the half-tipsy guests. “Donating to charity makes people forget how much they make a profit off of saving people’s lives, and with everything that’s going on right now, they need some good press.” Claire’s eyebrows furrow, taking in my comment. Crap, I have to remember that not everyone has been put through the wringer by this organization, and some people want to believe in all the glitz and glamour. I pinch my lips, making a silent vow not to say anything else even remotely negative. “But, you know, it’s also fun and very cool that they’re supporting the arts tonight.”
Before she can comment on my Warrior bashing, Girl Power comes up to Claire from behind, playfully tapping her shoulder. “Hey, killer! I found you!” she says, and Claire whips around, instantly lighting up, breaking into a starstruck smile.
“Hey! Hi!” she says awkwardly, and the two of them hug, lingering longer than your average embrace. “Joy, have you met Bridgette?”
“No. Hey, what’s up?” The blonde gives me a quick nod, clearly uninterested in conversing with anyone else but Claire. Joy’s blond waves swirl around her shoulders, and she’s wearing a tight pair of tuxedo pants and a low-cut top. She steps closer to Claire, the two of them sharing a quick, knowing look. Claire must be Joy’s date. They certainly look ready for something romantic to happen, and they make a cute couple for sure.
“Nice to meet you, Joy,” I say, though she couldn’t care less. “I, um, I was outside the Art Institute this morning; I saw what you did, raising that bus out of the sinkhole. It was really impressive.”
This gets her attention. “Oh yeah? Thanks! It was super intense! I’d never lifted anything that big before.”
Claire jumps in. “Seriously, Joy! A whole bus! Damn! I saw it on the news. You looked…amazing.” She blushes, twisting her hands behind her back.
“Well, I couldn’t have done it without your pep talk,” Joy says, gazing at Claire’s mouth.
“I’m pretty sure you could have. You’re the one with the super strength.” Claire’s ears turn red.
Suddenly feeling like a major third wheel, I turn my attention back toward the cheese, topping a cracker with a cheddar spread. Joy and Claire start talking more softly; then Joy darts off into the crowd, leaving Claire to stare after her with cartoon hearts practically floating out of her eyes. I crunch my snack in amusement.
“Hey, um, I gotta go,” she manages to say. “But would it be okay if I text you sometime? Just cause…I have some questions? About Warrior stuff. Stuff that I don’t really know anything about. And I figure you must be the expert.”
I bite my lip. “I don’t know if you want advice from me.”
“No, I really, really do. There’s literally no one else I can talk to, and stuff is…happening. Please?” she begs.
“You may not like what I have to say.”
“It’s okay, I want the truth.” She hands me her phone, and I save my number in her contacts. “Thanks. I gotta go find…someone.” I watch her get swallowed up by the room, wondering where the two of them are sneaking off to. Good for them. Someone should be able to find love here, even if I failed so spectacularly.
Feeling tired, I give up on finding Matt, unwilling to do more laps in these heels, which is how I immediately bump right into Matt’s chest, spilling his pop all over the both of us.
“Ack, sorry!” he yelps, wiping his tie with a napkin. His dark eyes widen when he realizes the soda spiller is me. “Oh. Hey, Bridge,” he says softly, suddenly disinterested in the wet splotch on his shirt. “I didn’t know you would be here.”
“Small world,” I say, my voice shaking in surprise. I reach for a napkin of my own to blot the top of my dress. We stand there for a second, taking each other in. I do a quick inspection—no new bandages, stiches, or wounds that I can see—assuming that means he made it out of today’s incident unscathed. I sigh in relief, happy he’s okay. But now I’m left with the awkwardness of standing with my ex-boyfriend.
“Man, have these events always been so weird?” he asks, thankfully breaking the tension. “I mean, everyone here is just talking about work. Like, take a break, guys! It’s a party! No one’s even mentioning all the cool stuff in this place.”
“You never noticed?” I ask, suppressing a smile. “That’s always how these nights go.”