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It wasn’t that I didn’t want to pay my credit card bill, I just had other priorities for the time being. At least I knew I’d be able to get to it a little earlier than planned if I kept getting tip outs like the night before. Which was seriously a relief, the dire state of my dwindling credit score was making me seriously reconsider if homeownership was ever going to be in the cards.

The dread rolling in my stomach disappeared instantly as Kaylee’s contact flashed on the screen, and I connected the call with a sigh of relief.

Note to self: I really need to pay that bill.

“Hey K, I’m?—“

“Please tell me you’re not wearing Docs right now, Vi.”

“Scout’s honour,” I said with a laugh, rolling my eyes. “Dressed to your specifications—teeny tiny black dress and heels I can bear to run around in. Don’t you trust me?”

She giggled on the other side of the phone, the sound like popping champagne bubbles. There was no mistaking why Kaylee was so popular at the club—she was downright charming when she wasn’t drinking orange juice from the carton or leaving bras all over the apartment. “When it comes to fashion? Absolutely not. Are you almost here?”

“Yes,Mom,” I groaned, though it was a fair comment. I did prefer to dress more like a middle school boy than a twenty-something-year-old woman… One who panic-cut bangs into her hair with a pair of kitchen scissors last night in anI can’t believe I’m a bartender againfreakout. “Just stopping for coffees.”

“God, yes!” she moaned, the phone rustling. “My fitting with Juniper wassoearly that I'm clinging to life here! It’s a Van?—“

“Vanilla latte, extra foam, and add one pump of raspberry,” I parroted, grinning at the irritated huff that met my ear.

“Okay,okay,miss know-it-all…I’ll see you in a few?”

“Were you worried I wasn’t going to show?” I asked shrewdly.

“Maybe,” she conceded, theadrawn out innocently.

As if! I don’t think I’d ever let Kaylee down in my life. I’d even tried to join a sorority for her back in college. Those were dark times.

Kappas mean business.

“Unfortunately for us, I’m too broke to say no at this point… So, I’ll see you soon,” I assured her, hanging up and tugging off my headphones, taking the hood of my jacket with them as I stepped into The Drip.

I waved in greeting to Todd, heading straight for him at the counter, my jacket already a little damp from the rain outside in the few steps I took from our lobby to the cafe one door over.

It was just too bad that his less-than-cheery coworker, Dishwater Blonde, was lingering nearby. I wasreallyhoping to gossip with him about my night working with Ren after hishelpful tip, but with Sarah giving me the stink eye… it was a little awkward.

Not that it mattered what she thought about yesterday, now that my wallet was thick with bills courtesy of O’s extremely immoral—I mean,immortal—patrons. I was clear to not only pay for my own coffee but tip stupidly well, too.

“Had a feeling I’d be seeing you again,” Todd said with a wink. “Cute haircut. Your usual?”

I nodded, glancing over the pastry case as I thumbed through the contents of my wallet, looking for a twenty. “And a blueberry muffin… Oh, and a vanilla latte, extra foam, with a pump of raspberry.”

“I know I’m not supposed to say this, but I always thought that sounded gross.” Todd laughed. “Only know one girl who’s ever ordered it.”

“Blonde, gorgeous?”

“That’s the one.”

“My roommate.”

“Thought you were going to saygirlfriend.” He chuckled as he turned the payment terminal to me, moving to start my drinks. “Suppose I should be happy for Ren that’s not the case.”

The doorbell chimed behind me as I pressed the cancellation button, sliding a crisp bill onto the counter with a lick of excitement snaking up my spine.

Ren.

Hello? Hollywood? My life is officially a movie! What are the chances that she’d come in right this?—?

I turned, a hopeful, buzzy thrill flickering through me as my eyes swung to the door, my hand moving on its own accord to flatten my bangs nervously—only for all that giddy high-school excitement to be replaced by crushing disappointment.