Chapter One
“It has been too long since we got completely smashed on tequila,” Heather Booth said to her three friends. They sat in a bar sipping down shots of their favourite spirit. It was Friday, and the place hummed with activity.
“I second that. There is nothing in this world that cannot be cured by alcohol,” Ashley said, throwing back another shot.
“Third it,” Amber said.
“I’m going to take your word for it. I’m happy with a Coke,” Connie said.
Heather smiled, slapping her hands on the table. “Another round.” She called for the barman to fill up their glasses. The week she had had at the office required the sweet oblivion alcoholic drink would provide. Her boss, Julian Goff, had worked her ass until it was numb from all the hard labour. She was his personal assistant, and he treated her like a slave. There was nothing he wouldn’t ask for. He’d requested she buy his current girlfriend the goodbye gift that only a hot, wealthy man could afford.
Fucking bastard.
He went through women faster than she went through batteries for her vibrator. Pulling her head out of the clouds, Heather drank down her next shot then dragged all of her friends onto the dance floor. They laughed as the song changed to an upbeat pulse-pounding rhythm. She needed this, to lose herself in the dancing and the mind-numbing pleasure that drinking tequila while hanging out with her girlfriends gave her. Work was becoming too difficult. If Julian didn’t change his attitude soon she would be handing in her resignation. There was no way she’d work for an overbearing ass**le who used women.
A couple of guys tried to work their way into the group. She and her friends pushed them away. Girl night was about them, so no dicks were allowed.
When the song ended, each of them wandered over to the bar. Heather rubbed the sweat from her brow while the others took their seats. The bartender handed them their drinks. She noticed his eyes strayed to Connie. Smiling, Heather lifted her eyebrow and watched him turn red then leave. Men. Did they really think girls didn’t notice?
“Ladies, I’m going to call it a night,” Ashley said, after swigging down another shot. “I’ve still got to work tomorrow, and as much as I’d love to get blasted with you guys, I need this job.”
Heather hugged her close. “Can we take this back to my place? I’ll order Chinese for us?”
Connie agreed to stay with her, but Amber had to leave as well.
Heather paid their tab then followed Connie outside. Both of them declined a cab and began walking in the direction of Heather’s home.
“Do you remember a time when Friday night meant drinking, dancing, and spending the weekend together?” Heather asked.
“Ashley and Amber both said they’d see us tomorrow. We’re older now. We have responsibilities and all that,” Connie said.
“It’s crap. I remember a time I would have turned ‘round to Julian Goff and told him to go f**k himself. He has to get his own bullshit for his f**k of the moment.”
“Tequila has really loosened your tongue.”
“Not just tequila but the whole lot of shit I have to go through. He may be hot, and the money may be great, but I’m tired of the stress. I’m twenty-five years old. The last boyfriend I had thought I was in love with my boss.” Heather walked ‘round a lamp post to avoid bumping into it. She must have drunk more than she thought.
“You always said your boss was hot, Heather. Besides, your last boyfriend was an idiot. He didn’t deserve you.”
“Thanks, Connie.” She wrapped her arm around her friend’s shoulders. They walked to the Chinese take-away where Heather ordered enough food for the weekend. Together, they made it to her home. The food ended up in the fridge as Connie held Heather’s hair off her face while she threw up everything into the toilet.
“You’re a good friend,” Heather said.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think I know why the others declined coming back here with you. They knew you’d end up drunk out of your face.” Connie helped her into the shower. The cold water blasted over her.
“Fuck, Connie. That’s cold.”
“You need to be sober.”
For the next twenty minutes, Heather allowed her friend to wash her then put her to bed. In the morning she’d make it up to Connie, but for now she was feeling down in the dumps over her situation at work. The more she thought about quitting, the harder it was to think about. She wanted to quit. Watching all the model-thin and beautiful women on Julian’s arm had become too difficult. She knew why her boyfriend dumped her. The feelings she harboured for her boss scared her.
“I don’t want to be sober. I want to be drunk. It is easier when I’m drunk.”
“Whatever, come on. Get in.” Connie pulled the blankets back. Heather tucked the blankets under her chin. She heard movement ‘round the house then the sound of her friend joining her in bed.
“We’ll talk about your boss and everything tomorrow. Good night, Heather.”
“Night, Connie.”
Ever since they were kids, Heather, Connie, Ashley, and Amber had been the best of friends. Unlike most friends who grew apart as they aged or went to college, they hadn’t. All of them had gone to the same college even though they took different courses. Their friendship remained thick even as their parents tried to pull them apart. They never went a week without seeing each other. Her three friends were her true family. She had an older brother, Elijah, whom she rarely spoke to. He was usually off doing his own thing.
They had made a pact to be best friends forever. They wore the necklaces and had stuck to the pact during thick and thin. Heather loved them. She closed her eyes thinking about Julian. He was a big problem, and her feelings for him were an even bigger problem.
On Monday morning she needed to figure out a plan to get over him. Being love-sick for a man who’d never look at her twice was downright depressing.
****
Julian watched Heather with her three friends up to the point of leaving. He was there with Krissy, his current girlfriend of the moment. She bored him with her constant pouting. A couple of his business associates kept looking toward the dance floor. He knew they were looking at his personal assistant. She should have been seated with him for the informal meeting, but he’d not asked her to attend. Instead, he’d sent her on her merry way while he tried to broker a deal without all the formality of meetings in boardrooms.
“Isn’t that your assistant?” Bill asked.