Allegiance - Chiah Wilder Page 0,40
quickly checked the time on her phone. Close to midnight.
Lena keyed up her contacts and pressed a button without thinking too hard about it.
Felicia picked up the video call on the second ring.
“Why do you look like you got run over by a bus?”
Never one to mince words, Lena laughed, allowing the pleasant feeling to sink deep into her toes for the first time all night. It was nice to feel something other than bone deep fear and brain crippling anger.
“I had another long night.”
Without pausing, Lena launched into the story, and her best friend let her talk and get it all out.
“Do you want me to come down? I can check for the earliest flight out.” Felisha twisted a lock of shocking pink hair around her finger as she took a sip from her Starbucks to-go cup. “I’ve got enough caffeine in this cup to keep me going on a plane ride around the world, so you just say the word, and I’ll be there.”
Lena chuckled. “No, stay there. It’s fine. It’s not necessary for you to push up your trip for me.” She met Fe’s kind eyes over the screen. “I just needed to talk to you, but there’s no need to come all the way here ahead of schedule. That’s crazy.”
“If you say so, but I can—”
“I say so.” A small smile played across her lips. “Now tell me what’s been going on with you. That’ll get my mind off this mess.”
“Oh, well. If that’s the case, I have something to tell you.” Felicia launched into a story about a speed dating event she had gone to that night, giving Lena something else to focus on other than her current nightmare of a life. “The majority of the men there seemed like they’d been handpicked from their mother’s basement or grandmother’s cozy knitting corner. Never again.”
A half hour later, Lena was roaring with laughter as Fe told her about a man who’d had so many pictures of his dog in his wallet, they cascaded to the floor and past the table. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he’d insisted on showing Felicia every single one.
“A pup with three surnames: his, his mother’s, and his grandmother’s. The dog is laden with more titles than a British Royal. Can you believe that?”
“I would believe it if the dog had his own personal doggie bed in every room of the house at this point. Nothing seems too far-fetched.”
Felicia laughed, covering her mouth and lying back on her sofa. “Nice pun.”
Lena joined in. “I didn’t mean it like that. So, the speed dating was a bust. It doesn’t sound like there were any winners.”
“Not even close. But it didn’t stop me from signing up for the next three events they’re having in the area.”
“Care to explain that? You were miserable!”
“The drinks are free all night, and the stories I get out of going are priceless. Even if I don’t get a date again anytime soon, I’ll have enough to keep a delightful conversation going for quite some time. Who knows? Maybe a real gem will be among the fakes.” Shrugging, Felicia took a long swig of her coffee. “Yuck, it’s cold. Are you getting tired? Your eyelids are looking a little droopy.”
“A bit,” Lena admitted as she tried to focus on the screen. “Everything that happened tonight is finally hitting me hard, I guess. All the adrenaline is wearing off.”
“Well, go home, and take care of yourself. We’ve been on the phone for over an hour, and you still have to get up tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn.”
Groaning, Lena rolled her eyes. “Must you remind me?”
“Someone has to keep you on track, especially now.”
That sobering thought twisted her stomach into knots.
“Yeah, you’re right. I should get to bed.”
“And sleep?”
Lena held up three fingers and giggled. “Scout’s honor.”
“If you can’t sleep, take an anxiety pill or something. The last thing you need is to run your body down. I’ll touch base with you tomorrow. Text me when you get inside your condo.”
“I will. Bye.”
“Sleep tight.”
Lena sighed. It seemed weird that Felicia hadn’t brought up Tank once during their conversation. Bringing him up had become Felicia’s new thing whenever they’d talk, yet she didn’t mention him at all.
Which left Lena thinking about it—and ultimately, him. Scrolling through her contacts, she found his name and stared at her phone, wanting to call him. Too many times she had reached for her phone to do so, but hadn’t. The thought that she might