ANYTHING BUT ENEMIES

16. the jewelry dealer (part i)

"OKAY, I'LL BE HONEST, Marty, this is the best burger I've ever tasted," Ruby says after swallowing a huge mouthful. "Good choice."

"See? And you haters doubted me."

"We're entirely in the right to doubt you. You can't be trusted."

"Shut the hell up, Reece."

We all make disgusted faces as he burps loudly before hunching back over into private investigator stance. "I'll call my lawyer."

"What lawyer?"

He shoots Julia a look. "My totally real, not made-up lawyer."

Anaya snickers, and I sigh before popping a fry into my mouth.

"Let's talk about something real, huh?" Julia leans forward after flicking Reece's arm. "What's the deal with you and Dane?

I keep chewing, oblivious to her question until I realize no one's answering. Then I point at myself with raised brows.

"Yeah, you. Who else?"

"Nothing's the deal. Why—"

"Y'all are mad rude to each other," Anaya chimes in, holding up her hands when she sees the look I'm giving her. "Respectfully."

"Backstory?" Marty prompts, and the entire table seems to lean forward with Julia.

"No, no backstory." I wave my hand.

"She's making a face, there is one!" Anaya accuses, poking my cheek.

Before I know it, they're banging on the table, grins all around. Then Anaya's sliding her cocktail over to me—a bribe. And for some reason, I'm accepting it and forcing her to order me another.

"Okay, fine. If you guys really want to know."

"We do," Julia's quick to answer.

So I start from the beginning at Roselyn's, the airport, everything I told Ruby up to current date, the fact that we're now competing against each other—with some of the pettier details left out, of course. By the end of it all, they're buzzing with a concerning amount of excitement, the traitors.

"No way, what are the chances though?" Anaya squeals. "The same guy from your job?"

"Once in a lifetime."

"Enemies to lovers arc?"

"Gag me."

"It's always the pretty ones."

"Ew, him?"

"Why didn't we know this before? I would've sided with you during the Shakespeare debate."

"Shut up, Marty."

I bite the body off the strawberry on the rim of my cocktail, not missing the amused look Anaya tosses me. "What?" I ask mid-bite.

"Having someone of age in the group pays off, huh?"

Rolling my eyes, I tilt the stem toward her. "Pipe down or they'll hear you and take it away. And anyway, twenty-one is simply an American societal construct."

She snorts before taking a bite of salad.

After my third drink, I'm starting to feel a little out of it, words coming out of my mouth a lot louder and more excited than I intend, and eventually I excuse myself from the table, saying I'm headed to the bathroom.

And while I fully do intend on going to the bathroom, I somehow end up outside of the restaurant instead, roaming down the street at a leisurely pace across pavement, peering into shops and stopping sometimes to outright stare at people across the street.