"I'm not dating anyone, Alan." I rolled my eyes into the phone, on the line with Alan Ashby while I was at my favourite record store a few days after the party.
"Let's go out sometime." He said.
"As if! I'm not into younger men."
"Same." A voice agreed with me.I spun around; it was Vic.
"Jesus!" I cried. "You scared me!"
"What?" Alan asked.
"Later, Alan." I hung up, then smiled at Vic. "Hey."
"I'm not stalking you, I promise." He reassured me.
"I couldn't be mad if you were, now could I?" I laughed. "Where are your dudes?"
"Around somewhere." He rolled his eyes. "They tend to wander."
"Boys." I agreed.
"Yo Vic, I- oh, hi Charley." Mike grinned.
"Hi, Mike." I smiled.
"You should come out with us tonight!" He said.
"Yeah? Where are you dashing gentlemen going?" I asked.
"A bar. You, me, Mike, and Tony. Jaime isn't coming because single people only. Oh my god, you don't have a boyfriend, do you?" Vic asked.
"I actually have a girlfriend." I said coolly.
"She's joking." Mike laughed
"Hey! Getting better!" I grinned. "No, I do not have a boyfriend. I'm down. Here, I'll give you my address and you guys come pick me up, yeah?"
"Sure." They both grinned at me. "Can't wait."
**
"Hi, boys. Do me a favour and grab my gator shoes while I put these earrings in, won't you?" I grinned, opening to door to Mike and Tony.
I was channeling my inner Audrey Hepburn tonight with a little black dress and chandelier earrings. Mike handed me my shoes and I slipped on the heels and smiled.
"Do I clean up well?" I asked. Mike nodded profusely. "Alright, let's not keep your darling brother waiting. Let's go."
"Hey! Wow. You look good." Vic blinked as I slid into the seat beside him.
"Supermodel, remember?" I grinned. "So do you, babe. I seriously need a night out. I'm so stressed. My manager booked me, like, twelve shoots last week. It was the worst."
"Is it that hard though? Don't you just stand there and look pretty? Shouldn't be hard. Not for you, at least." Mike said.
"Playing the drums isn't that hard, is it? You just hit some sticks around, right?" I asked.
He nodded. "Point taken."
We got to the bar of the guys' choice before long. They were cool, and an evening not spent posing in strange positions was exactly what I needed.
"Is it midnight yet?" I asked Mike, grabbing his arm and checking his watch."Fifty. Cool."
"Fifty what?" Vic asked.
"I'm fifty days clean, boys. See, I used to have problems, um, eating? And cutting? And for a really long time I didn't think I had a problem?" I felt my cheeks flush as I explained. "Fifty days. Wow."
"You don't seem like the type." Tony said.
"Does anyone?" I asked. "Fifty days."
"Congrats, babe." Mike grinned.
"How long?" Vic asked.
"Maybe. . . eight years? I was really skinny. Like, too skinny. They put me in a hospital." I cringed. "I don't like hospitals. Doctors make me nervous."
"You're so casual." Mike said.
"I don't really mind talking about it. I'm not really ashamed either." I shrugged, leaning my head on the bar. "I like you guys. You're cool."
"Are you drunk?" Tony asked warily.
"Not in the slightest." I laughed. "I have a really high alcohol tolerance, actually. And I don't do cocaine. Doesn't everyone think models snort cocaine? I don't. Well, only once. That shit fucks you up. Incidentally, it was at a party and people were taking it off of some girl's nipples and it seemed fun, but I was out of it for like a week."
"Do you always tell such interesting stories when you drink?" Vic laughed.
"Oh, I'm always interesting. The guy from the Dos Equis commercials? The most interesting man in the world? Yeah, he's my dad." I laughed.
"We should get you home." Vic said. "Come on."
**
"I'll walk you upstairs." Mike smiled at me once we got back to my high-rise building.
"Sure, sure." I nodded, sleepy.
"You really are pretty. Really pretty." He said once we got to my door.
I grinned. "How drunk are you?"
"Not even drunk, babe. Are you?" He asked.
"I already said I wasn't, but your friends seem to think otherwise." I rolled my eyes. Before I had any idea what was happening, Mike leaned forward and crashed his lips to mine. I didn't protest; not because I often kissed guys I didn't know very well, because I didn't, but because he was an amazing kisser.
"I wanted to do that since the first time I saw you at that party. You, baby girl, are fine." He smirked.
"Are you going to remember this in the morning?" I grinned, taking a step inside.
"Most definitely."
I laughed. "Goodnight, Mike."