She learned of the engagement at exactly 4:57 on a Thursday afternoon. She was putting on her dress for the evening. It was black, and formfitting. She had taken a while to decide on that dress. She still had a few others laid out across her bed, just incase she changed her mind. As she slipped on her classic six-inch-heels, she felt her phone buzz. Cheryl was calling her. Which was odd. They hadn't spoken in months. They were still friends, just friends at competing networks. She was going to see her tonight at the party for the first time this year.
She picked up her phone. "Hey babe."
"How are you holding up?" Her voice sounded rushed, concerned. What was there to be concerned about?
"What? I just have to finish my makeup and then I'll be ready to go." Karina answered, standing to walk over to the mirror.
"You don't know."
"Don't know what?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
There was a pause. A nervous tension began to form in Karina's stomach.
"What don't I know?"
"Check Instagram."
"No, what don't I know?" Her hand was grasping the phone a little too hard. Was someone hurt? Had someone died? Then she found a more horrifying answer in her mind, which Cheryl spoke aloud.
"They're engaged."
That was all that had to be said. Those two words and the world was different.
For a second Karina stood frozen. She stopped breathing. Her phone fell out of her hands. She didn't hear it hit the floor. She didn't hear much of anything. She felt lightheaded.
And then she felt sick. Terribly sick. She raced to bathroom.
When she returned minutes later, Cheryl was still on the line.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm good. Sorry, I ate something weird for lunch." She hadn't eaten lunch.
"Sure you feel well enough to come?"
Of course she did. Canceling at the last moment would make her seem affected by this news. She would not let others see how affected she was.
"They're coming tonight, right?" She was looking at herself in the mirror again, and not liking what she was seeing.
"Right. I'm sure we'll all get to see the new ring."
"Ha, yeah." She moved to the side to look over her body. Was she getting thinner or fatter? Either way she hated it. She hated herself.
"You sure you're good?"
"Yup. Just got to finish getting ready. See you there!"
"See you!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
She arrived very late. She had changed her dress multiple times, redone her makeup, and put on different shoes. She'd also felt dizzy, from a mixture of hunger and nerves. But she was determined to go. She had to go. She had to see this through.
When she got there, the party was already in full swing. She found Cheryl in a corner and started talking with her. She smiled at all of Cheryl's dry jokes and pretended not to see the concern on her friend's face. Derek joined them after a while. And then some more of the other pros. Karina zoned out for the majority of their conversation.
One drink usually got her all happy and excited, so she had many. Every drink offered to her she drank. Even some that weren't offered. She lost count after a while, but at that point, she'd lost count of a lot of things. The alcohol was the least of her worries.
