The Hustler [Alex Gaskarth]

Chapter Seven: The Nightmare Before Christmas

Wed October 17, 2012

5:19 PM

1 new message!

Gaskarth: Nightmare Before Xmas. You, me, Barakat, and Ashlyn. Tonight @ 9:15. Pickup @ 8:30. NOT A DATE.

Lia: Can't. Driving home from meeting in NYC. Won't make it on time... 3.5 more hours w/ traffic.

Gaskath: Drive fast. Meet us @ Landmark Theater Harbor E. Don't be late!

I sighed, and told my car to exit the message. It had been four days since the fair debacle, and Alex had been texting me a lot. One thing was for sure, the kid was determined. Not that I minded. Besides graphic design, hanging out with Alex was the best job I'd ever had.

But a job, nonetheless. One day, Jack, Zack, and Rian would find a real girlfriend for him, and I would fade into obscurity again. I had to keep reminding myself of that. I was getting paid to do this. I was taking time off from clients that paid more per night than dating Alex did. Not that most of them could really compare. None of them cared about anything more than whether I was pretty enough to make everyone else jealous. At least Alex cared about what I thought about things. It was a welcome change, which definitely made up for the cash I was missing out on.

But it was still a weird thought to be friends with a guy who kept me on a retainer for his best friend.

After Alex's texts, I floored the accelerator, going almost twenty miles over the speed limit in some areas. There was a close call, when I thought I'd driven past a police officer on I-95, but there was no outburst of flashing lights or sirens, so I figured I was alright.

I arrived home at eight fifteen, giving me just enough time to shower off and change before heading back around to the other side of the harbor from the apartment, in order to get to the theater for ten past nine.

After buying my ticket, I wandered over to the concession stand, where I saw Jack and Alex posing with a teeny-bopper, while a gorgeous black woman took a picture with an iPhone. The teeny-bopper took the iPhone from the woman, examined the picture, squealed, hugged Jack and Alex, then ran away.

Jack, Alex, and their friend, who I assumed must be Ashlyn, watched the girl go. Jack's gaze locked on me when the girl ran past, and his face brightened into a doofy grin. "LIA! I'M OVER HERE!"

"You do realize I was ten feet away, and could've heard you if you'd said that at a normal volume?" I grinned, walking into his tight embrace.

"Yeah, but I felt like yelling."

"Such a child." Shaking my head, I drew away from Jack's embrace and smiled at their companion. "Hey! You must be Ashlyn, right?"

"Yup, that's me!" She smiled back. "You're Airlia."

"I guess I have to be. Nice to meet you."

"You too. Jack and Alex have told me a lot about you."

"Yeah, we have!" Alex butted in. "Like how rude you are because you don't hug me after I invited you."

He jutted out his lower lip into an incredibly funny-looking puppy pout and opened his arms wide. A small laugh escaped my mouth when I rushed into his grasp, squeezing him as tightly as I could. He choked out a small 'oof!', and tried to shake me off.

"Come on, 'Lia. Let go!" He giggled. "I've had enough hugs!"

"And you promise you'll never complain that I didn't hug you again?"