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Miscommunication?
As I walked in my strappy little silver Christian Dior sandals, on my way to meet the girls, my cell phone began to ring. Flustered, I stopped to yank the device from my Dolce & Gabbana bag. I barely got a glimpse at the display as I flipped it open, pressing it to my ear in a haste.
"Hello?"
"What's shakin', baby?"
I smiled largely at the realization that the voice belong to the one and only Edge. It was actually enough to get my knees trembling.
"Just on my way to breakfast with the girls," I said.
"Ahh... Cool," he said. "So... Well, the reason I called... How about checking out this club called The Living End? And hey - bring one of your girlfriends along. I'm friends with the owner - we'll hook them up."
I arched an eyebrow at that thought but agreed.
"All right... I'll ask one of them in a minute - I'm here."
"Great," Edge said. "I'll let you go do your girl stuff and we'll see each other tomorrow."
"Awesome! Bye."
"Bye, babe."
With a smile still on my face, I flipped the cell to a close and pushed my way into our usual dive. Typically, I was the last to show up, as Lisa Marie, Trish and Candice were all already inside, at our usual table.
"Hey," I jumped right in as I slipped into my seat, "anybody up for some clubbing tomorrow night?"
"I'm out," Trish said instantly, a grin coming to her lips. "I've got a date with Randy!"
"Your first, right?"
"Yup," she replied. "I can hardly sleep at night thinking about it!"
Lisa Marie rolled her eyes while Candice smiled. It really was great to see the blonde so happy. And I was happy for her that she'd found someone.
"Okay, what about you guys?"
"Sorry, I can't," one of the brunettes said. "I've got a big meeting with the partners after work. I wish I could, though."
"I'm game," the other said. "And I'm glad I'm going to meet the one and only Edge."
"Yay!" I reached over and grabbed Lisa Marie's hand, pleased. I'd actually been starting to get worried that none of them would be able to make it.
The next night
"Oh, honey, would you look at this place? Sweet!" my enthusiastic friend piped. Lisa Marie glanced all around as we entered the doorway to the exclusive club. Apparently, only celebrities and other well-knowns in various walks of life were even allowed inside.
"Amy!"
I turned my head, a smile forming as I instantly caught sight of Edge. He looked so handsome in a pair of dark gray pants and a black button down shirt. His shoulder-length blond hair looked silky enough for me to want to run my fingers through it.
"Mmm... I take it that's Edge, huh?" Lisa Marie was checking him out and actually licking her lips. I merely rolled my eyes and led her to go meet him.
"Indeed."
The tall blond looked me over in my strappy black dress, nodding with appreciation.
"Don't you look gorgeous tonight!" He gave me a quick kiss on the lips before turning toward my grinning friend. "And which friend are you?" he asked genially, offering her his hand.
"I'm Lisa Marie. It's nice to meet you," the dark-haired woman said.
Edge nodded as he shook her hand, which she had turned as though she wanted him to kiss the back of it.
"It's a pleasure."
Lisa emitted a deep, throaty laugh and gave him a lascivious look through her eyelashes.
"Well, it could be," she quipped.
I pressed my lips together but then smiled, trying my absolute best to not show my annoyance. My friend was hitting on my date, and it bothered me. I knew how Lisa Marie was and that was fine - but why was she trying to compete with me?
"Ladies," Edge said, directly our attention to a man with short, platinum blond hair, "this is my friend Ken Anderson. He owns The Living End." My date introduced me and then Lisa Marie to the entrepreneur in turn.
"Very nice to meet you," Anderson greeted. He obviously knew I was his friend's date while my friend was meant to be his. Unfortunately, Lisa Marie didn't seem to realize this as she kept making eyes at Edge.
"Ladies..." Ken led the way, and we all went to a table that had been reserved especially for us.
"Thank you," I said cheerfully and flipped a lock of my hair over one shoulder as I slid into the U-shaped booth. Edge got in beside me, his arm around me, when Lisa Marie forced her way in on the other side. Of course, she moved that much closer to him.
"Well, isn't this cozy?" she remarked with a soft laugh.
Ken clapped his hands together as he eyed each of us in turn.
"Champagne, everyone?" he asked. "It's on the house."
"Ooh... Definitely!" the brunette put in. She glanced our way. "Absolutely."
Edge and I exchanged glances, and it was difficult for me not to give Lisa a dirty look. She was really upsetting me, and as far as I could tell, this evening was looking to become a disaster.
"Yes - two more glasses here, too."
Lisa Marie laughed again and slapped a hand not to her own thigh but on Edge's.
"Oh, yeah? Well, don't forget to get a couple of glasses for yourselves!"
Although my date chuckled, I couldn't help but notice that Ken Anderson didn't seem taken with my friend's humor. And I was about to blow as I placed my elbows on the table, resting my bowed head on my hands.
*
Maybe two hours had passed since we'd been here. I didn't know how much more I could stand of this.
Lisa Marie had completely taken over the conversation, dominating. Any time I'd try to talk about something, especially whenever Edge asked me a question, my friend would interrupt and put in her own thoughts. I was way past my limit as she kept flirting with the man who was my date. Ken wasn't even at the table anymore, as Lisa had seemingly completely ignored him.
"That's it..." I muttered. "Excuse me." I slid out from my end of the table, snatching my bag as I fully intended to head for the ladies room. I stopped for a beat as I felt Edge's large, warm hand grasp my wrist, stopping me.
"Amy."
I shook my head, more angry as I realized Lisa Marie was by now so tipsy that she didn't even seem affected by my demeanor. She was laughing and carrying on like nothing was wrong.
"I have to go," I stated. I shot my friend a look and shook my head. "I'm sorry."
He tried to stand to go after me as I stormed off, giving Ken a quick thanks before I slipped out the door. However, Lisa Marie had a firm grip on him and refused to let go.
"Come on, honey... Do the rumba with me."
The tall blond man shook his head, now annoyed. He had lost his date thanks to her oversexed, competitive drunk friend.
"I don't think so." He faced her head-on, hoping she would get everything he was about to say in her drunken state. "Look... I have no interest in you, lady. Your friend is the one I like - you got that?"
Lisa Marie's face fell.
"Hey, Ken? Call her a cab!" With that, Edge stood up to leave.
*
I was home a good forty-five minutes and dressed in my PJs, my hair in a high ponytail when the phone rang. Looking up from my laptop, I wondered which of them was calling - Lisa Marie or Edge? I sighed and rose to answer, getting the answer in the process.
"Hello?"
"Hey, baby." Obviously, it was Edge.
"Hi," I said, cocking my head as I leaned my ear further into the speaker.
"I just wanted to let you know something," he said, his tone serious. "I had no interest in your friend tonight. You're the one I like."
I couldn't help but smile.
"I like you, too."
"Your friend is... quite the aggressor. I had Ken call her a cab and left right after you did," he revealed.
"I guess our second date was kind of a disaster, huh?" I asked, chewing the inside of my cheek.
"A little," he agreed. "But I bet our third will be great. Just don't bring your friend with you."
"Definitely not!" I said with a laugh.
"Wonderful. Then, how about tomorrow?"
Inside, my heart was dancing.
"Tomorrow is great. See you then."
"Goodnight, babe."
As I hung up, I felt that the night hadn't been a complete disaster after all.