“It’s that bad, huh?”
“Yeah. I’ve known Trevor forever and I’ve liked him for almost as long, but I guess he never saw me that way. It just hurts to think about it when I see how happy they are together.”
“Yeah, that’s gotta suck. So enough about Trevor tonight. I hope you’re hungry. Alberto’s doesn’t do anything small.”
“I’m starving actually,” she said with a smile. “I haven’t eaten since this morning.”
“Good. I mean, not good that you haven’t eaten, but good that you’re hungry. Have you been to Alberto’s before?” I asked her.
“No, but I’ve heard about it.”
“You’ll love it,” I said. “And by the way, Major and Kayleigh will be there. Kayleigh had a competition today and we usually go out to celebrate afterwards.”
“No problem. I like meeting new people.”
We beat Major and Kayleigh to the restaurant. We got a table and ordered drinks.
“Get whatever you want,” I told her. “Dinner is on me tonight.”
“You’re not paying for me. I told you this is not a date,” she said firmly.
I grinned at her. “I know it’s not a date. But I like to do nice things for my friends, so let me buy you dinner.”
“Don’t bother arguing with him, you won’t win.”
I looked up to see Major smiling at us. He and Kayleigh sat in the booth across from us.
“Tiffany, this is my best friend, Major and his girlfriend, Kayleigh,” I said. “And he’s right, no one ever wins an argument with me.”
“You sure are arrogant,” Tiffany said, but I could see a smile forming on her lips.
“And stubborn,” Kayleigh added. “Nice to meet you, Tiffany.”
The waiter brought our drinks and took Major and Kayleigh’s order. Both Kayleigh and Tiffany asked a lot of questions about the menu, since neither of them had been here before. I ordered a couple appetizers for the table since I was starving, and I wasn’t sure either of the girls would ever decide what they wanted.
When the fried ravioli and bruschetta arrived, the girls had finally picked something. We all dug into the appetizers. It didn’t take us long to devour them.
“Have you eaten today?” I asked Kayleigh.
“Not since the meet,” she said, and grabbed another piece of bruschetta.
“Meet?” Tiffany asked her.
“Kayleigh is on the swim team at Bay State,” I said. “They had a competition today.”
“Oh wow,” Tiffany said. “How did you do?”
“I only placed first in two events today,” Kayleigh told her.
“How many do you do?”
“Nine.”
“Holy shit,” Tiffany said. “Do you do anything but swim?”
Kayleigh laughed. “Yes. I have a full class schedule and I even have time to have fun.”
By the time dinner was over, Tiffany and Kayleigh had plans for a girl’s night. For some reason, I was glad they were getting along.
“I like her,” Major said, as we were leaving. “She’s not like the people we grew up with. She’s …”
“She’s like Kayleigh and Karma,” I said interrupting him.
“Yeah,” he said grinning. “And you’re sure you don’t want to date her?”
“I don’t date,” I said seriously. “Do you think I want to turn into a pussy like you?”
“Fuck you,” Major said, but was laughing. “One day you’re going to fall hard for someone and I’m just going to laugh.”
“Not going to happen,” I said, and I meant it.
Chapter 10
Karma
I’d spent the last few hours getting ready for my date with Anthony. I straightened my normally wavy hair and took extra care with my makeup. I looked through my closet and smiled when I saw the royal blue dress that I had for special occasions. I paired it with my favorite three-inch black stilettos and a simple silver necklace.
“Perfect,” I said to myself, when I looked in the mirror.
It was almost seven, so I went downstairs to meet Anthony. I got several appreciative looks from guys as I walked through the dorm lobby which put a little extra swagger in my walk. He was waiting outside when I reached the door.
“Wow,” he said, when he saw me. “You look stunning, Karma.”
“Thanks,” I said, doing a little twirl. “Will I pass your mother’s fancy party test?”
“It’s not a test, but you’ll fit right in. Shall we?” he said, and put his elbow out like a proper gentleman.
I grinned and looped my arm through his.
Dinner was at a trendy seafood restaurant and everything was delicious. By the time we were done, I was starting to get a little nervous about the party. My having a tendency to say whatever was on my mind probably wasn’t going to go over very well with the wealthy crowd, so I was going to have to watch what I said.
We left campus and he drove us to a place called Eastwoods. When we walked in, we were greeted by a man in a suit who showed us to a table in the middle of the restaurant. He held the chair out for me while Anthony took a seat across the table. After I was seated, I took a moment to look around. The lighting was dim and the whole palace had an intimate feel to it.
“Have you ever been here before?” Anthony asked.
“No. I think it’s a little out of my price range.”
“You’re in for a treat then. I think they have some of the best food around.”
Our waiter filled out water glasses, gave us menus and told us the specials.
I decided on the grilled chicken breast in a white wine sauce and Anthony ordered a steak.
While we waited, he asked me about the rest of the meet he didn’t see and wanted to know how the team was doing overall. I loved that he was interested in my passion. I told him about my family and what it was like growing up in Tulsa.
By the time the food came, I was practically drooling. I was starving and the whole restaurant smelled heavenly. The first bite of the chicken had me wanting more. The sauce was full of flavor but not overpowering, the chicken was super tender, and the rice pilaf added a nice texture.
“Did you just moan?” Anthony asked me.
“Um … maybe? It’s really good.”
He chuckled. “You may want to keep the moaning to a minimum at the party, or I can’t be held responsible for my actions.”
“That sounds like a challenge.”
He shook his head. “At least, I can say you’re not boring like the people I normally hang out with.”
“I’ve never been accused of being boring.” I winked at him.
When we were finished, he drove us to his place. An actual valet took his keys and moved his car to somewhere away from the main entrance to the house. A butler or something was waiting at the door and opened it for us.
Stepping into the foyer was like stepping into a different world. The large, open space was expertly decorated, and everything looked expensive. The floors were white marble and dark wood accents were used for the doors and staircase. In the center of the foyer was a table with a huge vase full of fresh flowers. I wondered if they were just for the party or every day.