puts his life at risk every time he climbs in that car and pulls onto those tracks. And that’s not something I can live with. But really, all of this is a moot point because Carrick is a driver, and he’s not exactly into me in that way. Sure, he wanted to shag me, and I think he probably would again, given the chance, if he weren’t with Sienna, but he is, and he definitely doesn’t want a relationship with me.”