Samy sees us and freezes for a second, waving with her free hand. We approach, and Dani takes her by the hand so we can run away together.
“No one judges anyone,” Dani says.
When we get downstairs, we find Andrea. Yes, Gregory’s I-don’t-know-what is carefully opening the door.
“Are you kidding me?” she asks. Dani, Samy, and I share a look and smile.
“This has to be the most popular walk of shame ever,” I say.
Samy laughs. We leave the house, stopping in the garden, and Samy checks her phone. It’s dead.
“Can anyone call a taxi?”
Andrea smiles at us.
“I brought my car. I can drive all of you.”
It’s a very nice car, cutesy and small. Samy gets in the passenger seat and Dani and I get in the back. Andrea starts the conversation.
“Don’t you find this situation kind of weird?”
Samy nods. “Too much, I would say.”
“I’m sorry,” I interject, unable to help myself. “But I think we’re all curious to know with whom . . .”
Dani agrees.
“No one judges anyone. Let’s say the names.”
“Gregory,” Andrea says with a laugh.
Samy blushes.
“Marco.”
“What?” I say, surprised. “I didn’t expect that.”
Samy sighs in response. “Neither did I.”
Andrea narrows her eyes. “Is no one surprised by my revelation? Was it that obvious?”
“Yes,” we all say at the same time.
“Ouch,” Andrea pouts.
“You’re obvious, too, Raquel. Ares, who else?”
I stick out my tongue at her, and she sees me in the rearview mirror and gives me the finger. The fact that we found ourselves in such an embarrassing, vulnerable situation has created a nice atmosphere of trust between us.
Samy turns slightly toward the back seat.
“And you, Dani?”
Dani lowers her head and, with her dignity in tatters, whispers, “Apolo.”
“What?” Samy and Andrea’s screams make me grimace.
I touch my forehead. “No screaming. Hangover. Remember?”
Andrea stops at a red light.
“I didn’t expect that.”
“I know, I fucked someone younger than me,” Dani says, running her hand over her face. Andrea looks at her like she’s crazy.
“No, not because of that, but because I didn’t know you knew each other so well.”
Samy nods.
“Don’t tell me you’re feeling bad about your age, Daniela,” Samy says. The guilt on Dani’s face is obvious. “Apolo is much more mature than a lot of guys our age.”
I’m glad that Samy thinks like me.
“That’s what I told her,” I say. “She’s paranoid about it, and what people will say.”
Samy gives her a comforting smile and reaches out to squeeze Dani’s hand.
“Don’t give yourself a hard time, Daniela. Okay?”
Andrea crosses the main avenue.
“I’m sorry to interrupt the romance, but do you mind if I stop by the pharmacy? My head is killing me, I need something for the pain.”
“I need a Gatorade to hydrate,” Samy whispers.
“Did you lose a lot of fluids last night?” Dani jokes, and we all grimace.
“Dani!”
Andrea parks her car at the pharmacy, and we let out a long sigh. I have a feeling this is the beginning of new friendships. After all, there is no better way to start a bond of trust than by hydrating and dealing with one of the worst hangovers of our lives.
FORTY-FIVE
The Used Ones
- ARES -
Waking up and stretching my arm across an empty bed is not what I expected. With my head spinning, I get up, staggering to the bathroom, and look around. Nothing. I notice Raquel’s clothes are nowhere to be found, and I realize she’s gone.
Did the witch use me and leave?
I can’t believe it. This goes on the long list of first times with Raquel. No girl has ever disappeared the next morning after a night of sex. That’s always been my role.
She keeps stealing my thunder.
But why did she leave? I didn’t do anything wrong last night, did I? I run my hand over my face, remembering everything we did last night. God, that qualifies as the best sex I’ve ever had in my life. This woman drives me crazy. I grin like a fool, while assessing the only clothes I have: the Greek god costume. Ah, I don’t think so, there’s no way I’m going out like this. I look for clothes in the closet of the guest room. Since this is Marco’s place and he’s used to us staying here from time to time, there are usually extra clothes for the guests.