The Vargas Cartel Trilogy (Vargas Cartel #1-3)(7)
“For twenty minutes at sunrise. That hardly counts. Try again.”
“My stomach hurts?” I said it as a question. Both of us knew there wasn’t a thing wrong with me except a wounded ego. I didn’t want Evan back, but it sickened me that I wasted so much time with him. I completely misread him until he shoved his true self in my face in the form of a buxom blonde. Even worse, my mom refused to let the idea of a happily ever after for Evan and me die.
She rolled her eyes. “You’re going out with me tonight. I won’t take no for an answer. We’re on a mission.”
“Oh really?” I dropped the magazine in my lap and folded my arms across my chest. “Please share.”
Vera chewed on her lower lip for a second before answering. “We’re going to find the hottest guy in the bar and you’re going to bring him back here and f*ck Evan out of your life for good.”
My eyebrows scaled my forehead, disappearing under my blunt cut bangs. “Sorry…that’s not going to happen. I’m not going to stop being me because Evan is a complete and total manwhore.” Evan was my first and only boyfriend. Except for a kiss, I’d given him my first everything. I wasn’t a paragon of virtue who had saved myself for the right guy. On the contrary, I was the quintessential late bloomer. At five feet ten, I towered over most guys in high school, and I didn’t have a curve or anything resembling a chest until I turned eighteen.
My lack of feminine attributes weren’t relevant, because my mom had forbidden me from dating until my senior year. By then I had focused all my attention on doing the right activities to secure admission to the right college to get as far away from my mom as possible. I dated in college a little, but nothing serious until I met Evan at the end of my sophomore year. We were political science majors, and we had friends in common. From the minute we met, we were inseparable, and then we went to the same graduate school.
“We’ll see.” Vera moved to the edge of the bed. She lifted the dress I had crumbled into a ball and held it out in front of her. “This will look sexy on you.”
“It won’t fit me. I’m five inches taller than you, and you have considerably more going on in the chest than me.” Vera’s body resembled a 1950’s pinup girl. Sexiness oozed from her pores like perfume, and today wasn’t any exception. She looked amazing in her short emerald green halter dress.
I realized a long time ago I couldn’t pull off the sexy thing, so I went for sophistication. I had dark brown hair, cut in a blunt bob with long bangs, brown eyes on a bad day, and hazel on a good day.
“Your legs will look amazing in this. You spend all your free time running and swimming. You should show off your hard work.”
“Oh please,” I said rolling my eyes. “I’ll look like the lanky girl who forgot to change out of her pajamas.”
“Put it on. You’ll see. ”
I groaned and held out my hand. “Fine. Give it to me. I don’t care if my ass hangs out the bottom of the dress. Nobody will look at me anyway, especially when you’re standing next to me.”
“That’s not true. I’d kill to have your long legs, and it’s not always a good thing to have huge breasts. Do you realize how many guys start a conversation with my chest instead of me?”
“Whatever. At least guys talk to you.”
“Don’t be such a buzz kill. You’ve been wrapped up in Evan for too long. Guys would talk to you if you showed any interest.”
I lifted the dress up in front of me, eyeing it skeptically. “And this dress is your idea of me showing interest.”
“It’s a start.” She turned and walked toward the bathroom. “You have thirty minutes to get ready.”
“I don’t need half that long.” I planned to slip the dress on, put on some clear lip gloss and a pair of sandals. I needed all of ten minutes to complete the look.
“Yes, you do, because I’m helping you get dressed. You know what that means?” Vera announced as she glanced over her shoulder, a sly smile on her berry colored lips.
“No, but I’m sure you’ll share,” I said flatly.
“We’re going big, which means shaving, exfoliating, and full war paint.”
“Fan-f*cking-tastic, so guys will be soliciting me for a blowjob in the alley.”
Vera furrowed her eyebrows. “Don’t insult me. You’ll look perfect. Beautiful.”
I smiled faintly. “I know. I’m just giving you a hard time for making me go.”
“You won’t regret it. I promise. This is going to be one of the most memorable nights of our lives.”
Chapter Five
An hour later, we walked into a bar filled with more people than was safe or sanitary. Music vibrated from the speakers set in the thatched roof, causing it to shake. Red, blue, and purple lights flashed in time with the music. A woman in a black halter-top and black booty shorts carried a tray of tequila shots.
It was so far out of my realm of experience, I took a step backward from culture shock. Boring political fundraisers and quiet dinners with Evan were more my speed, or at least since I met Evan. Sure, I went to bars too, but this bar was crazier than the places I frequented at home.
“Go with it,” Vera said.
“Do you see anyone?” The rest of our friends left the hotel a half hour earlier. Vera fussed over my hair, makeup, and shoe selection for nearly an hour, but when she finished my mouth fell open. I never wore much makeup, but Vera did this smoky-eyed, red lipstick thing, and I went from dully sophisticated to mysteriously sexy.