“Boy, am I beat!” Brooklyn said as she entered her apartment.
“Addy! Shea! I’m home!” she called out to her two best friends and roommates as she hung her purse on the coat rack by the door and pulled the hair tie out of her hair, causing her long blonde hair to flow down her back.
She shook her head to loosen her hair, kicked off her shoes, and took out her phone to check her texts as she walked over to the couch and flopped down on it, stretching out and putting her feet up on the cushions.
“At least you take your shoes off before you put your feet on the couch.”
Brooklyn looked up from her phone to see Shea coming out of her room. Her friend and roommate wore a blue striped halter top, which matched her blue eyes, with a denim miniskirt. She had pulled her curly light brown hair up into a high ponytail but left a few strands hanging out to frame her face. Her light brown skin glistened with a golden hue from the sparkly lotion her friend liked to use when she was going out.
“Why are you so dressed up?” Brooklyn asked her friend.
“We’re going out tonight,” Shea told her.
Brooklyn sat up and shook her head, setting her phone down beside her.
“Nuh-uh,” she said. “No way, Shea. I just got off of a long shift at the coffee shop, and I’ve got an article due by the weekend, which I’ve barely started. There is no way I’m going out tonight.”
Shea stuck her lower lip out in a pout and said, “Come on, Brooklyn! I told the guy I’m meeting to bring friends for you and Addy, and if I don’t show up with the two of you, he might just call the whole thing off, and believe me, if that happens, you won’t have a happy roommate.”
Brooklyn rolled her eyes and asked, “And Addy is going along with this?”
Shea bit her lip and glanced to the side.
“She’s, uh, not home yet,” she said, not looking at Brooklyn.
“So, she doesn’t know about it then?” Brooklyn said, raising one eyebrow.
Shea looked at her for a moment before shaking her head.
Brooklyn burst out laughing, then said, “You are something else, my friend.”
“Does this mean you’ll go?” Shea asked, hope written all over her face.
Brooklyn sobered and looked at her friend for a moment before sighing.
Getting up off the couch, she said, “Fine. I’ll go, as long as Addy goes, too.”
“She has to,” Shea said. “That’s all part of the plan.”
Brooklyn shook her head at her friend and added, “Let me get a shower first. I need to get the smell of coffee off of me.”
Shea looked at her with horror and said, “Of course, you’re taking a shower. There is no way I’m going out with you looking and smelling like that.”
Brooklyn gave her an exasperated look and said, “Thanks, friend.”
With a relieved sigh, Shea nodded and said, “Anytime, Brooklyn. Anytime.”
Shaking her head, Brooklyn walked around the couch to go to her room, where she’d clean up in her bathroom. She stopped as the front door burst open, and their other roommate rushed into the living room, leaving the door open behind her.
Her dark red hair flew around her face as she came to a stop and looked at her two friends. Her hazel-green eyes sparkled with excitement, and an enormous smile lit up her face.
“Am I glad to see you two are already here,” she told them. “I don’t know what I’d do if I had to hold this in any longer.”
Brooklyn and Shea looked at one another, then back at Addy.
“What’s going on, Addy?” Brooklyn asked.
“You two know Barto Luciani, right?” she asked. “Well, he just hired me to work for him!”
Brooklyn and Shea looked at one another, then back at Addy. Both girls shook their heads.
“I’m afraid I don’t know who he is,” Brooklyn said.
“Is he that guy who owns the sub shop across town, next to your store?” Shea asked, then turned to Brooklyn and added, “You remember those subs Addy brought home a few weeks ago?”
Brooklyn nodded, her eyes wide, and grinned.
“Oh, yeah, those were good,” she said. Turning back to Addy, she asked, “When you start working there, will you be bringing home subs for us?”
Addy sighed and shook her head as she rolled her eyes.
“I can’t believe you two haven’t paid attention to what I’ve been talking about for the past week,” she told them, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at them.
Brooklyn and Shea gave each other guilty glances. Brooklyn raised her eyebrows and jerked her head toward Shea. Shea shook her head, frowning. They both looked back at an irritated Addy.
“Look, we’re sorry, Addy,” Brooklyn said. “I know this is exciting for you, whatever it is. Why don’t you tell us what it is so we can be excited for you, too?”
Addy stared at them for a moment before softening.
“Fine,” she said, letting her hands dangle from her sides. “Barto Luciani. Does that name ring a bell?”
Once again, Brooklyn and Shea looked at each other, then back at Addy, and shook their heads.
Sighing, she looked at Shea and said, “I’m surprised you, of all people, don’t recognize the name, what with working at the boutique.”
Shea tilted her head as her face scrunched up in concentration. After a moment, her eyes lit up, and she smiled.
“Now that you mention it, that name does sound familiar,” she said. “I think I put one of his scarves on a mannequin at the boutique the other day.”
“So, he’s a designer?” Brooklyn asked, looking at Addy.
Addy’s eyes opened wide, and her mouth dropped open.
“‘He’s a designer?’ she asked,” she said, shaking her head. “He’s the designer right now. His current line is selling out as fast as the stores can stock them.”
Shea nodded and said, “That scarf I put on the mannequin sold almost as soon as I walked away.”
“And he’s offered you a job?” Brooklyn asked, her eyebrows raised.
Shea grinned from ear to ear as she nodded.
“I had submitted my application and portfolio a few months ago, and when I hadn’t heard from him, I gave up hope,” she told the others. “But then, on the way home from the shop, I got a call from a number I didn’t recognize. It was his assistant, and she told me that he liked what he saw with my work. She offered me a job for the upcoming season!”
Her two friends grinned and rushed forward to wrap their arms around her in a huge hug.
As they wrapped her up between them, Shea said, “That’s wonderful!”
“It’s what you’ve been dreaming about all your life,” Brooklyn said.
Addy nodded and said, “I start next week, and I can’t wait!”
“Oh, my gosh!” Brooklyn said, her eyes wide. “Do you have a lot to prepare for it?”
Addy shook her head and said, “I’ve got a new outfit just waiting for a big reveal. I’ll wear it on my first day there. Barto Luciani won’t know what hit him!”
The three friends giggled, then Shea brightened up.
“Do you know what this calls for?” she asked.
Brooklyn groaned, but Shea ignored her. Addy was too focused on her friend to pay attention to Brooklyn and shook her head.
“No,” she said. “What does this call for?”
“A night out!” Shea said, stepping back and throwing her arms up in the air to shimmy her hips.
The three friends got out of the cab in front of a club where people already stood in line to get in. “I can’t believe you talked me into coming here,” Addy said, looking at everyone in line. “What?” Shea asked, turning back to look at her friend. “It’s not that bad. It has… an atmosphere about it.” “Yeah, a ‘I’m gonna get killed if I’m not careful’ atmosphere about it,” Addy muttered to Brooklyn, who giggled. “Besides, the guys said they could get us into this club ahead of the line,” Shea continued, ignoring the other two as she searched the crowd. Spotting three men standing near the bouncer, she grinned and waved at them, standing on her tiptoes so they could see her better. The guy in the middle spotted her and grinned back. Waving his arm at the other two to follow him, the trio made their way over to the three friends. Shea rushed over to the guy in the lead and flung herself into his arms, giving him a huge kiss. Brooklyn and Addy looked at each other with wide e
After sharing an eye roll with Brooklyn, Addy turned to the blonde guy standing next to Adam. He had his phone out and was typing something on it. When he paused, she tapped his arm. “Hey,” she said. “I’m Addy. You’re Jeremy, right?” He didn’t answer, so she leaned in closer and repeated herself in a louder voice. “Hey, I’m Addy. You’re Jeremy, right?” He turned to her with an annoyed look on his face. “Yeah, I’m Jeremy,” he said before turning back to his phone. Addy sighed and rolled her eyes. Then she tapped his arm again. When he turned around to look at her with an annoyed glare, she smiled her sweetest smile at him and asked, “Do you come to this club a lot?” He stared at her for a long moment before shrugging and saying, “I come here now and then with Adam and Ben.” “It doesn’t seem to be your thing tonight, though,” she said. He shook his head, then smiled at her. “I’m sorry about the way I’ve been acting,” he told her, fully turning around to face
When Shea and Addy came out of their rooms the next morning, Brooklyn was already at the table, eating her bagel and drinking her coffee. “Hey, you two!” she called out, looking up from her laptop. “How’d you sleep?” Shea shook her head and headed straight for the coffeepot. Addy yawned and went over to the refrigerator. Pulling out a small carton of cottage cheese, she went to get a spoon and said, “I’ve had better nights. I’m thankful I’ve got the day off today.” Leaning against the counter as she ate, she looked at Shea, who was pouring coffee into the largest mug she had found in their cupboards, and asked, “What about you? How did you sleep last night?” “I didn’t,” Shea said, walking around Addy to get the creamer out of the refrigerator. Addy and Brooklyn frowned at each other. Shutting her laptop, Brooklyn asked, “Did you hear from Adam at all last night? I mean, he must have wondered where we got to.” Shea shook her head again and said, “Nothing. Not a call.
Back in their apartment, Shea finished her breakfast and got up from the table. “I’m going to take a long, hot bubble bath and try to forget last night ever happened,” she said. “I don’t blame you,” Brooklyn said, taking one last sip of her coffee before getting up to put her plate in the sink and refill her cup. Looking back at Shea, she asked, “Is it my turn to do the dishes?” She nodded and said, “I did them last night.” Frowning, Brooklyn asked, “Why do you always get that chore when it’s take-out night?” Shrugging, Shea grinned at her friend and said, “Just lucky, I guess.” “Or you’ve got really good timing, and I’m just now catching on,” Brooklyn said, threatening to throw the dish sponge at her. Shrieking, Shea ducked and ran for her room. Brooklyn laughed as she shook her head and turned the water on to wash the breakfast dishes. Once she had finished, she dried her hands and walked back to her laptop, powering it on as she sat down. She set her elbows
After the cab had dropped them off, Shea walked down the street to head to the boutique for her shopping. Addy and Brooklyn climbed the steps to the door of their apartment building and went inside. “Are you really going to do an article on those guys?” Addy asked as they climbed the stairs to their third-floor apartment. Brooklyn nodded and grinned at her friend. “I’m going to do a little research on them first, of course,” she said. “If they really are in the movie business, like Ben and Jeremy told both of us, I’m sure I won’t have much trouble trying to find out more about them.” “Do you know their last names?” Addy asked. Brooklyn shook her head and said, “But I can start with Adam. Shea told me his last name was Sheringer.” Addy nodded and said, “There shouldn’t be too many Adam Sheringers out there, even though we live in a big city.” Nodding, Brooklyn said, “My thoughts exactly.” They entered their apartment, and Addy headed toward her room. “Good luck wi
After Shea sent Adam a text letting him know they’d made it home safely, she followed it up with another, asking if they’d like to get together again. The friends giggled after she’d sent it, then Brooklyn said, “Okay. We need to make sure our plan is in order before we even think about going anywhere with these scumbags.” Shea and Addy nodded. “First thing, get the guys to agree to another date at the club,” Shea said, holding up her phone. Brooklyn and Addy nod. “Then we will all be equipped with tiny cameras to record everything,” she continued. “We just need to be able to get them on camera while they are putting something in our drinks.” “I think we’ll be able to do that,” Shea said. “I mean, it’s a big club, and if someone has to use the ladies’ room again, I think we’ll be able to sneak up behind them and catch them in the act.” The other two nodded, then Addy asked, “But what if one of them spots us spying on them?” “We can always use the excuse that we were
Addy fanned herself with her purse and leaned closer to Jeremy, saying, “It sure is warm in here. I could go for a drink.” Jeremy’s face lit up, and he grinned at her. “I’d be happy to go get you something from the bar,” he told her, winking at her. “I’d love that,” Addy said, leaning toward him with a smile. “Hey, baby, would you be a love and get me a drink?” Shea asked Adam. “I’m simply parched.” He grinned at her and said, “But, of course, my lady.” With a short bow toward her, he and his friends left the table and headed toward the bar. Instantly, the smiles vanished from the friends’ faces. “Time to put our plan into action,” Brooklyn said. Shea and Addy nodded. They moved away from the table, spreading out as they made their way toward the bar. Just as the three stepped up to the bar, Brooklyn, Shea, and Addy stepped up behind them, holding their phones so they could see the drinks. Adam took a small bottle out of his pocket, grinning at he did. He
Once again, Brooklyn was at the table eating breakfast when Addy came out of her room. “Didn’t you go to bed last night?” she asked, shaking her head as she went to the cupboard to take a bowl from the shelf. “Not much,” Brooklyn told her, taking a sip of her coffee. “I was too pumped up about the article and what happened.” A As Addy brought her breakfast to the table, she asked, “Have you seen Shea yet?” Brooklyn looked at her friend and shook her head. “She hasn’t come out of her room yet, but she usually sleeps in on weekends, so I’m not too surprised she’s not out yet,” Brooklyn said. “Plus, I’m sure she’s upset over what happened last night.” Just then, the door to Shea’s room opened, and she came out, fully dressed. “Hey, girls!” she said as she saw her friends staring at her from the table. “What’s on the agenda for today?” Brooklyn and Addy looked at one another, then back at Shea, before Brooklyn said, “Uh, I’m working on my article today.” “And I’m goi