Ford Escort

23 - Heat

"Who even throws a party on a Sunday night?" I asked Ava as we settled in the back of our Uber.

"I don't know, rich people who have no responsibilities?" She shrugged, struggling to sit comfortably in her short, constricting bodycon dress.

"Simon's rich?" I'd definitely gotten that vibe from the crowd at the club, but it hadn't been confirmed until now.

"Well his family is." She corrected, "He's 24 year old musician, so obviously the money isn't coming from him, but he bought me and his friends like $300 worth of drinks the other night and he lives in the expensive neighborhood on the other side of town."

"He's not like, an entitled douchebag, is he?" I asked.

"Not that I could tell. He's a bit of a party boy, but he was also really respectful and smart." A small smile turned up the corners of her mouth.

"Is he good in bed?" I couldn't help it, I was curious.

"Yeah." She didn't seem to mind talking about it, "Very much a giver, if you know what I mean."

"I think I do, thanks." I scoffed, wanting nothing more than to tell her I was a bit more experienced now than I had been last time we'd spoken about our sexual experiences.

"I'm pretty sure Eli comes from money too." She added, pulling a compact from her purse and checking her lipstick, "But if he's working as a gardener, maybe I'm wrong. Or maybe he just wants to earn his own way."

"Why do you think he's rich?" I realized I actually knew very little about Eli other than his name and his job, "Did Simon say something about him?"

"No, we didn't do a whole lot of talking." She winked, "But he mentioned they grew up together right? I'm pretty sure Simon's family has been rich forever, so I just kind of assumed that all the guys lived in the same neighborhood."

"That makes sense." Eli didn't come off as rich to me. I thought back to the state of his motorcycle, it definitely wasn't shiny and new, and he was always dressed in an unbearably fitted t-shirt and some jeans. He seemed so carefree and casual, not at all the 'rich boy' aesthetic I'd expected from someone who grew up with money.

"I thought you didn't want to get to know him." Ava noted.

"I don't."

"Seems like you do." She raised an eyebrow, "But I promised not to be pushy, so I'll drop it."

"Thank you."

We had started down a familiar street, looking out the window it was clear we were headed to the same part of town where Mr. Ford lived. I felt suddenly anxious, as if being near his house meant I'd see him. I turned away from the window.

After a few more minutes of watching Ava prod at her already immaculate makeup, we slowed to a stop and the driver let us know we'd arrived. One glance out the window and I immediately regretted coming along.

We were in front of a large mansion, not quite as large as Mr. Fords, but definitely in the same neighborhood. The curb was packed with parked cars extending down the road as far as I could see, the distant hum of load music was faint but I could tell this was definitely not going to be a small gathering.

Ava had already exited the vehicle, before I could complain about the obvious misinformation she'd given me. I considered telling the driver to turn around and take me home, but instead climbed out onto the street, a deep frown on my face and joined her on the sidewalk.

"I didn't know." She told me, catching a glimpse of my sour expression, "He told me it was going to be a couple friends."

I couldn't tell if she was being honest or if she was just a better liar than I was.