Talking to him though, you'd think I grew up in the hood. And perhaps he wasn't that far off.
Regardless of what clothes were on my back, I knew I wasn't the girl he wanted me to be. How could I be when he wanted me to be who I wasn't.
Looking back, he wasn't that much different from my parents, I just never saw it back then.
But I do now.
Shaking off the memories, I continue my search. Once I find a top that is perfect, I get dressed and put my makeup on. Then I play with my hair a little, leaving it loose and wavy. Next, I slide into a pair of sexy pumps that make my legs look even longer, and hope like hell I don't slip on the ice. Opting for my short leather jacket, I shrug it on and then pull up the Uber app on my phone. Within five minutes, I'm on my way to meet Fiona.
The restaurant is loud and packed. I glance around and spot, Fiona talking to the guy at the reception counter. I make my way toward her and watch as the guy laughs at whatever it is she's telling him, and then he grabs two menus. I shake my head-she has always been such a flirt.
"Hey, I'm here." I tap her on the shoulder.
"Tess," she says with a huge grin on her face as she turns around to hug me.
When she pulls back, she looks me over and then gushes, "Wow, you look incredible."
Fiona, of course, looks like a sultry movie star, like she always does. Picture Scarlett Johansson from head to toe, and you've met Fiona's doppelganger. Me, I look more like Katie Holmes. "Stop," I tell her.
"It's true."
"Thank you. And you look fantastic. I think Fiji was just what you needed."
"Can I show you to your table?" the guy Fi was flirting with asks her. Now he looks like Orlando Bloom.
"He's cute," she mouths on our way to the table. "And he's single."
Oh, my God, she's trying to set me up.
"Your server will be with you shortly," he tells us as we both remove our jackets and slide into the booth.
"Thank you," Fi smiles at him. And then she bobs her chin in my direction. "This is my friend, Tess. Tess this is Drake."
"Nice to meet you," he tells me.
"Likewise," I smile.
He stares at me a few seconds before leaving.
Fiona settles into her seat and pulls off her leather gloves with a dreamy sigh. "To be single again."
"Fi," I warn, and seriously consider leaving my own gloves on to disguise the sudden trembling of my fingers. This is going to be so much harder than I had practiced.
"What? He's the restaurant manager. He's perfect for you."
I laugh and shake my head. "You got the manager to bring us to a table."
She smiles, her glossy lips more prominent with the tan on her face. "He was standing there, so I started talking to him. Then one thing led to another."
I reach across the table to squeeze her hand. "Fiji was good for you. It's great to see you smiling. You seem like your old self again."
She squeezes my hand in return. "I feel like my old self. And I'm so glad you're back in Chicago."
"So am I."
"Are you really?"
"Yes."
She looks me over, as if doubting me.
"Fi, I'm fine. More than fine. And don't worry, I plan to stay here."
She nods. "Well that's good because you look it."
After the server takes our order, and delivers two Japanese High Balls, courtesy of the restaurant manager, I lean across the table. "So, Fiona, tell me. How was your trip?"
"It was better than I ever could have imagined." Fiona says this with gleaming eyes and lips wet from where she's licked them. "Ethan splurged for a private villa, and we had our own swimming pool just steps away from the beach. I felt like a queen."
I take a sip of my drink, and then set it down. "And, what did you two do for fourteen days?"
She puckers her lips at the tart taste of the drink, but then swallows a healthy sip. "Not bad," she says. "What did we do?" she repeats tapping her fingers on the table. "Let me see. We walked on the beach, jet skied, swam in the ocean, and lounged by the pool. We had massages in our bedroom. Ate the best food, and drank all day long. And we had sex, like five times a day."
I practically spit out the cherry I am chewing from my drink across the table. The romantic picture she'd created in my mind of the Tokoriki Island Resort somehow seemed insignificant. "Five times a day?"
She nods her head, her honey-blond hair falling just so over the shoulders of her soft, emerald green silk top. "Everywhere."