Bradford.

13. Strip.

Chapter 13: Strip.

"No way." I say in disbelief, folding my arms as I stare at Amir.

"Yes way." He counters.

"So, you just left him there?" I ask him, chuckling.

"Hey, it's not my fault he couldn't hold his fluids." He says and I shake my head as I stare at him.

"You're a bad friend." I tell him.

"I am not." He denies.

"Yes, you are." I say, looking at him in his gray eyes.

"I'm not a bad friend. In fact, I'm going to show you how good of a friend I am." He says with a coy smile.

"And how do you intend to do that?" I ask him, my face inching closer to his.

"Sir, your meeting with Mr. Chestnut starts in twenty minutes." A short man in a suit and bow tie says as he arrives at our table.

"Valarie, I hate to cut this short, but duty calls." He tells me with sorry eyes.

"Oh, by all means go ahead." I tell him, taking the last sip of my milkshake.

"It was nice meeting you, Valarie." He says before he gets up from the chair and walks out the coffee shop.

I watch him through the window as he enters his black town car before it zooms off.

***

"Another party? Really Tobias." I say, folding my arms as I stare at him.

"It's not a party, it's a fashion show." He tells me.

"Are you walking the runway?" I ask him.

"No, but I designed four of the pieces that you'll be seeing tonight." He tells me with a smile on his face.

"That's great. I'm so happy for you, Tobe. Is Imogene coming?" I ask him.

"She's busy, but good thing I have you right." He tells me.

"Never the first choice, as always." I say, rolling my eyes as I stretch my legs on Tobias' bed.

"You need to get your ass out of that bed, we have an hour to get ready." He tells me, smacking my head with a pillow.

"Ouch, don't do that." I tell him as I grab a pillow and hit his back.

"PILLOW FIGHT!!!" I hear a voice say.

I look up and I see Riley standing at the door.

"Hey, you. I thought you were out with Nolan?" I ask her.

"Yeah, I was." She says with a sad look on her face.

"What happened?" I ask her, placing the pillow in my bed and walking towards her.

"We broke up." She tells me with tears in her eyes.

"Oh. Riley." I say, pulling her in for a hug.
"I am so sorry." I say into her hair as she sobs on my chest.

"What happened?" Tobias asks her, coming to where we're standing.

"He cheated on me." Riley says.

"What an asshole." I tell her as she pulls away from my embrace, wiping her wet eyes.

"But I can't even feel bad about it." She says, blowing her nose into a tissue.

"Why is that?" Tobias asks her.

"Because I cheated first." She says and I stare at her in shock.

"Oh." I say.

"I guess you get what you deserve." Tobias says, shrugging.