One Wish

CHAPTERSEVEN

Iawake to the sound of a ringing phone, but my eyes are sealed shut from sleeping so deeply. I manage to peel one open and I’m immediately blinded by not only light, but the brightness of the room.

“I’m beginning to hate the color white,” I murmur to myself, still groggy from sleep. I glance up, noticing I’m still in the dress I wore last night. I groan before realizing that damn phone is still ringing. One eye still open, I glance around the room looking for the offending object. It’s one of those fancy 1920s phones in gold and that color I’m beginning to hate.

“Of course it’s white,” I groan, rolling my eyes before answering the phone.

“Kendra, where the hell have you been, bitch? I’ve been calling you and calling you, but your phone keeps going to voicemail.”

My eyes widen. I’m confused. Who is this, and where am I? I look up and straight away an image of me is reflected back in a mirror opposite the bed. My hair is all tousled and sticking up, dribble in the corner of my mouth. I look like the main singer from A Flock Of Seagulls. The blue of my eyeshadow is smeared across my forehead and my red lipstick smudged across the right side of my face. I glance down at my arm, and sure enough, I’ve wiped my mouth during the night, the telltale sign evidenced on my skin.

“Kendra!” the woman shouts, making me jump.

“I’m sorry, who is this?”

“Oh God, how much did you snort last night, girl? It’s Alyson.”

Still means absolutely nothing to me.

“Kendra, seriously… are you okay?”

The concern in this woman’s voice is immediately comforting. I exhale, closing my eyes and rubbing the bridge of my nose.

“I’m sorry I’m being vague. I’m not myself right now.”

That’s about as much truth as I can give this girl. I’m assuming she’s a… friend?

“Do you need to see Dr. Fenchurch?”

I want to ask her who that is, but it’s just going to make me seem crazier than I already am right now.

“No, it’s okay. I’m fine, really.”

“Are we still meeting for lunch at two today? When you weren’t answering your phone, I wasn’t sure whether our regular lunch was still on.”

I glance at my watch, noticing it’s almost eleven already. My eyes widen. I never normally sleep in ’til this time.

How on earth do I know that?

I have no idea who this woman is, but she seems nice enough. Maybe if I meet her, I will get some answers about who I am.

“Yes, it’s still on. Where am I supposed to meet you?”

She snorts down the phone, the loudness of it piercing through my ear. “Wow, you really did go on a bender last night, didn’t you? I hear Eli’s grand opening was a success. Oh, and girl, what were you thinking rubbing up with Jason Stamford, of all people?”

“Wait… what?”

“It’s all over TMZ this morning. Everyone who’s anyone knows the feud you’ve had with that man and Eli, and then there’s a photo of you both together having a drink at the bar and him looking like he’s about to delve into your panties.”

I groan. I don’t even know who this is, or what I’ve done.

“Oh God, really?”

“Take a look on TMZ if you don’t believe me. Oh, and another thing. Natalie is on the warpath with you, so watch out. Like me, she’s been trying to get ahold of you to go over some of your appointments over the coming days. She’s annoyed as hell.”

Remembering I have my phone in my purse, I shoot up from my bed. “Hold on, I’m just getting my…” I’m about to say “phone,” but as I’m walking towards my purse, I forget I’m on a landline, and when I get to the end of the wire it yanks me back so forcefully that my front legs shoot up, flying me through the air before I land on my ass with a thump.

“Oww,” I say, the wind knocked out of me. I have a feeling today’s not going to be any better than yesterday.