Obsessed

"Oh!" My hand jumps to cover my mouth as my laughing begins again.

"She's not interested in me, I'm afraid."

"We haven't discussed it that much."

"I thought she was." He continues," we had a few drinks one night and then when I visited her at her studio, she almost kissed me."

"Almost?" My curiosity is racing.

I don't know what happened." He shrugs his shoulders. "We were close, she seemed really into it, and then pulled back and said that she was in love with someone else."

"What? Who?" This is the first I've heard of Liz being in love with anyone.

"She didn't say."

"I'm baffled." I run every man Liz has dated the last few years through my mind. I can't imagine who Brighton is referring to.

"Back to the favor, Ivy."

"Yes." I look directly at him. "What is it?"

"Put in a good word for me with her," he says with a mischievous smirk. "You know, extol all my wonderful virtues."

I nod even though I'm caught at the point in the conversation when he told me Liz was in love. We've always shared everything and now a virtual stranger is telling me she's crazy about some invisible man.

"Of course." I smile back. "I'm supposed to be doing the same with you except in an artistic way."

"What do you mean?"

"The placement. Liz is very hopeful she'll get it."

"She will," he assures me. "I'd like to tell her myself in the next few days. Can you keep it a secret?"

"Absolutely," I say excitedly.

***

"Who is he?" I say the moment Liz opens the door of her apartment.

"What are you doing here so late?"

Judging by Liz's lack of makeup and her sweat pants it seems a call ahead might have been in order.

"You don't sleep anyways, remember?"

"It's midnight." Liz moves aside so I can step in. "What is it?"

"Who is he?" I repeat.

"Who?" Liz shrugs her shoulders before turning to walk into the kitchen to turn on the espresso machine.

"The man you're in love with."

Liz's face turns ashen. "Who told you?"

"Brighton," I say, reaching to grab a cookie off a plate sitting on the counter.

"What did he say?" her voice is trembling.