JENNIE
"Rosie, are you alive?" I whisper through the crack in her door.
"No. Fuck off."
I grin, unable to contain myself.
She's completely fine.
I pad over quietly to her fully-clothed body starfished across her bedspread. Her face is squashed against the pillow, makeup still unremoved. I leave a glass of water and two aspirin on her bedside table and then close the door as I leave.
After shoveling some protein bars and a hair tie or two into my handbag, I snatch the plastic bag with Lisa's newly washed sweater slash bib from the kitchen counter and head to the front door, only to have Jessie from apartment number twelve greet me on the other side. She's all big blue contacts and shiny black suit.
I smile. "Hey, Jessie."
"Jen! Perfect timing. Walk with me." She glances left and right.
"Damn it. Mr. Marxson stole my paper again."
"Why don't you report him?"
"He's ninety-six. Seems a bit cruel to hand a senior citizen over to the authorities. What if he gets incarcerated?"
We shuffle down the stairs. "Where's the evil one today?"
"She'll be working from home."
Jessie clicks her tongue. "I see. Another rowdy night in the Park and Kim household."
"Just your average Thursday night, really."
Jessie is a long-legged redhead beauty with a wide mouth and an oversized laugh to match. She's also a successful real estate agent with a gift of the gab and an uncanny ability to rock killer stilettos day or night.
We've lived in the same building for three years. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, she chose to knock on our door after locking herself out. She dazzled us with her charm, and we dazzled her with, I'm not sure. Our liquor collection?
Regardless, we bonded, and from that moment on, we never let her leave our tight circle of friends.
Personally, I feel blessed that two of my besties live within ten steps of one another. I don't even need to commute to catch up.
We push through the heavy glass door, and I wince into the garish glow. A beacon of searing light blinding me before my pupils adjust.
"Oh, shit!"
"What's wrong?"
"My head feels like a block of concrete. I can't believe the sun has the gall to come out this early." We step out onto the sidewalk.
"On the plus side, I finally ended things with Amanda."
"Oh, thank fuck!"
My head snaps around as fast as it can with a hangover.
"Sorry. But wow, you can do so much better!"
"So, everyone keeps saying." We stride up to a busy four-way intersection and cross.
"Well, that means you can come to my soiree tonight after work. I'm heading straight there after my showing of that spectacular seaside estate in La Jolla. It's two streets down from Walker Avenue at that little boutique gallery, U-ho. Max has set me up on a blind date with Bec from the Property Management team -"
I stop still on the street. "Oh. I'm busy."
"No. You're not. Park sent me your schedule last week. There is far too much 'rest' blocked out in there and not enough play."
