Lie of My Life

6 The Competition

My phone buzzed again as I was relaxing in the bathtub, eyes closed and enjoying soaking in the warm, lavender infused water. I grunted in frustration and muttered to myself as I reached for my phone. "If this is Brad again so help me God."

But when I checked my screen it was not Brad who had messaged me but Carter. And the text was for the whole group. It read: Got a message from a friend that tonight is ladies' night at Rift. What do you say? Ladies? Gents? Come on, I'm finally able to be on the other side of the bar and I can't wait. Tonight? I chuckled to myself and started to respond but Emma beat me to it. I'm in if Ava's in. Smiling to myself, I answered back that I was, in fact, in. Sure, I was tired but this was a good chance to let off some steam and I needed it. I had been working so late that I decided I could go into work later in the morning tomorrow. Being the boss had its perks.

After my bath, I got dressed in the form fitting red dress that I had forgone for my date the other night. It didn't feel desperate anymore. It felt sexy. And I needed to feel sexy. I painted my lips the same red as my dress and did the rest of my makeup, curling my hair while I was at it. I had just pulled my feet into some silver stilettos when there was a knock on my door. It was only a cursory knock, however, because I heard the door open the next moment and then I heard the tapping of heels against my wood floor. Emma, then. I emerged from my bedroom and her mouth dropped open at the sight of me.

"Girl," she said in shock. "You are drop dead. When did you get that dress and who are you trying to impress?"

"A few weeks ago," I answered, looping my arm through hers and leading her back toward the door. "And just me."

"I can get behind that. You ready?"

"More than you know."

She smiled and we headed down the stairs together, arm in arm. We met the guys on the second floor landing and they seemed to have the same reaction to us as Emma had had to me.

"Damn, Ava," Wesley said as we approached. "You trying to kill a man tonight?"

I gave him a wink. "I'll never tell."

"Where's Carter?" Emma asked, noting his absence as I had.

"He said he'll meet us there," Aaron said. "He went ahead with the friend who told him about it."

We nodded and headed out to our cabs. Emma, Shane, and I piled into one while Aaron and Wes took another. We pulled up to the club to find it just as packed as the others but, luckily, we knew someone in the industry. Carter had placed our names on the list before we arrived so we went right in. We found him chatting up a hot blonde girl on the edge of the dance floor but, when he saw us, he abandoned her entirely in a move so unlike him I nearly fell back a step. He pulled Emma in for a quick hug and then turned to me and embraced me as well. But, I noticed, mine was longer and with a whispered compliment even. "You look amazing."

He pulled away from me smiling but kept me firmly at his side as he turned to the others. I looked up at him. Was he drunk already? It was odd how affectionate he was being tonight.

"You guys want some drinks? I know the bartender. Shane, Wes, help me out?"

The three of them headed off to the bar to grab the rest of us drinks and Aaron said he was going to find the bathroom which left Emma and I alone. I nudged her and nodded in the direction of where Shane stood, his back to us, as Carter joked with the bartender and ordered our drinks.

"How's it going with Shane?" I asked. She smiled but not the big, bright Emma smile that I was used to.

"I don't know," she confessed with a sigh. "I mean we flirt a lot and I enjoy hanging out with him. The way he looks at me makes me think he's interested but he just won't make a move, you know? I've given him so many openings but he just hasn't taken them."