Things Are Different Here

five

"So, what have I seen you in?"

I smiled politely at the completely naked, sweat-painted woman next to me; small talk on Tinder dates wasn't really my forte. I was the kind of girl who wanted a short, fun hookup, not a deep dive into my personal life.

Ayana, I think her name was, took another drink from the water on the bedside table as she waited for me to answer. We'd only matched online last night, and somehow both had the afternoon off work, so my details were still a bit muddy.

I pulled my cami back on over my head and started to get up. "Honestly, not much. I've been in a few commercials, a couple episodes of NCIS as a friend of the victim...this is my first big role." I found my biker shorts on the floor next to the bed, and slid them up over my legs. Ayana watched me get dressed, and picked up her pace finding her clothes.

"Welcome to LA, then." She laughed lightly. "It can be pretty cutthroat here, I've had my heart smashed to pieces by countless recording studios. I don't know why my agent keeps me."

"I didn't realize you were in the industry," I noted. Her about section had said something about being a vet tech.

"I've been trying to be in the industry for twenty years. I was born here, and my parents started me in modelling when I was four." She zipped the front of her denim dress up and reached for her purse on the floor. "I put vet tech in my bio because I work at my dad's clinic."

"I'm sure it keeps the annoying questions away." I laughed, running a hand through my curls to make it look like I hadn't spent the afternoon in my bed with a girl I'd just met.

"What did you say you're going to be in again?" She glossed over my annoying questions statement. "Something with Olivia Bryant?" I mentally groaned, having to be reminded about her. Why was I telling anyone this? She wasn't what I wanted to think about after having a moderately attractive woman's mouth on every square inch of skin between my thighs.

"Yeah, I can't really talk about the movie yet, but, uh, Olivia is my co-star."

Ayana pulled her keys and phone out of her purse, and I opened the bedroom door. We both walked out, and she stopped at the foyer. "God, she's so hot. The things I'd do with her." She trailed off, looking for her Birkenstocks by the door. Of course I, I missed the bit about her being a crunchy lesbian. "How is she? I hear she's genuinely the nicest person."

"Oh yeah, she's just....she's so sweet." I could feel the sarcasm burning my tongue as I spoke, but Ayana didn't seem to catch it.

"Okay, well, text me about getting that coffee later. I'm free this weekend." I grabbed the door handle and opened it for her, and nodded.

"Definitely, coffee sounds great," I said. Whether it was a lie or the truth, Ayana didn't seem to care, as she was already out the door. I leaned my back against it to shut it, and let out a deep sigh to decompress.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, swiping through apps. As I scrolled Instagram, the third picture was one of my New York friend's birthday post, and I immediately closed out of the app when I saw Carrie in their post, kissing their cheek. We shared a lot of mutual friends, so it wasn't uncommon to scroll past pictures of her, but right now it felt like another blow to the chest.

It was only five here, but it would be eight back on the east coast. Erin would already be at work, and all of my other friends seemed to be out for the birthday. I was lonely, and a meaningless hookup wasn't going to cure it.

I got up from the floor and headed into the kitchen to get a glass of water. My phone vibrated in my hand as if on cue, and a picture of Abby and I from her wedding popped up on my screen. I answered quickly, grateful she could still read my mind.