by Adele Huxley
I’ll do it myself.
Like a cold glass of water on a parched throat, that single thought calmed her, comforted her, gave her strength. Still running through every possible outcome, she gathered up her things and walked home feeling empowered. Lauren’s anger had cooled and hardened. It was now a forged weapon and she knew exactly how she planned on wielding it.
“Fuck fuck fuck fuck,” Lauren muttered under her breath as she hopped into a pretty floral dress. She pulled her hair back in a quick ponytail, managed to apply a coat of mascara, and was out the door in under five minutes. Pausing on the side of the street, she quickly decided there wasn’t enough time to wait for a cab. The train could be faster but entirely depended on luck. Instead, she marched as quickly as her legs could move towards the Spanish restaurant where Nick had made reservations.
Four blocks down the road and she was already regretting the high heels. Her legs were wobbly and the end of her ponytail was wet with perspiration. I can’t believe I lost track of time. After that whole argument and here I am, fucking things up again. All she wanted was to have a nice date with Nick, to feel like old times. She had to show him he was a priority in her life yet with everything that happened, she’d lost track of time.
Nearly toppling over, she quickly rounded the corner and narrowly avoided colliding into an old woman. Nick stood outside the restaurant looking at his phone. Shit shit shit.
“Baby, I’m so sorry,” she said as she drew closer. He raised his eyes at the sound of her voice and his expression nearly stopped her heart. “I’m so, so, sorry.”
“You’re almost an hour late. They already gave away our table.” He sounded hurt, his voice cold.
“Listen, I don’t have an excuse. I had a terrible day but something really good has come out of it. Let’s just go find someplace else to eat and I can tell you all about it.” Nick raised his hand to stop her.
“Why are you late?” Lauren felt a lump grow in her throat. She wanted to rush into his arms, tell him everything was going to be alright if he just listened.
“Can we go someplace to talk? I’m really hungry,” she said with a half laugh, touching his arm.
“Why are you late? It’s a simple question, Wren.” He pulled his arm away.
“I just lost track of time, that’s all. Come on, it’s still early. I bet we can find someplace with a table.” Please just come with me, please...
“What were you doing?” he asked.
“Why didn’t you call me?” she threw back at him.
“I shouldn’t have to. What were you doing?” His blue eyes drilled into her, his jaw clenched. She knew the answer he was looking for.
“I was working,” she whispered, looking away down the street.
“Right. See? Not even a day after we talk about all this—you know what? I’m done. I’m just fucking done.”
“Stop, come on. Just give me a chance to explain. You said you’d try to be more patient.” She could’ve bitten her tongue off with that last comment.
“No, really,” he said with a flat voice. “I’m not doing this anymore. You were right yesterday. We just want different things from life right now, simple as that.” He paused and shook his head. “It’s funny, you know. A week ago I was planning our—” he stopped as if considering whether he wanted to finish his thought. Nick looked at her and simply didn’t see the the girl he thought he knew. “Nevermind.”
A lump rose in her throat, choking back tears she said, “Is that why we went to Lenox? Were you going to ask me—” He raised his hand to stop her. “Nick, just let me explain what happened today and it’ll all make sense—”
“Just do me one favor. Go over to Ali’s while I pack up some of my stuff. I need a little space right now.”
Lauren’s eyes welled instantly. A few tears rolled down her face as she nodded. She’d never heard him speak so harshly.
“I’ll call you in a few days,” he said and walked away.
She tried desperately to suppress the sobs building inside. Fumbling through her purse, searching with blurred eyes, her phone fell out and bounced off the pavement with a sickening crack.
“Oh god,” she cried falling to her knees. Thankfully the cover had absorbed much of the damage but the floodgates had been breached. She knelt on the sidewalk, her knees skinned and stinging, and called her best friend.
Ali arrived in record speed, declaring she was a princess riding to her rescue in a shiny yellow mount. Half a bottle of wine later, Lauren’s tears had run dry and she finally felt numb. She’d told Ali everything, from Parker assaulting her in the morning to the fight with Nick as they drank the wine. By the end of it, Ali had decided there wasn’t enough alcohol in the apartment to handle that amount of heartache. As she was out to the corner liquor store, Lauren was left with her own thoughts.
So I guess this is it. Sometimes the answer you get isn’t the answer you were looking for. I’m well and truly done listening to myself bitch. As much as I wish he hadn’t, Nick took himself out of the equation so I’m gonna take all this as a sign. I need to focus. The universe is telling me I need to take matters into my own hands. She raised her glass in a mock toast, a sardonic smile spreading across her face. Well, cheers. I don’t have much of a choice now. She gulped the rest of the wine down and carefully set the glass on the coffee table.
Time to launch Lauren version 2.0.
I hope you enjoyed the first book in the Playing with Power series! I would be so, so grateful if you left a quick review on facebook for other interested readers!
Please enjoy a preview from Book 2. If you’d like to watch how Lauren continues playing with power, you can purchase the full book here: Playing with Power - Book 2
Love,
Adele xx
PS - You can get your copy for free! Send me a link to your Amazon or Goodreads review and I’ll send you the next book absolutely free!
Get started here!
Next in the series:
Playing with Power - Book 2
Playing with Power - Book 3
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Playing with Power
Book 2
Traffic was light as the limo traveled over the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a rare clear day so the girls took photos of the city, poking their heads through the sunroof like a couple of kids headed to prom. They settled into their seats and after a little giggly deliberation, decided to pour a couple vodka tonics from the wet bar. Ali was in the mood to celebrate but Lauren simply needed to settle her nerves. This whole thing was so unlike any experience she’d ever had. The day before, she hadn’t even been aware of Landon’s existence yet here she was going up to stay at his vacation house for the weekend. It’s business, she chastised herself. I’m getting all worked up over something that will probably turn out to be nothing at all.
With the city behind them, Lauren was surprised how quickly the suburbs trickled away to rural land. The colors shifted to muted browns and oranges, almost the colors of the desert. The California landscape was everything she’d expected but at the same time surprising. The iconic palm trees were a familiar sight but she hadn’t expected the steep, undulating hills created by eons of tectonic activity. With sun-bleached grasses and groves of trees sprouting from the small valleys, it was almost as if you could see the Earth moving and shifting.
After a few twists and turns, they found themselves cruising through wine country. Huge vineyards dotted the landscape, the tan grasses giving way to lush greens. The perfectly ordered and straight rows of vines hugged the terrain, rolling and curling with the ground. The hills opened up and offered long breathtaking views of the valleys below. They passed several handsome estates offering wine tasting and vineyard tours, their parking lots filled to the brim.
“You do realize we’re doing that before we go, right?” Ali said pointing out the window. “Nothing is more upper class than getting drunk in the middle of the day on an expensive bottle of wine.”
The limo slipped through the sm
all town of Sonoma. Tourists strolled the sidewalks, ducking into art galleries and antique stores hunting for that one treasure they could take back home. It was a quaint town that was obviously dependent on tourism yet remained authentic enough to feel like a hidden gem. The trip became much more interesting as the town disappeared behind them. A few miles down the road, the limo turned on to a smaller road and pulled to the shoulder, parking in front of a black convertible. Ali and Lauren looked at each other in confusion.
“What’s going on?” Lauren asked. The driver of the convertible was removing their luggage when their door opened.
It was as if they stepped into an oven. The cooling effects of the bay far behind them, the heat truly felt like California in the summer. Her body quickly growing damp with sweat, Lauren repeated her question to the driver.
“The road becomes too narrow and windy for the limo to safely navigate. Mr. DeWitt has arranged for this car to take you the rest of the way.”
Lauren turned to Ali and saw she was still holding her drink. Ali raised the glass, knocked it back in one gulp, and handed it to the driver.
“I knew I packed my booty shorts for a reason! Let’s go!”
Lauren called her thanks over her shoulder as Ali pulled her towards the convertible, now packed with their things. This driver looked more like a gardener or housekeeper, with his tanned skin and dirt stained white shirt. He held the seat forward as they climbed into the back. Ali folded her long legs in somehow and the girls buckled up.
“All set back there?” he asked with a white smile.
“Yes. How far is it?” Lozzie asked.
“Only a few miles, we’ll be there soon.”
The convertible peeled away from the shoulder, spitting rocks and dust in it’s wake. The girls let out surprised yelps and latched on to each other, laughing. The breeze felt great and instantly dried the sweat on her brow. Within a mile she understood why the limo couldn’t go any further. While paved, the road resembled a mountain hike full of steep switch backs. Left and right, left and right they made the dizzying climb through a thickening forest. The road was dotted with gated drive ways and they could only catch glimpses of the sprawling mansions hidden deep within.