Don't Mask, Don't Tell

Chapter 25

Did she just make him blush?

"Anyway, rush week was the same week as Professor Murphy's lecture."

"God, she was such a bitch," I interject, defending my case. "She had monthly Locked Lectures where the doors remained locked for the entire presentation. No one in or out." Eliza scoffs in support, equally annoyed by our old professor. "If you left before her speech was finished, you were marked absent from her class and given an F on the next major assignment."

"So how did Liv embarrass herself?" Mickey questions a little too eagerly.

Dick.

"Sweet Olivia partied hard on shots of tequila, trying to keep up with me and the rest of the recruits until 5 a.m. By the time we arrived at our 8 a.m. lecture, we were still drunk and barely holding it together."

"Not true! I feel like I had it mostly together."

"No, you didn't babe." Eliza giggles and continues. "This poor girl was looking like she was about to blow chunks, spill her marbles, toss her cookies, pray to the porcelain gods—"

"Ok—we get it! We're trying to eat for Christ's sake," I jump in, halting her detailed descriptions before she makes us all puke.

"Liv was as pale as Casper and beads of sweat were dripping down her forehead. She raised her hand to be excused asking to quickly use the restroom, but Professor Murphy refused in her typical bitchy fashion."

"Awww, babe." Axel squeezes my shoulder sympathetically. "Tell me you didn't puke in front of your class."

"She did!" Eliza bursts out laughing. "But, not until she made it all the way to the front of the class. She projectile vomited all over Professor Murphy and the front row of students."

The three of them laugh their asses off as I chime in, remembering the mortifying event. "The worst part was the fact that she made me write a three-thousand word essay on alcohol consumption and then forced me to read it to the class during her next Locked Lecture."

"No, babe, that was definitely not the worst part." My best friend giggles, painting a full visual for the group. "The worst part was the fraternity brothers wearing the splash zone t-shirts in the front row during your entire presentation."

"Thanks, Liza. I tried to forget that..."

Our dinner dates are now fully losing it, cackling and snorting. Mickey wipes his tears and through breathy laughs, he repeats, "Fucking splash zone."

———

After what seemed like hours of laughing and joking at my expense, we finally started on dessert with the effects of the alcohol very apparent.

"Did she just feed him a chocolate strawberry?" I ask Axel as we witness the train wreck before us.

"Mickey doesn't even like strawberries."

"Like I want to look away, but I can't," I add, watching the cringe-worthy scene unfold across the table.

"You know, we can hear the two of you narrate." Eliza turns to face us, clearly tipsy.

Mickey chimes in, "You can watch if you're into that kind of thing, Livy." He winks and picks up another strawberry teasingly.

"I think you've had enough to drink," Axel says in a commanding tone, placing his arm around me again, protectively.

And...I'm horny.

"You're such a buzzkill!" Eliza complains, fueling the fire. "I didn't even get the chance to interrogate you tonight."

"There's always tomorrow." Axel smiles sweetly, trying to calm the drunken teenagers sitting in front of us.

"Fine. Whatever you say, boss man." She rolls her eyes and picks up her phone to call a car. "We going to yours or mine?" she asks Mickey.

He gives her his address and she orders the car.

"Thanks for dinner, Ace." Eliza grins mischievously and I know she's about to stir the pot. "Or is it Axel? I noticed tonight that Mickey doesn't call you Ace anymore, yet you told me all your friends do..."

Eliza The Shit-Stirrer Alvarez.

"That's very observant of you," Axel responds calmly with a composed demeanor.

"What are you hiding Mr. Carrington?" Eliza resumes her questioning as Axel begins to tense up.

"What time did you say your car's getting here?" I attempt to change the subject, trying to relieve the growing tension.

My very inquisitive, tipsy best friend continues to press. "What did you mean when you said you didn't want to uproot your lives, again?"

Goddammit Eliza.

Mickey sits up in his chair and his eyes widen, looking to Axel for a response.

She hit a nerve.

Axel's posture straightens and his breathing quickens as he tightens his grip around the dessert spoon. "How do you know about that?"