Love and Chaos by Gemma Burgess

Author:Gemma Burgess [Burgess, Gemma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Contemporary Women, Urban, Humorous
ISBN: 9781466842014
Google: hcm6AQAAQBAJ
Amazon: 1250000866
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Published: 2014-02-24T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 26

“When can we see your band?”

“Never.” Madeleine calmly looks at her cards. “I get stage fright when people I know are watching.”

“Maybe we should blindfold you.”

“Maybe we should gag you.”

Julia takes a slug of wine. “Angie, are you sure I look okay?”

I glance at her. “Perfect.”

It’s Saturday night, and we’re all in the kitchen at Rookhaven, having wine and playing poker before our Celebrate Pia’s Singledom Night Out (subtitled Make Her Stop Crying Just for a Few Goddamn Hours for Fuck’s Sake).

Well, almost all of us.

Julia is going on her date with Sam instead.

“I’m not nervous.” Julia flicks her perfect blowout-by-Coco.

Madeleine smirks. “That’s why you made Angie spend four hours shopping in SoHo with you for the right outfit?”

“I liked it,” I say. Which is mostly true.

The shopping part was fine. And Jules bought me lunch at Café Habana to say thank you. But then she kept asking me questions about Sam. And really, all I know is he’s from Ohio, he dropped out of college, he learned how to sail on the job, he’s currently sleeping on his buddy’s floor, he’s my friend, and I’ve been avoiding his calls ever since he asked Julia out. But I don’t own him! He can do whatever he wants. Right?

The rest of today, I’ve just been sewing and trying not to think about him. I altered Drakey’s little slip dress, the one Sam liked, and I’m wearing it tonight. It felt so good to do something again, to be creating things, to take myself outside my head … The only time I’ve felt at peace in days is when I’ve been sewing. Just like Vic said.

“I feel…” Julia takes a deep breath, waiting for everyone to pay attention to her again. “I feel certain, in my soul, that it’s going to be good. That’s probably a sign, right? They say when you know, you know.”

At this, Pia, who has barely spoken all day, makes a gulping sound, her huge brown eyes filling with tears. Any mention of romance, men, or breakups, and she loses her shit. Seriously, it’s like every dramatic soap opera meltdown you’ve ever seen, in one woman. She came into my bedroom at 4:00 A.M., weeping, saying that she couldn’t sleep alone, that the universe was against her, that she’d never love again. She was asleep and snoring within six seconds. Even Sam didn’t snore … argh. Don’t think about Sam.

“Oh God! My makeup…” Pia tilts her head back to stop the tears from ruining her eyeliner. “Damn you, Aidan, for breaking my heart,” she whispers at the ceiling. “Damn you to hell.”

“Have you talked to him today?” asks Madeleine.

“He keeps calling. I keep not answering.” Pia slaps her palm on the table. “Fuck Aidan! Tonight is about my ego-driven, God-given right to drink hard spirits while enjoying the restorative power of the male gaze.”

“Hey, you guys. Look at this,” says Julia, pinging the leg of her black tights. A cloud of dust, or skin cells, or something, billows out.

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