to go well today; he needs to leave here happy and wanting to see her again. She rifles through her small makeup bag, then strokes on a little mascara. A touch of blush. A bit of gloss. Then she slips on a black thong, clean leggings, and a loose top that falls off her shoulder. No bra. She doesn’t need one.
She likes what she sees when she’s finished: she looks like herself, but polished. She snaps several selfies in the mirror. She chooses the best one and posts it to Instagram with the hashtags #pinkhairdontcare and #hotellife. Out of the fifty thousand people who follow her on social media, there are only a half dozen she’d consider actual friends, who would know that she doesn’t stay in hotels all that much.
But it’s not about what’s real. It’s about what it looks like.
She refreshes the app, watching the likes roll in. Anything less than a thousand means her picture’s boring, or she didn’t hashtag correctly. She used a filter that made her hair seem pinker than it currently is, and it’s generating positive feedback, based on all the double taps.
Derek doesn’t like her pink hair. She changes her hair color often, and she was blond when they met. When she first went pink, he laughed. It was like he thought she was playing a prank on him, only doing it to get a reaction. How dismayed he was to find out it didn’t wash out overnight and that she, in fact, had every intention of maintaining it, because she’s an artist and it’s her fucking hair and she thinks it looks awesome.
Derek assumes a lot of things are about him. It’s a rich-guy thing—the more money they have, the more personally they take things, and the less they’re used to being told no. When she agreed to work five nights in a row last month, he thought it was because they had argued and she was mad at him and needed an excuse not to see him. That shit just plain insults her. She worked the extra hours because rent was due that week, and so was next semester’s tuition. Sorry/not sorry that her stupid coffee shop job ruined his plans.
Kenzie’s phone chimes and she winces. She has different sounds for different contacts, and this notification is assigned to Tyler. She did not tell her roommate that she was staying with Derek. She neglected to mention it on purpose; she wanted to avoid the fight that always ensues when they talk about him. Ty has never met Derek, but he doesn’t like him.
The bathroom door opens. “Who is it?” Derek glances at her phone as he comes out, wearing nothing but his underwear. A blast of warm steam follows him.
She purposely doesn’t answer, because if she’s not allowed to ask who’s texting him, then he isn’t, either. She moves to the window. She reads Ty’s text and cringes again.
Where are u? Thought we were doing breakfast?
She doesn’t want to reply. But if she doesn’t answer, he’ll keep texting until she does. Better to get it over with.
I’m still with D, she types back. Back in a few hours but then I have to work. I picked up an extra shift. She hits send, and braces herself.
WTF??? His reply is fast. I could’ve slept in! I got in at 3 last night, u ass!! I didn’t even know u weren’t in ur room. Thought we were supposed to marathon Hill House this afternoon too?!!
He’s right, they were. Kenzie tried watching the first episode of The Haunting of Hill House by herself but realized she couldn’t because it was way too scary, so she talked Ty into watching it with her even though he hates watching anything that goes bump in the night. They got hooked, and the plan was to blitz through the last three episodes before Ty started work later tonight.
But she forgot about Ty when Derek texted. And forgot about him again when her coworker asked if she could cover a shift, which she agreed to do because she needs the money.
I’m sorry, you’re right, I’m a shitty friend, she texts him. A whole minute passes.
It’s fine, he finally replies, which is how she knows it’s absolutely not fine. Enjoy ur married old boyfriend.
I’ll make it up to you, she texts back. This weekend, I promise, after I get paid. Ezell’s chicken and Hill House and mango margaritas!!
Whatever, he replies.
She breathes a sigh of relief. Whatever is Ty speak for