Headlights

08 Recovery

But this is going to take me down.

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She followed Teagan's blonde head through the crowd on the streets. Teagan, Teagan, Teagan... she was the best girlfriend Hailey could ask for. Teagan always knew what to do; after all, she was the one with virtually everything a girl would need in her handbag. And she'd know what to do to get over an ex.

But this was different. Teagan would never understand Calvin the way Hailey did. Teagan would never really know how she felt about him—hell, Teagan would even yell at her for not completely letting go.

Teagan turned to a little restaurant and stood by the entrance, waiting expectantly for Hailey. Hailey clutched her purse and hurried to join her, her ankles twisting and trembling from her high heels. God, these heels hurt like hell.

"This place is awesome," Teagan said as she opened the door and walked in. Hailey had to walk especially quickly to avoid hitting herself with the door and sighed. Sometimes Teagan really had no sense of delicacy. "It has an amazing view of the Hudson, and I bet you that you won't run into him here." Her face twisted. "What an ass."

Shut up, shut up, Hailey chanted in her head. You don't understand anything that we had... But outwardly, she kept her expression placid and only fiddled with her tube of lipstick in her purse. "Yeah."

The maître d'hôtel stood at a booth in front, smiling expectantly. "Good evening. Do you have a reservation here?"

Teagan nodded. "It's under Boyle for two."

Hailey's thoughts drifted off as she and Teagan followed the maître through the tables inside, where people in suits and evening dresses were seated comfortably, chatting in a low hum. Teagan was so presumptuous... how could she know that Calvin wasn't here? She may have fucked half of Manhattan, but that didn't mean that she could make guarantees that she couldn't ensure.

They stopped at a table next to the windows with a view of the Hudson River. As Hailey sat down, handing her coat to the maître, she agreed with Teagan mentally: the view was fantastic. In the fading light of winter dusk, the dark azure water of the river, spotted with a couple boats here and there, tumbled and rippled gently. She'd give anything to be outside on the patio right now, but Teagan had shot her a glance that said, Stay with me.

Hailey picked up her menu and gave up immediately. "You picked a French restaurant."

"Their food is amazing." Teagan shrugged, unapologetic. "I can translate for you if you'd like."

Yeah, whatever; Teagan was a French major in college, after all. "Order for me. It doesn't make a difference anyway."

"Okay." Teagan turned her head to the side, eyes scanning over the entire room coolly. "Mm, I don't know where all the waiters are. I'm in the mood for some wine." Looking back to Hailey, she asked, "What do you want?"

Hailey had had enough alcohol in the past few days. "I'll have iced tea."

"All right," Teagan said, although her eyes said something like, Really? Iced tea? Live a little, will you?

"Stop it," Hailey said. "I can choose not to drink, okay?"

Teagan rolled her eyes, but before she could say anything, a waiter came. Hailey held her tongue as she watched her friend rattle off French the way she would rattle off everything about Calvin. Ah, it still stung, but she would get over it—as long as she didn't see him again.

She hoped.

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Midway through their main courses, which had taken thirty minutes to follow their appetizers, Hailey looked up from her plate and watched a new party of people enter the room. Without looking up, Teagan said, "Don't worry; it probably isn't Calvin. This place is kind of obscure on the New York scene."