Of course, I didn’t punch her lights out. I sucked in my pride. “Look, I’ll buy you a drink.”
I waved at the bartender and for some reason, I was able to get his attention and not her. I ordered us both shots of Jaeger and more vodka sevens.
When the shots came and Jenn gave the bartender the bitchiest look, I raised my glass to her, trying to find hidden reserves of strength deep inside myself. I was cheering my enemy in an attempt to make her feel better. What was wrong with me?
Jenn clinked the shot glass, smiled and downed it. Half of it almost came back up again, but she buried that with the seven. Then her phone beeped.
She fished it out of her bag excitedly. My first thought was that it was Dex, but judging from the subtle way she grinned to herself, I knew it wasn’t.
I watched her text back and then put the phone away. She kept smiling and noticed me watching her.
“Oh, that was Bradley,” she said. Uh huh. That figured.
“Yeah?”
“He was in the area and he’s going to stop by.”
I remembered what Rebecca said. They were a pair of f**ks. She had a theory. Suddenly, I had that same theory.
“So I finally get to meet this Bradley?” I asked, wondering how to phrase my next sentence. “Wasn’t he the guy Rebecca wanted to set me up with?”
“You don’t get everyone,” Jenn sneered, slamming her drink hard on the counter. It made me jump. It made the people next to us jump. The Latino in Jenn was coming out.
I raised my hands in surrender. “I never said I wanted Bradley. I’ve got a boyfriend back in Portland anyway.”
“Oh?” She seemed floored. “You do? Oh. Well…who is he? Dex never mentioned him.”
“His name is Brock. I just started dating him. I don’t tell Dex everything,” I lied.
She nodded quickly, composing herself. The look of relief flooded across her brow. And for the next bit, Jenn was a lot more relaxed with me. Drunk, but the competition mode was turned off, at least a smidge.
Soon, Bradley showed up. Actually, it was really soon. As if he was in the same club with us this whole time.
“Perry, this is Bradley,” Jenn said as a tall, strikingly handsome man gave her a quick hug and turned his sights on me.
He was tall and well built, in a dapper shirt. Longish light brown hair, a stylish five o’clock shadow, sparkling blue eyes and one hell of a devilish grin.
I shook his outstretched hand. He smiled, perfect teeth that matched Jenn’s in the veneer category, and cocked his head to the side. “So you’re the girl…”
“I’m the girl?”
“Yes. The girl who somehow tore Mr. Foray from the Wine Babes. I’m surprised.”
How amusing. “Oh yeah, how is that?”
“You’re taller than I thought.”
“I’m wearing really high heels,” I answered. “Was that it?”
My voice was totally accusatory. I was sure my face was as well. I didn’t have to listen to Bradley any more to know Rebecca’s assertion was correct.
“Nice to meet you, Perry,” Bradley said, and then pointed upstairs. He turned to Jenn. “Jenn, there’s a friend of mine I’d like you to meet.”
He looked at me quickly, all false charm. “Perry, you don’t mind. I’ll return her soon. I’m sure you won’t be here alone for long.”
Before I could open my mouth to say anything, Jenn and Bradley walked off across the club, toward the stairs. I watched them like a hawk the whole time. Just as they were about to disappear from view, I saw him put his arm around Jenn’s waist.
I was so angry. Not only was I just ditched in some shitty-assed night club, but it was quite obvious that Jenn and Bradley were having an affair, or something close to it. I felt the frustration fill up my veins and turned my attention to the bar. Once again, I got the bartender’s attention pretty quickly, which was a needed ego boost, especially after all of Jenn’s comments. I ordered a glass of Jack on the rocks in honor of Dex and sipped it slowly. I gave Jenn and Bradley as long as the drink. If they didn’t return by the time I was done, I was leaving.
It took me twenty minutes to drink it. It was the longest- lasting drink of my life. Then I texted Jenn and told her that I was thinking about heading back to the apartment. I waited for a response to that but after ten minutes, there was nothing.
Fuck that.
I marched out of the club, ignoring the gross leers of the grody men in there, and got the first cab that was waiting outside. It took me straight to Dex’s apartment.
In the meantime, I got a text from Jenn that said, “Oh, you are? We’re just upstairs with friends, are you sure you don’t want to wait around?” Again, f**k that.
I got out of the cab and, after tipping the cabbie too much, I looked up at the apartment. Dex was standing on the balcony, looking down at me with a feeling of shock. He was smoking, a cloud of it surrounding his head despite the slight breeze.
“Perry?” he said, sounding scared. “Is Jenn with you?”
I turned and watched the cab drive away. “Obviously not. Can you let me in?”
He nodded and put the smoke out on an ashtray. I went to the door and was buzzed in.
He answered their door in plaid pajama pants and a grey T-shirt. His eyes were red and he reeked of pot. He stuck his head out into the hallway, looking all paranoid.
“I’m not with Jenn,” I told him again, and pushed past him into the apartment. I leaned against the kitchen counter and kicked my wretched shoes off. They hurt like hell and almost fell off a bunch of times while dancing.
“What happened? Why are you home so soon?” he asked, sounding panicky.
I leaned against the counter and put my head down on it.
“I don’t know. Clubbing sucks,” I mumbled. I didn’t know what to say. Part of me wanted to tell Dex what I thought about Jenn and Bradley, or at least to mention he was there on our “girls” night and that they ditched me. But the other part felt that if I did that, she would deny it and I would look like his psycho jealous partner.
“Where’s Jenn?”
I opened my eyes and stared blankly at the far wall, glad he wasn’t in my line of sight.
“She saw some friends and wanted to stay. I didn’t. So I came back.”
“Oh. Well, did you have fun?”
I turned my head the other way to look at him. “Do you think I had fun, Dex?”