“Didn’t I just say that?” She gives me a sharp look. “Of course I came with Carr. I am his girlfriend. And he practically begged me to come, couldn’t bear to be away from me. So, I said, ‘What the hell?’ I have a few days off work, so why not?” She lifts her hand and starts to examine her nails.
His girlfriend? I feel like I’ve just been punched in the face.
How long has she been his girlfriend? I didn’t know Carrick did girlfriends. Was she his girlfriend when he had sex with me?
Something strange, solid, and cold settles in my stomach.
I pick up my beer and take large gulps just for the need to do something aside from vomit or maybe scream.
I’ve just finished swallowing when I hear the rattling sound of disgust come from my neighbor.
“Ugh, I don’t know how you can drink that stuff.”
I drag my eyes to hers. I see that she’s staring at my beer like I just drank rat poison.
“Beer?”
“Yes, it’s so…disgusting. Just having it near me makes me want to be sick.” She wrinkles up her nose.
And I have the sudden urge to punch it.
So much for me respecting other women.
I’ve just lowered my glass to the table, when she says, “So, who are you anyway? I mean, why are you here? Are you someone’s girlfriend or something?” She wafts a hand at my friends around the table.
“No!” I let out a little laugh, shaking my head. “I work for Rybell.” I can tell from her expression that she has no clue what that means, so I clarify, “I work for Carrick.”
That gets her attention because I see her gaze sharpen, and she starts to appraise me in a whole new light. I’m pretty sure, in this moment, if she didn’t before, she now sees me as competition for Carrick’s attention, and that makes her instantly dislike me.
I feel like telling her not to worry. I’m definitely not competition for her. Carrick is barely talking to me, let alone anything else.
I can see she’s about to question me further, but Carrick and Ben return with the drinks, halting all conversation.
“Sienna, here’s yours.” Ben hands her a fancy-looking cocktail.
Sienna—so that’s the girlfriend’s name.
“Thank you,” she says in a sickly sweet voice.
After handing everyone’s drinks out, Carrick pulls up a chair beside Sienna and takes a sip of his beer. Seeing that he’s drinking beer tugs a smile onto my lips, knowing just how much his girlfriend hates it.
Girlfriend. The word keeps crushing my insides to dust.
As I move my eyes away from him, I see Sienna is staring at me.
She knows I was looking at him.
Feeling uncomfortable, I say the first thing that pops into my head, “So, what do you do for a living, Sienna?”
She gives me a confused look. “I’m in The Diamond Babes.”
The Diamond Babes?
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what that is.” I give an awkward smile.
I hear a covered laugh, and I’m pretty sure it comes from Carrick, but it’s hard to be sure as I can only see the back of his head because he’s faced away, talking to Robbie.
Sienna makes a sound of total disgust, her face screwing up. “You don’t know who we are? How is that even possible?”
I’m kind of feeling stupid right now, like I should know who these Diamond Babes are.
“The Diamond Babes are a girl band from the UK,” Ben kindly informs me. “They’re quite popular.”
“We’re not ‘quite’ popular.” She air quotes.
I really hate air quotes.
“We’re the biggest girl band in the UK,” she corrects him very loudly.
“Right…” Ben utters before sipping on his drink.
I give an awkward smile. “I’m sorry I didn’t know who you—the band are. I only recently moved back to the UK. I’ve lived in Brazil for the last fourteen years. And I’m not very up on your kind of music.”
“My kind of music?” She lifts a perfectly plucked brow. “I’m assuming you mean the good kind.”
“Yeah, something like that,” I mutter before picking up my beer and taking a drink.
I hear another catch of laughter, and from the tell of Carrick’s shaking shoulders, I definitely know it’s coming from him. Sienna seems oblivious to the fact. And I know it’s wrong, but I like that I can still make him smile even if it was through a dig at his girlfriend.
But then, I just feel mean. So, I say, “I’ll have to check your music out. I’m sure it’s great.” When I actually mean, I’d rather poke my eyes out with needles than listen to your music.
The compliment works, and her face relaxes. “You said you work for Carrick. What exactly is it that you do? Are you, like, his maid or something?”
Maid? Do we live in the nineteenth century?
Ben splutters out a laugh from beside me. I have to hold back a shock of laughter myself.
I expect Carrick to laugh, too, but surprisingly, he doesn’t.
“No, I bloody well am not his maid!” I exclaim, injecting humor into my voice.
Carrick turns his face in my direction, and he catches my eye. He’s looking at me liked he used to—like I’m his friend, like I matter—and it hurts like a mother because I know he no longer feels that way.
Ignoring the ache in my chest, I force my eyes back to Sienna. “I’m a mechanic,” I tell her.
“You’re a mechanic?” She screws her face up with what can only be described as total disgust.