My Life as Duke Starr's Assistant

My Life as Duke Starr's Assistant...[Part 3]

I figured out how to solve my problem that Friday night.

Well, really, that was a lie. I didn't really figure out how to solve my problem. Actually, I think I may have made it worse. Or better. Depending on how the situation could be taken.

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"You're seriously going to a club?" Denise asked me as I pulled on a tight black dress.

"I am upset. I need to drink away my feelings," I replied pointedly.

"Do you really think that that's going to solve your problems?" she asked me. I ruffled my hair up a little and applied some mascara and lipgloss.

"No, but it'll sure help put a pause on my guilty and depressed feelings," I answered.

"Val, don't you think it's time to grow up a little? You're 22 now. Stop acting like you're 21," she said.

"Wow, seriously? You sound like my father. Get off my back about this. I know what I'm doing," I said.

"You're going to get drunk at a club because you're upset that you blew your interview with what could have been an amazing job," she pointed out. I glared at her from the mirror.

"And then, after my hangover tomorrow, I'm going to sit down with my laptop and search for a job and not let my temper or pride get in the way," I added. She snorted.

"Like hell that's going to happen," she said. I rolled my eyes at her.

"Way to be supportive," I said. "And what are you going to do all night? Watch old re-runs of How I Met Your Mother?" I asked. Now she rolled her eyes at me.

"Please. Jared's back in town. I'm hanging out with him," she said casually. I turned so quickly I nearly threw off my internal balance and fell over.

"Jared?!" I hissed. She bit her lip. Jared was her ex-boyfriend. Or rather, he was the guy that should have been Denise's ex-boyfriend, but she kept going back to him after he repeatedly left her for other girls.

"Don't freak..." she mumbled.

"You have the balls to stand here and lecture me about growing up when you keep making the same elementary and stupid mistake over and over and over again?" I exclaimed.

"See, that's what I would define freaking as..." she began, but fell silent at my glare.

"He's going to hurt you again," I said bluntly.

"He won't. We're going to talk and I'm going to make it perfectly clear that if he wants me back, then he's going to have to show me he cares and that he's here to stay for good," she explained. I gave her a look.

"Yeah, yeah. You did the same thing last time didn't you? And you still found him in bed with another girl," I said. She winced and I knew she was recollecting that painful memory.

"He's going to hurt you again and I don't want to have to listen and watch you cry for another three weeks before he goes off and does it again," I told her. "I'm saying this for your own sake," I said. She bit her lip and then sighed.

"This will be the last chance. If he blows it again, then I definitely will not go back to him again," she said. I let out a frustrated sigh.

"You said that last time! And the time before! When do your final chances end?!" I exclaimed. "If a boy broke my heart once, he'd be done for. I would never take him back no matter what he did to try and earn my forgiveness," I said.