Victoria completed her hair and makeup and walked into her bedroom to change. Liz took that opportunity to do her own makeup before changing out of her shorts and tank top. While she was changing, Liz received a text message from Brady. Baby, you free tonight?

Liz couldn’t bail on Victoria another time. She had been home for a couple weeks now, and Liz felt like the worst friend in the world. She kept canceling on Victoria to hang out with Brady. She had so little time with him that when he wanted to see her she jumped at the opportunity. But she couldn’t do that tonight. If she did, she was pretty sure Victoria would skin her alive.

Going out with my roommate.

How late will you be out?

Liz smiled. If someone else had posed that question, Liz would have found it irritating, but it was Brady. He was different.

Probably very late. Victoria is kind of an animal.

You’ll be safe? Can I see you after?

Always safe. Don’t worry. Don’t you have to work in the morning?

You can’t expect me not to worry. I don’t make promises I can’t keep. I’ll take tomorrow morning off. Call me if you’re done before two a.m.

Liz felt giddy. Who was this person she had become?

Done. But I’ll be wasted, so you’ll have to come get me.

I’ll come get you. You’ll be safe with me.

Debatable.

Don’t make me come get you now.

Empty threat. I’m not alone.

Don’t test me.

Liz bit back her laughter. She liked teasing him like this. It felt comfortable. They had been together for nearly two months. She couldn’t believe it had been that long. They had held on to their secret and nothing had happened. She breathed easier each day that went by.

“Ready, bitch?” Victoria called. Liz opened the door to her room and saw Victoria standing in the hallway.

Liz rolled her eyes at Victoria’s appearance. “You look like a baby prostitute.”

“That quote is, ‘You smell like a baby prostitute.’”

“Boo, you whore!” Liz said with a giggle. She shook her head at her ridiculous best friend. “Seriously, you look like a hooker.”

Victoria shrugged. “And you look…like you.” Somehow she made that sound insulting.

Liz glanced down at her appearance. “I just don’t look like I’m going to be selling my body.”

“Exactly. Use what you got, girl. You’ll only have it for so long. I certainly want to enjoy it.”

Victoria was a curvy girl with a full hourglass figure that she loved to flaunt around in very little clothing. She had on a dark blue, skintight V-cut dress that showed off way more leg and breasts than Liz had ever shown in her entire life. She had on mile-high nude wedges and her signature red lipstick.

Liz felt dressed down next to her best friend. She had on a solid coral skirt with a tan ruffle halter-top and brown sandals. She had actually taken the time to blow her blond hair out into messy beach waves. She didn’t typically wear much makeup, but she had done herself up tonight. If she hadn’t put in some effort, she knew Victoria would have redone her face.

As much as she wanted to see Brady tonight, she knew it was going to be fun to hang out with Victoria. They had known each other a long time, and she always had a good time when they went out.

Victoria chose a bar on the west side of Franklin Street downtown that served beer in giant plastic cups. It was all right on the inside, but everyone went there for the huge patio with benches and live outdoor music. The place was as full all summer as if it were the only bar in town.

Liz didn’t recognize anyone, but Victoria waved at a few people. They made their way through to the bar, and Victoria ordered them both beers. Liz wasn’t a big fan of beer, but this was the kind of place for it. Victoria handed the fratty-looking bartender her credit card, and they walked back outside with their drinks.

It was a swelteringly hot mid-July evening, and the humidity in the air was thick enough that Liz felt more like she was drinking the air rather than breathing it. She was glad she hadn’t straightened her hair, because by the end of the night she would have had waves anyway. Some Jamaican-style band with steel drums was set up on the stage playing music. It reminded Liz of the tacky Hawaiian party she had gone to with Justin, and she sighed as they found a seat at one of the picnic tables.

After a few moments, Victoria spoke up again. “So, what’s been up with you?”

“What do you mean?” Liz asked, fidgeting.

“You’re different. You’re not around that much, and I know you’re not working all the time. You normally freak out about your work and obsess. There hasn’t been as much obsessing. So tell me, what’s up?” Victoria asked, tipping back the absurdly large cup.

“Same old, same old,” Liz told her.

Victoria narrowed her eyes. “Don’t bullshit me. I know something is going on.”

“What’s going on, Vic?” Liz asked, deflecting.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But something.”

Liz shrugged. She wanted to tell Victoria about Brady, but she couldn’t. They had gotten through two months without being caught. She wasn’t about to jeopardize that by telling anyone what was happening.

“Does this have to do with Hayden?” Victoria asked, taking a shot in the dark. “I mean, I know that you’ve liked him for a long time. You’re going to see him soon, right?”

“Yeah, next weekend I’m going up there. I’m kind of nervous about it. I mean, he was so strange around me before he left, but he still wants me to come visit. I can’t read him. I don’t think he has feelings for me, but then sometimes he says things and I think he does. I’m just not on the same page with him.”

“Well, then it’s good that you’re going up there. I can tell he likes you. I think you guys have just been apart all summer, and then when you’re together again it’ll all come back,” Victoria told her.

Liz’s stomach twisted at the thought. She didn’t want everything with Hayden to suddenly come back. She didn’t know what that would be like. With her feelings for Brady swirling around in her head, she couldn’t imagine going to see Hayden and dealing with that. Then why was she going to visit him? She didn’t have a good answer for that except that she had agreed to…and she still wanted to see him.

“Maybe,” Liz said, not wanting to concede.

“I think you should just fuck him and stop worrying about it,” Victoria said flippantly.

Liz shook her head. There was no way she was going there with this conversation. Not that she and Brady were open about their relationship, but she couldn’t sleep with someone else. “No way. He’s not that kind of guy, Victoria.”

“What kind of guy? Every guy wants that.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it! I mean, I’m not going to sleep with him to get it out of my system or whatever you said. Hayden didn’t make his move at the end of the semester when he could have. I doubt he’d do it now.”

“Then why don’t you make the move? I swear I’ve told you this before,” Victoria said.

“If he’s not interested, then I’m not going to put myself out there like that. Can we drop this?” Talking about Hayden was too confusing with Brady on her mind.

They were friends. Just friends. Hayden had made that perfectly clear last semester. They couldn’t do anything because of the paper, and it was even a stretch to say he wanted to do anything with her. All she got from him was mixed signals. She much preferred to have it all out on the table, like with Brady. Hayden was too confusing.

“Fine. We’ll drop it, but I still think you should consider walking around naked. You’ll find out real quick what he thinks of you,” Victoria said with a shrug.

“Thanks for those enlightening words,” Liz said with an eye roll. “Anyway, I have a big gala event this weekend that I have to go to.”