Page 77 of Paradise & Vodka

"What if she feels the same way?"

I really needed to speed the conversation up before Angie thought I'd left. "I don't know."

"Fine. I'll text you Morgan's number, but I want you to seriously think about your time with Ashleigh, and if you think there’s a chance she doesn't feel the same way, then I'll drop it."

I took a deep breath. "Okay."

We hung up, and a moment later I had a text with Morgan's number. I immediately sent her a text:

Me:Free tonight?

As I walked back toward the lobby bar, Morgan text me back:Yes, what's up?

Me:I need you to close out my date.

Morgan:Me? Close out YOUR date?

Me:Yes. She wants some girl on girl action. You can have your cut.

Morgan:Okay. Where are you?

Me:The Cromwell. I'll text you the room number.

I liedto my family about Nick because I wasn't ready to tell them we'd broken up. Plus, it was too soon since we'd just gotten back from Fiji. It needed to be believable, so I told them that he had work stuff to do, and he was giving me time to spend with my family while they were in town, which was true in a sense. The entire time I spent with them, I tried to act as though nothing was wrong, that Nick and I were fine, and I wasn't broken-hearted, but I was. My bed, my heart, my life without Nick all felt empty, and it fucking sucked.

My family spent another night at Excalibur before they all went home. My parents went back to Alabama, and Everleigh went back to New York. She still hadn't heard anything about Douglas. Nick had texted me that Paul and Joss were trying to get in touch with the authorities in Fiji, but that was all I knew. I wasn't sure why it was taking so long, but since things had been damaged by the tsunami, maybe it was taking longer to find information to identify the bodies. Or maybe it wasn't the Alexanders at all.

We thought for sure it was Douglas and his parents. There was no other explanation as to why Everleigh couldn't get in touch with him, even if he had left herto die. We didn't know what that would mean for her allowance that was in the agreement, and I didn't know the extent of Dad's medical bills, but if Douglas was paying for them, we definitely needed the money.

With my family gone, I could finally tell Adriane about Nick, the kidnapping, and how I stupidly fell in love with a male escort.

Me:Drinks?

A few seconds later, my phone chimed.

Adriane:Yes! Where?

Me:My place?

Seeing as it was almost five on a Saturday, her next text didn't surprise me.

Adriane:On my way!

My doorbell rang twenty or so minutes later. When I opened the door, Adriane was standing there with a bottle of wine in one hand and a bottle of Tito's in the other.

"What kind of night is it?"

"Vodka. Definitely vodka." I giggled.

"Your family stressed you out that much?" She walked inside, and I closed the door. "I thought them being in town was a good sign."

I sighed. "There's so much I need to tell you."

"Okay, well, let's make some drinks. I brought my jammies too, just in case."

"Good, because this might take a lot of drinks."

Adriane followed me to the kitchen, and I grabbed glasses and ice to start making vodka cranberries for us. "Is it about your parents or the tsunami?"