“So much negative emotion,” Liz tutted. “It’s not good for you, Martha.”
“What isn’t good for me is being lied to and manipulated. You know full well the last fucking thing I’d ever want to do is to go for drinks there.”
“Which is why I feel it’s time for like…a healing, you know?” She nodded all sage-like. “Just get all of the bad history out and deal with it. I think after tonight, you’re going to feel much better about things. Don’t you think so, Sam?”
He winced. “I’d prefer not to express an opinion on this particular occasion if you don’t mind.”
“Of course.”
At times such as this, it would have been nice to speak more than one language. Because swearing in English didn’t quite cover it. My sister-in-law deserved to have her ass handed to her in at least three or four different cultures.
The luxury SUV pulled up to the curb and he took in the passing flow of pedestrians and traffic. Night or day, the Pearl District was a popular destination with all its bars and shops.
“Here we are,” said Sam, calm and cool as can be. As per usual. “Let me get the doors.”
But I opened my own car door and Liz did likewise. “We’re fine, Sam. Relax.”
A line had embedded itself between his brows when we met him on the sidewalk. But he got to open the door to the building for us after inputting a security code. That seemed to make him happier.
“You look beautiful tonight,” he said in a low voice as I walked past. “That dress is…let’s just say that keeping my mind on work might be a little more difficult than usual.”
I smiled. “Thank you. You look rather handsome yourself.”
At the elevators, we stood in silence. It was a nice apartment building. Very expensive looking with an Art Deco front and white marble entry. Top of the line security system, no doubt. About what you’d expect, given David and Mal both resided there. In the lift, Sam slipped his hand into mine, giving my damp fingers a light squeeze. So I was nervous. Who wouldn’t be? I tried to smile, but it didn’t quite work. Given tonight would probably feature quite high on my top ten list of hellish situations to be thrown into, I appreciated him not telling me everything would be fine.
“Have you been to David and Ev’s place before?” asked Liz.
My face just fell. “You’re shitting me. We’re not even going to your sister’s?”
“Oh, stop worrying, would you?”
Sam’s forehead crinkled up with worry lines, his gaze moving between us.
“It’s fine,” I forced out between gritted teeth. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
His smile wasn’t particularly convincing either. “That’s my girl.”
The hallway ended with a door at either end. Something in my stomach curled in dread as the whole feeling of walking to my doom escalated. No. It would be fine. Show no fear and all that.
Ev answered the door with a big smile, blond hair bouncing along with her tits. Christ, the girl was bouncy. David really had gone from night to day with his choices in women when he replaced me with her. Not that we hadn’t been broken for years yaddah yaddah. But he had been my first boyfriend. My first everything. I felt entitled to an opinion.
“Liz, Sam, Martha,” she said, her smile only appearing slightly strained at the end. “Welcome, come on in. Lena and Anne are already here.”
Sam nodded. “Mrs. Ferris.”
The fl
oors were wooden and painted a shiny black, the walls a crisp white. It made for a cool contrast. Dark wood dining table with a huge white leather couch and olive throw cushions. Nice. On a low coffee table, imported beer and a couple of wine bottles sat in buckets of ice.
“Help yourself,” said Ev, plonking her ass down on the couch. “You’re not going to hide out in the kitchen for once, Sam? That’s very brave of you.”
“You’re not worried you’ll get estrogen poisoning, are you?” asked Jimmy’s wife, Lena. Dark hair, glasses, pretty. Though they were all pretty, to be fair. She had on a bright red T-shirt, ripped black jeans, and a pair of studded Louboutin booties I would kill to own.
“I’m willing to risk it if you don’t mind me hanging around.” Sam smiled, taking up sentry duty in the corner. Probably because he was worried about me opening my big mouth and saying the wrong thing. Or maybe he was just worried about me in general.
“Just don’t report back to the menfolk and we’ll be fine.”
Sam snorted. “No fear of that.”