“<span>Dibs,”Palmersays as she drops her purse onDex’smarble kitchen counter. “Andholy shit, this ce is amazing.”Herface twists into a wicked smile. “Howserious areDexand his girlfriend?”
Itten a stare at her. “Soulmates, ride or die,BonnieandClydeserious.Don’teven think about—”
“<i ss="calibre2">Jesus</i>,” she grumbles as she spins in ce, looking up, taking in the high ceilings and exposed beams. “I’mkidding obviously.”
“Homewrecking,”Imutter under my breath. “Hrious.”
I’mtorn between grateful and annoyed thatPalmeris here.Sheinsisted on helping me drive out and get settled, but she had an audition yesterday.WaitingonPalmermeant me missingDexbefore he left.Hetexted me instructions and left a key under the mat for me.Apparently, the fish guy will be here onMondayto teach me how to feed the fish.Imean, it’s fish in tanks…I’mfully capable of sprinkling kes into water, but whatever makesDexfeel morefortable,I’mhappy to oblige.
“The‘dibs’ wasn’t aboutDex, by the way.”Palmerimmediately finds and opens the hidden fridge that matches the sleek ck cabry with gold handles.Shepulls out two beers, butIshake my head.
“It’sten in the morning on aFriday.”Igrab one beer and then ce it back into the beveragepartment of the fancy fridge. “AndIneed to get a little work done this afternoon.”
“Ugh,” she responds, rolling her eyes. “Hoe you work for yourself, from home in your pajamas most days, but you still have that stick wedged firmly up your asshole?IfImade the money you do, with the schedule you have,I’dbe enjoying my life thoroughly.”
“Yeah, and how do you think that money is earned,Palmer?Iwork in my pajamas because not worrying about getting fixed up for the day gives me an extra hour of work time in front of the screen before my brain melts.”
Shetwists the cap off her beer.It’sa foreignbelIdon’t recognize, but it certainly looks upmarket.IknewDexwas well-off…Ididn’t know he was<i ss="calibre2">this</i>well-off.Ofcourse he drinksvish beer. “I’ma small business owner too, and yetIstill find a way to have fun.”
Palmer’sa part-time influencer, part-time makeup artist, and full-time desperately-want-to-be-famous, struggling actress.It’snot quite the same.Andmaybe that’s the problem.MaybeI’mnot fun.Maybethat’s part of the reasonMasonsaw our rtionship as a duty and a chore.
<i ss="calibre2">Fuck.Mason.</i>
It’sbeen a little over a week since my birthday.<i ss="calibre2">Iam trying to be numb.</i>Iwould rather be numb than copse.Iam trying not to let the demons in my mind sneak up on me and tell me that somehow the manIloved for almost half a decade lost his way becauseIwasn’t doing my part in the rtionship.
<i ss="calibre2">It’snot just the weight.It’show you dress…or don’t.Younever put on makeup.Welive off of garbage takeout food.We’resloppy.There’snothing sexy or appealing about the way we are around each other…</i>
Ican’t stop reying that night in my head.Overand over.Masonis an ass…he’s a no-good shallow ass…a fucking worthless asshole…
ButdidIy a part?
Did<i ss="calibre2">I</i>push him to be the worst version of himself?
<i ss="calibre2">Stop.Don’tgo there.</i><i ss="calibre2">Staynumb.</i>
“Whatwere you saying about a dibs?”
Shetakes another swig from her beer and sets the ss bottle down on the counter too hard.Theloud clink makes me flinch.
“Becareful,”Ihiss. “Thisis not my home.”Ice her bottle in therge trough sink before running my fingers over the kitchen ind granite, worriedPalmerchipped it.
Payingme no mind, she says, “Therunner from before.Whoeverthat is—<i ss="calibre2">dibs</i>.”
Aripple of annoyance flows through me.Palmergets every man she wants, and once she sets her sights on something,Iknow better than to try andpete.Inoticed him too.I’venever seen a man that good-looking in my life.Tall, tan, strong jawline, with perfectly styled jet-ck hair.ButwhenIclose my eyes, allIsee is the smile he shed me.Itlooked so sweet and innocent.Itdidn’t match his body, which screamed dirty lust.Perhapsbecause his pecs and six-pack were glistening with sweat while he stood in the near-blinding sunlight.
Beautifulpeople.Iswear they glow even when they aren’t trying to.
“Palmer, you can’t<i ss="calibre2">dibs</i>him.He’snot the front seat of a car or the first pick from a litter of golden doodles.”
Shecocks one eyebrow. “HowdoIput this delicately?”Rollingher wrist, she says, “Iwant that man to wear me like a condom that’s one size too small and let me choke the life out of his dick.”
“<i ss="calibre2">Wow.</i>”
“Unlessyou’re”—with her palm facing up, she points her index finger at me—“interested?”
Ishake my head aggressively andugh. “No.Definitelynot.”
“Um, do you have eyes?” she asks.
Iblow out a breath. “Ididn’t say he wasn’t attractive.IsaidI’mnot interested.I’ma realist.He’sa little too hot for me, don’t you think?”
Shefinds the curve of her hip with her hand. “Excuseme?”
<i ss="calibre2">Uh-oh.</i>Palmer’sa lot of things.Ahot mess.Amooch.Theperson who reminds me thatIshould probably get a pedicure more than once a year and that my favorite bra gives me major uniboob.Butshe’s the only person who can say it because she loves me.Sheprotects me.Shedoes not tolerate whenI’mself-deprecating.
She’sstoic as she res at me, soIcontinue, “Oh,<i ss="calibre2"e on.</i>Berealistic.Thatman we saw jogging is ten times sexier thanMason, andIcan’t even keep the oneIhave interested.”Isuck in a breath as the pang in my chest gets dangerously close to the wallI’vebuilt around my heart.<i ss="calibre2">Stopit.Iam numb.</i>“Had.Imean<i ss="calibre2">had</i>.”
Palmerlowers her voice. “AveryLeighScott.”Shenarrows her eyes. “Youare beautiful.Yes, you need new clothes, new shoes, and for the love ofGod, let me teach you how to contour your face properly, but you are a<i ss="calibre2">fucking ten</i>inside and out and could pull any man you want<i ss="calibre2">.</i>”Shecloses the space between us and yanks me into what can only be called an aggressive hug. “Ilove you.”
“Iknow,”Imumble into a mouthful of her hair.
Shesniffles as she pulls away and looks directly into my eyes.Ifight the urge to look away from her intense stare. “Iknow you agreed to stay here to run away from me.”
“Palmer…”Ilet out an exasperated sigh.She’shalf right.Whylie? “Ineed a summer to find myself.”
“I’myour best friend,” she says with a disingenuous smile. “Youcan’t find yourself around me?”
“Ineed space to figure out…”<i ss="calibre2">WhatdoIneed to figure out?</i>It’sreally hard to solve a problem when you refuse to let yourself face it.
“Please, please, tell me you’re not considering trying to get him back.Thisisn’t even about your feminine power, okay?Youguys aren’t—”Sheburies her face in both hands and shakes her head in frustration.Takinga deep breath, she drops her arms to her side and pleads with me. “Youdeserve better.Youdeserve a man who doesn’t think being with you is settling.”
Herwords sting.Thisis whyIneeded to spend my summer here, away from it all.Ineed a break from the truthMasonshoved down my throat.Theworst part is he<i ss="calibre2">almost</i>went through with it.Apparently,I’mgood enough to marry, but not intriguing enough to fuck.Iwish it didn’t bother me, but it does…
Somuch.
Whatwoman doesn’t want to be treated as beautiful, desirable, and tempting?Partof intimacy is sex.Howis it possibleI’mso good at one butcking miserably at the other?
“WhatIdeserve is the time and space to get through this in my own way.”
Shenods, albeit reluctantly. “Okay—”
Herphone ringing interrupts us.Palmerscrambles for her phone, all jittery and twitchy like she’s about to wiggle out of her own skin.She’salways like this after auditions, andIdon’t want to see the heartbreak in her eyes if it’s bad news.Excusingmyself from the kitchen,IexploreDex’smain living room.
Thereare tworge fish tanks that seem to be built into the walls.Idon’t even understand how to ess them.Doesthe walle apart?Whatthe fuck?Howdo the fish eat?Howdoes the aquarium guy clean this tank?
FromwhatIunderstand, the higher maintenance fish are in the saltwater tanks, which are upstairs.Thoseare the ones that need careful tending to.Thefish down here live off of auto feeders and nutrient-enriched water.Theyare beautiful swimming around in their little enclosures, none the wiser that the world is so much bigger than these ss walls.Butmaybe it’s better—they can’t get hurt in here.Iknow some people think aquariums are cruel and that fish should swim in the ocean…
Butat least they won’t be shark food in here.Isthat such a bad life?Caredfor, cleaned, fed, and admired?Oris running and hiding for life daily a fair price to pay for freedom?
Ifollow the tiniest fish in thergest tank darting back and forth in a tizzy.It’scherry-colored.Notquite red, not quite pink, right in the middle and slightly iridescent.Howstrange.Itlooks like it forgot something and it’s struggling to remember exactly what it’s doing.
“Igot an audition,”Palmersays right behind me, making me jump and smack my palm against the fish tank.
Cherry, asI’vedubbed my little fish friend, is stunned.It’sstaring right at me likeIjust caused an earthquake in its little paradise.Icringe.Dexdid warn me never to tap the ss.It’scruelly disorienting for the fish.<i ss="calibre2">Sorry,Cherry.</i>
Spinningaround,IfacePalmer. “When’sthe callback?”
“Notthat audition.”Shegrimaces. “Thatwas a bust.They’regoing with some baby-faced coed, becauseChaseFordlikes them young.”Shegrunts in frustration.
AnytimePalmerdoesn’tnd an audition, the casting directors and the movie stars they’ve cast be the ultimate enemy.Apparently,HollywoodheartthrobChaseFordis no exception.
“I’mpretty positive he’s married.”IswearIsaw him and his new wife on a magazine cover. “She’snot an actress.She’san artist or something.Noa—”
“Likemarriage stops theseHollywoodfuckboys from cheating.<i ss="calibre2">Please.</i>Anyway, moving on.Myagent got me an audition for a lead in a new pilot.Themain actress dropped outst minute for some reason.”Hereyes widen. “It’sa big deal.It’slike the next<i ss="calibre2">BreakingBad</i>or something.”
“Palmer, that’s amazing!Whenis it?”
“Theywant me to read for them by tonight.Theyhave to make a decisionASAP.”
“Let’sgo.”Inod over my shoulder. “I’lldrive you home.”Myback is still a little stiff from the five-hour drive out here, but goodGod, this could finally be her big break.
“It’snot in<i ss="calibre2"></i>L.A.,Aves.It’sinNewMexico.Albuquerque.”Sheshrugs. “Idon’t know if—”
“Takemy car.”
Herbig eyes grow evenrger. “What?Andleave you stranded here?”
Iwaltz past her to fetch my keys from my purse.y them on the counter and pull upGoogleMapson my phone. “You’vegot at least an eight-hour drive, and that’s if traffic behaves.<i ss="calibre2">Go.</i>Hell, your suitcase is still in the car.Itwas meant to be.”
“Aves,I…”
Iwink at her. “Iknow.Youcan call me from the road to tell me how amazingIam.Butseriously,<i ss="calibre2">go.</i>Thisis your moment,Palmer.Finally.Ireally believe it andIbelieve in you.Justdrive safe.Donot try to read lines on the highway.”
Shenods, her smile growing. “Okay.”Shegrabs the keys from whereIced them and wraps her arm around my neck, pulling me into one more quick hug. “Doyou need anything out of the car?” she asks as she fetches her purse from the other side of the kitchen ind.
“Nope.Ibrought everything of mine in.”
“Okay,” she says again, blowing out a quick breath.Spinningon her heel, she hustles toward the front door. “Thankyou,Aves,” she calls without turning around.
“Ohwait, only eighty-seven and up for theJeep,”Icall after her. “Don’tput cheap gas in—”
<i ss="calibre2">Bang.</i>
Thefront door ms and she’s out of earshot.
<i ss="calibre2">Thirteendays.</i>
Thirteendays is how long it takes for my self-restraint to crumble and for me to go toEdgeFitness’swebsite and findMauraMontoya.Suspicionsconfirmed—she’s a total fucking knockout.Thiswoman outshines evenPalmer, and that’s really hard to do.Herbody is wless.She’smuscr, yet with feminine curves.Herstomach is so t that if shey down, you could set a wine ss on it without worrying it’d spill.Hershoulder-length hair is a richer shade of brown than mine and she’s at least three shades tanner than me.Shelooks sun-kissed, like she’s not afraid to show off her body on the beach.Butenough rambling…
Asimpler way to sum upMaurais that she is quite literally my pr opposite.
Idove head first into the rabbit hole.Withintwenty minutes,IfoundMaura’sFacebookpage,Instagramprofile, and watched several of her videos onTikTokabout proper form when deadlifting.Ireally want to hate her, but what did she do wrong besides exist?
It’sbeen nearly two weeks…
Iwonder ifMasonhas asked her out yet.
It’dbe a little easier if she had resting bitch face, but not only is she stunning, she’s also charming.Ibet her client list is booked solid.Iteach the business owners,Dexincluded, about this effect.Charisma.Whenyou market a great personality, you could sell salt to a slug with ease.Peoplewant personable, rtable, and authentic.Thoseare the three magic ingredients to brand loyalty.
Asif his ears are burning, an iing phone call fromMasonhalts my social media stalking.Icould send him to voicemail, but seeing asI’vealready been inte stalking his potential new girlfriend,I’membracing my current masochist mentality.
“What?”Ianswer in the ttest monotoneIcan muster.
“Youanswered,”Masonsays, sounding surprised.
“Youcalled,”Isnap.
Hehuffs through the phone, encouraging my frustration. “Avery, can we please be civil?Wehave a business together.Rememberwhen people told us not to start a fifty-fiftyLLCtogether?Rememberhow we told them we worked really well together and we would never let our rtionship interfere with what we created?”
<i ss="calibre2">RememberwhenIthought you loved me and we were going to be together forever?</i>
Buthe’s right.
Wedo work well together, and the only rtionshipIhad that rivaled mine andMason’swas my rtionship with work.I’llbe damned ifIlose both this year.
Mychest rises high, then falls.<i ss="calibre2">Isthis allowed?Canwe just be civil?</i>“What’sgoing on,Mason?”
“MaynardRealtyreferred us for a major contract.<i ss="calibre2">Major.</i>Ididn’t even want to entertain the idea without talking to you first.”
MaynardCommercialRealtyis our biggest client, not to mention the best-paying.Butthe research is devastatingly boring.Realestate is a lot of basic design and antiquated marketing strategies.It’ssimple color schemes, basic fonts, polished, professional, pristine, and absolutely no creativity.I’mnot sure ifIwant to take on their referral.It’smind-numbing work.
“Whatkind of contract?Andmore importantly, with whom?”
Hepauses for seemingly dramatic effect.I’mnot amused.Iput my phone on speaker and ce it face up onDex’scoffee table.Inestle backward into the oversized navy sectional and watchCherrydart around.Thetank’s dimmers are on an automatic schedule, so she’s swimming in what she probably assumes is moonlight.
“LegacyResorts.”
Mymouth falls open. “AsinSandals’sbiggestpetitor?”
“That’sthe one.”
I’mquite familiar withLegacyResorts.Ihelped my dad and his new wife n an anniversary trip withLegacyonce.He’puter illiterate and nearly paid an upcharge of thirty percent to book through a travel agent.Ihad to swoop in and save him from getting swindled.Ispent quite a bit of time on that website.Theirbranding is spectacr.
“Whatdo they need help with?”
“FromwhatIunderstand so far, they need help runching some of theirrger properties as kid friendly.Rightnow, they are doing quite well in the adult-only vacation space, but to staypetitive, they’re learning they have to be family-friendly, meaning—”
“Theyare going up againstpanies likeDisney.”
“AndifDisneydoesn’t hand their ass to them, you’ve gotAirbnb,VRBO, direct rentals—”
“Allthe more budget-friendly options that are making fancy all-inclusives obsolete for the middle ss.”Inod along asIkeep my eyes onCherry, who seems to be slowing down.
“Exactly.”Masonclears his throat. “It’smore than just consulting.Theywant long-term strategists.They’relooking for a five-yearmitment.”
“<i ss="calibre2">Fiveyears</i>?”Mystomach twists.Normally, our contracts are on a six-month basis.We’reconsultants.Wedo the research, develop a strategy, help implement the strategy, and then hand over the baton.Neverdid we n to work with a specific client for five years.Plus, this isn’t just a five-yearmitment to a client.It’sa five-yearmitment toMason.Ihaven’t even thought that far ahead…how in the hell can we keep working together in our current situation?
“Iknow, but,Aves, it’s a seven-figure contract.Andthere’s room for negotiation.”
“Sevenfigures?”Ilean forward, smacking my elbows against my knees. “Areyou kidding me?”
“Onemillion, at minimum.ButIthink we could ask for more if you cane up with a killer presentation.”
“Holyshit,Mason.”
“Iknow,” he says through breathy huffs. “Iwas in shock.I’mnot trying to put the cart before the horse.Westill have to earn the contract, but we should be fucking proud we even get to have these conversations.I’mso proud of you.”
“Proudof me?”Igrab the phone off the table, take it off speakerphone, and press it against my cheek.Mason’svoice bes much clearer in my ear.
“<i ss="calibre2">You</i>are who they’re impressed with.Theyspecifically asked for you afterMaynardRealtytold them all you did for them.It’syou,Aves.I’vesaid it from day one.I’mjust the numbers guy.You’rethe talent.It’syour way with people.”
EverywallIbuilt instantly crumbles.
Thetears fall as fast as they form andIhave to mute the phone to hide my sudden outburst of hysteria.Weshould be hugging.Weshould be dancing in celebration.Weshould be so excited that we have the best sex of our lives.
Weshould not be having this conversation over the phone because we’re broken up.
<i ss="calibre2">We’renot spending our lives together.</i>Têxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.
<i ss="calibre2">Masondoesn’t want me.</i>
<i ss="calibre2">I’malone.</i>
<i ss="calibre2">I.Was.Dumped.</i>
“Aves?Youstill there?”
Isniffle hard and suck in a deep breath and hold it for a moment, collecting myself.Unmutingthe phone,Isay, “Whatdo we need to do?”
“Fornow, preliminary research.Butif you’re interested in moving forward, we’ll get in touch with their head of marketing.They’llprobably want an official proposal.”
“Okay,”Igrunt, trying desperately to save face. “Ican do that.”
“So…we’re…interested?”
<i ss="calibre2">I’mnumb.I’mnumb.I’mnumb.</i>
<i ss="calibre2">Sowhy does it hurt so fucking much?</i>
“Yeah,Mason,I’minterested.Setit up.I’llstart the industry research right away.”
“Okay, great.I’lldo that.I’llemail you all the details.”
Theline is silent between us for a moment.It’seasy to talk business.It’sall we’ve been talking about for months now, apparently.Howdo we sign off?HowdoIsay goodbye to the man who ripped my heart to pieces but apparently still has the power to put it back together?
“Thanksfor calling—”
“Hey,Ave—”
Weboth try to speak at the same time.
“Goahead,”Isay.
Hepauses for a moment more before he says, “I, um,Ijust wanted to let you know thatI’lltake care of the rent here while you’re inVegas.”
Iclear my throat as it catches. “Youdon’t have to do that—”
“No, it’s only right.You’renot living here.Youshouldn’t have to pay for it.Asfor the furniture and stuff—”
“Mason?”Iinterrupt.
“Yeah?”
Idecide to acknowledge the hurt for the first time since my birthday dinner.Ittook almost two weeks, butIfinally let my heart shatter. “Idon’t want to talk about all that right now.I’mstill hurting over everything.Canwe deal with<i ss="calibre2">furniture</i>after the summer?”
“Ofcourse.”
“Okay, good night—”
“Avery,” he interrupts.
“What?”Iask in exasperation.<i ss="calibre2">Letme go, soIcan melt.</i>
“Idon’t know ifI’mallowed to say this…butI’mhurting too.Idon’t want you to thinkIdon’t miss you every day.”
Andthat does it.Ihang up the phone and be a puddle of hysteric, blubbering tears.Curlingup into a ball on the couch and clenching my eyes shut,Isee her face.Hershiny rich brte waves, her tan skin, wless smile, t stomach, and the perfect curve of her ass.
Thewoman he wants.
ThewomanI’mnot.