We have come so far in such a brief time. My parents visited a week ago and made me feel like I’ve finally found my place in life. Now I’ve regained their trust, love, and things are looking up. Leila hates that I have moved here permanently, but she is warming to it, and my frequent trips home mean she can forgive me for it. She refuses to come to the city to see me though. Apparently, leaving this life behind to marry Daniel means she has an aversion to ever leaving home.

“Oh, shit, Sophs, is that today? I can’t, it’s Mark’s birthday, and I promised him I would meet him at lunch.” Jenny’s big eyes and wobbling lip dismiss any urge to be mad at her. Her boyfriend works crazy shifts, and she barely sees him. I know they have been having a rough time together lately. Well, truth be told, she never seems happy when it comes to him. I can’t be mad for her wanting to see him on his birthday, over my nothing lunch.

“It’s okay, as long as Chris doesn’t bail too.” I lift my brow at him as he wiggles his very muscular pert butt our way, laughing at his weirdness.

“I wouldn’t bail on my queen.” Christian blows me a kiss, and I can’t help but think, not for the first time, how unfair it is that a guy as perfectly formed and handsome as him is gay. When he isn’t being overly camp and emphasizing it, then he pulls off a straight guy all day long, and he is always immaculately dressed. I sigh at the unfairness of life, having found a man I get on with almost as much as “him, whom I will no longer name,” only it’s typical that he is out of bounds.

“Well, I fancy somewhere more upmarket; on me.” I smile his way, and he shrugs in return. I want to throw on the dress I brought with me, flick out my hair now that I’m back to rocking blonde, and have a sophisticated lunch with my new favorite beau. So not in the mood for fast food or our usual deli today.

Second favorite beau, even if the first one no longer deserves the title.

“I think I know the perfect place. It only opened a month ago, and no reservation is required.” Christian beams at me with that dazzling, all too white, cosmetically enhanced grin, looking a little Calvin Klein model with the way he’s leaning in.

“Sure. I trust you as long as it’s not sushi! I do not like raw fish.” I frown and mock throw up with fingers down my throat in his general direction. Jenny giggles at me with an adoring expression that makes her seem cutely juvenile.

“Ewww, no… I prefer meat to fish! I can swallow that all day long, bitches.” Christian sasses with a dirty wink, and Jenny and I eye roll and grimace at his filthy joke. Sometimes Christian is shameless and likes to shock.

My kind of friend.

***

I’m trawling my phone messages after we finish eating, my sister reminding me of her anniversary party this coming month. Leila has been married only three years, but this is an annual event that no one misses if they want to remain physically unharmed. Sort of the highlight of everyone’s year and a chance to glam up and get the party groove on. I reply, informing her I’ll be coming with two guests, Jenny and Christian, as they have promised to be my strength at a party I know he will be at. Even the Carreros never miss Leila’s parties, what with the two families being almost family in themselves, and the last thing I need is to rock up alone and come face to face with the dream couple acting like they never knew me at all.

Yeah, that won’t be awkward at all. Or painful in the slightest!

“You done, kitten?” Christian’s smiling my way, throwing down his napkin after settling the bill, despite all my pre-warning that this was on me. He’s a sneaky boy, always diving in with that damn chivalry that I used to love so much about someone else. It irks me right now.

“Hey, I said I was paying!” I protest as I spy the receipt on the plate, but he only grins back devilishly. Christian’s family is much like mine in that I never want for anything. Well off and generous to a fault; we both come from wealthy homes and have more than comfortable allowances to live on.

“I pay for my girls.” He smiles again, but I only eye roll, as Christian constantly implies that Jenny and I are his “women.” However, we all know he has been secretly dating a senior fashion student a couple of years above us, who has not yet come out of the closet. James is his blue-eyed boy with a severe fear of being “outed.”

Christian holds his hand out to me as he slides from the table, impeccably dressed in jeans and a button-down that only emphasizes his toned body. He’s not overly tall for a guy, around five feet ten, but he’s perfectly proportioned and muscular. I take it graciously and let him pull me to his side, keeping our fingers entwined. Christian is a very affectionate soul. He loves nothing more than manhandling Jenny and me constantly and likes to walk everywhere arm in arm, or hand in hand, usually with one of us on each side. He reminds me of Arrick that way, and I’m forever trying to stop making that connection.

“Is my princess ready to go?” He glances down at my chair, checking I have everything as I nod with a huge smile. Christian always makes me feel like smiling. He’s one of those friends who put sunshine in your day just by being there. Always a gentleman and a lot of lovely. When he’s not being an overly dramatic nightmare of a queen, of course.

“I am.” I giggle at him as he tugs me against him to settle my arm in his like an old biddy and links fingers loosely, ready to walk out of the restaurant. He moves the chair aside and guides me towards the door, away from our table and onto the wide walkway that clears up the center.

“Sophie?” A male voice halts me from behind, my body bristling at the familiarity of it. The undeniable tone and hoarse sexiness send my stomach into an instant nosedive, and my nerves immediately tingle. I can barely conceal my reaction, tensing on Christian’s arm as I wince in something similar to pain. I turn towards the source impulsively, my heart thudding heavily, even though every part of me tells me to walk away.

My heart is pounding like it’s gone into shock as I turn slowly, tense and scared at what I know will hurt worse to see. Months of nothing at all, and the one day he’s been plaguing my head mercilessly, more than any other day, he physically appears.