The Queens of San Diego (18+)

Chapter 8

JJ

When I stepped off the plane in London, I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me—not just from the flight, but from everything that had been happening. The Alejandro and Lukas mess had drained me. I needed to get away, clear my head, and who better to do that with than Kristen, my childhood best friend?

We'd grown up next door to each other, in houses where our all-American fathers and Filipina mothers had so much in common, they might as well have been sisters. People always thought Kristen and I were siblings—same dark hair, same mix of cultures, and the same deep bond. We'd been inseparable since elementary school, navigating life together like twins in spirit if not by blood. And now, after everything I'd been through, I knew she'd be the one to help me make sense of the chaos in my head.

The Uber ride to SoHo was a blur of wet streets and city lights, the familiar hum of London bringing a weird kind of comfort. I hadn't been back here in a while, not since Kristen had married Henry. I smiled thinking about him. Henry, with his cheeky marketing executive charm, had swooped into Kristen's life like a hurricane during one of her trips to London. I always joked that he should've been a stand-up comedian, not some suit in a boardroom, but it was his goofy sense of humor that won Kristen over. They were perfect together, and I couldn't wait to see them again.

When I stepped into the restaurant, Kristen was already waiting at a table by the window. She looked up, her eyes lighting up in that familiar way, and suddenly, all the tension I'd been carrying melted. Kristen and I didn't need small talk. We could just be.

"JJ!" she practically squealed, standing up to pull me into a hug. The second I felt her arms around me, I realized how much I needed this—needed her.

"Kristen, you look amazing," I said, stepping back to get a good look at her. "Marriage looks good on you."

"And you look like you haven't slept in a week," she teased, raising an eyebrow as she waved over the waiter. "We're fixing that tonight. Wine first, then you can tell me what's going on."

We ordered a bottle of fancy red wine that I wouldn't have picked on my own but trusted Kristen to choose. As the waiter poured the first glasses, Kristen leaned in, her face full of concern but still holding that playful energy she always had. "Alright, spill. What happened with Alejandro and Lukas? And don't leave out any details."

I took a deep breath, swirling the wine in my glass, already feeling a little lighter just being here with her. "It's... it's been a mess, honestly. Alejandro showed up out of nowhere, and then Lukas... well, things got intense. And now, I'm not sure where I stand with anyone."

Kristen's eyes softened, but she gave me that familiar look—like she already knew what I wasn't saying. "Well, I've got time. Let's get through this wine and sort it out." And just like that, we were back in sync, falling into the rhythm of our friendship like no time had passed.

Dinner with Kristen is always a mix of nostalgia and comfort, but tonight feels different—heavier. After everything that's happened, I realize I need her perspective more than ever. Between the soft lighting of the restaurant, the clinking of wine glasses, and the steady hum of conversation around us, it feels like the perfect setting to unload the mess that's been swirling in my head.

"So, you remember Alejandro?" I start, my voice more cautious than I intend. Kristen raises an eyebrow, taking a sip of her wine, waiting for me to continue. "He showed up at the rooftop bar out of nowhere."

Kristen's eyes widen. "Wait, what? Just like that?"

"Yeah," I say, swirling my glass absentmindedly. "He saw my Instagram story and decided to crash the night. Lukas was there too, and it just turned into... I don't know... chaos."