Please, Miss (GirlxGirl) ✔️

45 | dinner party from hell

                 On Friday I practiced my ill voice and phoned in sick, spending the whole day laying on the couch in sweatpants watching movies. I still hadn't a clue how to deal with the Patrick situation, but I'd narrowed it down to about three options: first, I could completely forget the whole thing. I'd tell him I knew he was just lonely and that as long as it didn't happen again, we could continue being friends. (Admittedly, this wasn't my favourite option as I wanted nothing to do with him, but it seemed like the easiest.) Second, I could report him to work, explain what he'd done and hope that they sack him. (There were two problems with this, the first being that I didn't want to tell anybody anyway, and the second being that I couldn't be sure he'd lose his job over something like that, especially without proof.) And finally, I could leave, try and find another job somewhere nearby and hopefully never run into Patrick again. (Of course, this one wasn't great either. I loved my job, and I didn't want to leave after barely three weeks at the place.) And so, I was clean out of good ideas.

On Saturday morning I was no further forward, but decided to get up and shower, clean my apartment and head into town for a bottle of wine and a dessert of some sort to take to Alex's dinner tonight. I'd never been to this sort of thing before and had no clue if that was actually the norm, but couldn't think of anything better to bring.

At around five I began getting ready, putting on a slim-fitting black jumpsuit with lace shoulders and a pair of black heels. I let my hair fall in loose curls down my shoulders and pulled my bracelet onto my wrist, stroking the silver charms on it with a sigh. I looked good, maybe too much for a casual dinner party, but again, I didn't have much experience in this field that I could use in comparison. God, I was already dreading the night ahead.

With a sigh, I grabbed the bottle of Shiraz and the apple and blackberry pie from the kitchen and headed down to my car, already dreading the evening before it had even begun. I punched Alex's address into my GPS and followed the directions, pulling up outside a cosy yet modern looking house just fifteen minutes later. I gawped up at it with nerves in my stomach. "Let's just fucking get this over with," I muttered to myself, grabbing the drink and dessert and heading up to the white front door.

I knocked three times and waited patiently before Alex answered moments later. She looked incredible as always in a white figure-hugging dress that stopped just above the knee. I smiled the second our eyes met, my shoulders slightly relaxing in her company.

"Evie," she grinned, pulling me into a hug. I breathed in her sweet, soapy scent momentarily before pulling away and handing her the wine and pie.

"Sorry, I didn't have a clue what to bring to a dinner party so I figured this was something along the right lines? Adulting is complicated, you know. So many things you have to learn."

She laughed heartily, taking them from my hands and gesturing me to come in. I walked into a bright hallway with cream walls. "It's perfect, thank you. Come through, Ricky is just running some errands but he'll be here in a minute." She led me through to an open-plan kitchen-diner with sleek modern cabinets and a large circular oak table in the centre. It was beautiful and fancy and homely, and I knew it suited her well.

"This place is gorgeous," I breathed, leaning against the shiny counters as she poured us a glass of wine.

"Thanks," she chuckled. "It's Ricky's, but I decorated. It was much too boyish when I came so I thought I'd give it a bit of a glamorous touch."

I nodded. "It's amazing. So how have things been, you know, between you two?" I wasn't sure if she wanted me to ask, but I figured being nosy couldn't hurt.

Alex shrugged. "I think I was being stupid, honestly. He got back last night and told me he just had a really big job, and I believe him. I think we'll be fine. I trust him. But I'm so excited for you to meet him, Evie. I know you'll love him."