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Whatever. I guess it's fine if they're happy.
But I'm just sitting here by myself—literally the fifth wheel in this group. I wouldn't even have come out tonight if Alicia hadn't forced me to. And once Ashley heard that I was free and in the city there was no stopping the two of them. You think one is bad? Try having both of them trying to get you to do stuff.
I mean, sure, I love hanging out with my friends and I get along just fine with Derek and Apollo. No one is mean to me.
But, I mean, where's my guy who offers to pick up the whole tab? Where's my guy who I can hold hands with under the table? Or trade stories that make no sense and needs correcting for? Who's looking out for me when I'm out so that I can just be a lil' girl and not have to worry about life?
I've had to take care of myself like this my entire life. Sure, Alicia or Ashley will roll their eyes if I ever complain.
"I mean, your stepdad is like, the owner of Connecticut," Alicia will say, and it's true to an extent; the man Mom ended up marrying last year owns a lot of property in Connecticut.
But where was he when I was growing up?
Where was my stepbrother Cody when I needed a man to help me learn how to drive a car?
"So, we're all set for this weekend, right you two?" Ashley asks Alicia and Derek. "You guys are finally going to have the engagement party?"
We've finished dinner at Kittichai and are in the stretch limo that's taking us to the Time Warner Center.
"Finally," Alicia says. "We've only been like waiting on this party forever. You're all coming this weekend right?"
Ashley and Apollo nod and Alicia looks at me and narrows her eyes.
"I'm going too," I say defensively. "I'm actually going to go relax for a few days at my stepdad's place too then," I say.
"Isn't that in Southampton?" Alicia asks me and I nod. "That's perfect then, babe. You're like only a few minutes away from us."
"I just need to relax and lay out in the sun, ya know?" I tell her as we ride the elevator to the Stone Rose Tavern.
I know that's probably the one thing in the world I don't need right now, to be by myself even more. I mean, there's no way I'm going to meet Mr. Right Now if I'm hanging out by the pool on my own in Long Island.
But, it's not like I don't get a chance to go out.
I mean, I'm out now, aren't I?
"Can I buy you a drink?" a voice asks me and I turn toward it.
Cute guy. Nice bod.
I notice Alicia and Ashley start to steer their men a bit away from me, letting the guy feel a bit more confident to talk to me.
Alicia throws looks over, ready to jump in in a moment's notice. Ashley's different. She'll watch and if needed she'll step in.
"What do you do?" I ask as the bartender hands me a cosmo. I breathe heavily, hoping my boobs are going up and down and he's noticing.
"I work at Carter Jeffries in Private Equity," he tells me smoothly. "What about you?"
"I work for City Hall," I tell him, just as smooth.
"The Mayor?" he asks.
I nod.
"Didn't he have some scandal a year ago?" cute guy asks me.
"What was your name again?" I ask him, getting away from the topic that Mayor Anders doesn't want to talk about.
"I'm John Halpern," he tells me. "And you?"
