Chapter 14
Liza
Yanking my phone from my back pocket, I turned it on as I hurried to my car. I sent three texts, copying and pasting the first one to each person. First to Toby, then to Bee, then Livvie.
FINALS ARE OVER!!!!!
I was so relieved I could’ve cried as I hurried out of the testing center and toward the student parking lot. I had no doubt I’d passed. I was going to officially be a registered nurse. I was so proud of myself and excited.
I considered texting or calling my mother but dismissed the idea quickly. She’d find a way to ruin it.
The responses came in quick succession. Toby sent a bunch of party emojis, followed by an encouraging text about how proud he was.
Then, Bee sent a similar text, ending it with GIRLS’ NIGHT!
I told her I’d love to go, then got a text from Toby asking me out to dinner. I groaned, conflicted about where I’d rather go. Bee or Toby.
But Bee asked first. I sent off a message to Livvie asking if she wanted in, then called Toby. “Hello?” he answered. “Is this a nurse calling me?”
I giggled and hopped in the car, throwing my bag in the passenger seat.
“It almost is! I still have to become official, but that’s it.
I’m done, and I just have to wait for the test results.
” I didn’t have anything to do with my time now, I’d actually have spare time.
What a novel experience. But it would only last for a week or so, then I’d hopefully be starting at the hospital.
“I called to tell you before you invited me out, I told Bee I’d do a girls’ night with her. ”
My phone beeped in my ear. I pressed speaker and pulled up the message from Livvie. She was down for girls’ night. “And Livvie,” I added.
“That’s okay,” Toby said. “Go have fun. Celebrate. We can toast to your success tomorrow night.”
“Thanks,” I said as I backed out of the parking spot. “That’s really understanding of you.”
“Hey, I’m the best.” He chuckled. “Just because we’re in a relationship doesn’t mean we have to be with each other twenty-four hours a day. Besides, I might want a guys’ night.”
“Go for it. But no strip clubs,” I warned.
He snorted. “Do you really think Skye and Bee and those ladies would allow their men to go to strip clubs?”
Good point. “I don’t know, Kaylee and Bee might be up for it, but they’d want to go, too.” They were a bit more uninhibited than I was. Just the thought of a strip club—for men or women—gave me butterflies.
“I’m so proud of you,” Toby said, changing the subject. “I know I haven’t been here through your hard work. I’m coming in on the tail end. So, I don’t really have a right to talk about being proud, but I am. I’ll be proud to tell people my girlfriend is a nurse at the hospital.”
“Aw, Toby,” I said in a soft voice. “You’re so sweet.”
He cleared his throat and chuckled. “Yeah, well, you know.” How had I gotten so lucky to meet a man like this? I hadn’t found a downside to him yet. Dare I think he might be perfect?
After saying goodbye, I went home and got ready, excitement coursing through me without ending.
I met Bee and Livvie at the club downtown. If we got too drunk or stayed too late to walk back—it really wasn’t very far to my apartment complex—we could call a rideshare to take us all home.
Bee got us a booth in the VIP section again, which was fine with me. “Champagne,” she cried when the server walked over. “Bring a bottle, please.”
The server didn’t mind Bee acting silly. Everyone knew she tipped well.
A few minutes later, we had a bottle and three glasses. “To my best friend,” Bee said with her glass up. “You are the hardest working person I know. You blow all of us away.”
Livvie nodded. “I work some pretty long shifts in my business, but the studying you have done blows me away. I echo Bee.”
We clinked glasses. “To your success,” Bee said. “Congratulations!”
I sipped the delicious, bubbly liquid and looked around the club as the music coursed through me. I couldn’t remember the last time I was this relaxed, this carefree.
As I took another sip, I noticed Livvie draining her glass. I’d barely made a dent in mine. “Hey,” I said as she picked up the bottle to pour another glass. “What’s going on? You okay?”
Bee leaned forward with a concerned look on her face. “Drink up. It’s on me. But you do look a little stressed. Do you want to talk about it?”
Livvie sighed. “I talked to my grandmother about the business. She said that I am a wonderful pastry chef.” She ducked her head.
“She used the word ‘baker’.” She sighed and gulped down a mouthful of champagne.
“But she doesn’t think I have the necessary skills to run all the aspects of the business and she’d hate to see it fail after all these years. ”
My heart ached for her. I believed in Livvie, even if her grandmother didn’t. “I doubt she was trying to be malicious,” I said.
Livvie shook her head. “No, she wasn’t. But she doesn’t think I can do it. That hurts. I wanted at least the chance to prove myself. To show her I could run the business successfully, even if it is a small venture.”
Bee filled our glasses again and Livvie took advantage. “I was thinking of selling my cakes on the side, as a little part-time thing. Just to prove to Granny and myself that I can do it.”
“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea!” Bee said. “And if you arrange to be able to ship, I’ll talk about you on my channel! That’ll give you a little ad boost and help you get off the ground.”
Livvie’s eyes lit up. “Oh, would you?”
“And assuming I get hired at the hospital, I’ll leave cakes in the break rooms with your business cards,” I said. “So people can taste how wonderful they are.”
A tear slipped down Livvie’s cheek. “We’re here to toast you and I’ve made it all about me.”
I waved her off, then put my arm around her. “We’re still toasting me! And you’re our friend, Liv. We’re here for you.”
Bee nodded and waved for another bottle as she drained her first glass and refilled. I still hadn’t made it halfway through mine. These ladies were going to drink me under the table.
I kept my eye on Livvie for the rest of the night. She perked up as we talked about other marketing ideas. Bee said she’d get Anthony pulled into putting cakes around the hospital, too. And that she could get Bri to take them to the school’s teachers’ lounge.
I giggled. “Heck, we can get Jace to sell them at the bar, if you give us a little time to work on him.”
Her mood lifted considerably, and before long we were on the dance floor, celebrating the end of my nursing school and the beginning of Livvie’s new career.
And by the time we went home, I found myself far tipsier than I usually got. I drank fairly often at dinners, socially, but it was usually a half of one drink. Maybe, sometimes, a whole drink.
I must’ve had five or six tonight. Whoopsie. Well, it was okay. It was a celebration!
“Come on,” Bee said. “Wayne’s coming to get all of us.”
Her voice sounded far away even though she was sitting right beside me in the relatively quiet VIP section. Grabbing my arm, she pulled me out of the booth. I grabbed Livvie, who downed the last of her drink and followed, far wobblier than I was.
We sort of fell out the front door into the parking lot. I spotted Wayne first, standing in front of his truck shaking his head with a wry look on his face.
Then, my senses moving slowly, I realized that Toby stood right beside him. Oh. Toby! “I missed you,” I said, though I wasn’t sure how loud I said it. “I didn’t like this week.” He strode forward and took my arm as Wayne did the same for Bee. “I missed your face.”
He laughed and someone behind me laughed.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“We’re drunk,” Bee exclaimed. “We needed our men to come collect us.” She narrowed her eyes at Toby. “Is he your man?”
I pursed my lips and pretended to think about it. “Maybe.”
Everyone laughed as Toby put his arm around me. “We’re just sort of hanging out right now. There are no labels.” He bent over and whispered in my ear, “Yet.”
Tingles danced up and down my spine.
“I was hanging out with Wayne when Bee called. I figured I’d come give you a ride, since we’re in the same building,” Toby explained.
“My hero.” But then I remembered Livvie. “Oh!” I looked around but saw her getting into a rideshare.
She rolled down the window. “Bye, girls! Thanks for making me feel better!”
Bee and I waved at her until she was down the road.
“Well, we should get home,” Toby said. “Get some water in you.”
Another voice chased away the happiness and light feeling of my wonderful day and copious amounts of alcohol. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
We all whirled around the see Dax standing at the door to the club looking immensely pissed.
I didn’t understand. I hadn’t seen him all night. What was he doing here? “What do you want, Dax?” I asked, suddenly exhausted. He made me feel weary, tired of all his bullshit.
“I didn’t want to watch you make a fool of yourself, but here I am,” he said with his lip snarled.
“Dressing like a slut and getting drunk. You’re not this trashy, Liza.
Or…” His eyes glanced to Toby. “You didn’t used to be.
I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but it’s clear you still need me to help you keep your head on straight. ”
Toby had stiffened the moment Dax came into view, it felt like his whole body had puffed up and grown a few inches everywhere. He stepped forward, putting himself mostly in front of me as he stalked forward. I shuffled with him, peering around his straightened shoulders at Dax.
Normally, I was all about fighting my own battles, but damn it, I was sick of Dax. Maybe Toby could talk some sense into him.
“I’m what’s gotten into her,” Toby said in a low voice.
It was supposed to be intimidating, and to Dax it probably was.
To me, it was sexy as all hell. “You need to watch your mouth, and, you know what? Just don’t address Liza anymore at all.
If you need something, you come to me. And you don’t need anything, do you? ”
Dax puffed out his chest, trying to match the testosterone, but it was a move that just looked weak. “You can’t tell me who to talk to.”
“In this case, you’ll find I can. You making repeated calls to her phone and walking around her apartment building that your daddy owns isn’t going to fly anymore. You don’t have any legal right to be in the building and you just look like a stalker.”
Whoa. Dax’s dad owned the building? I knew he came from money, but not that kind of money. My building was large and luxury. I only afforded it thanks to Bee paying a big chunk of the rent to store her stuff there and sometimes do shoots in the second bedroom studio.
How much was Dax able to move around the building? Could he have a key to my apartment? This was not good news.
“Butt the fuck out, dude,” Dax said. “Liza is my business, not yours.” He looked around Toby, who moved to try to keep Dax from seeing me.
It would’ve irritated me for any other man to do that, but I knew Toby wanted to spare me any more stress from Dax. I didn’t mind him trying to protect me.
“Liza, even your mother wants us together,” Dax said. “I know you’ll always love me.”
Now that really pissed me off. Pushing Toby out of the way—although, really, it was more me pushing myself to the side using Toby’s arm, ‘cause he didn’t budge—I glared at Dax.
“My mother is in love with your money, Dax. She doesn’t give a damn about me being with you or not.
Get over yourself, and for fuck’s sake, stop listening to my train wreck of a mother. ”
“You’re being childish,” Dax said. “Stop all this nonsense.”
Toby jumped in again. His voice was lethal as he said, “Stay away from Liza. I’m telling you for the last time. You won’t like the outcome if you push me too far.”
Dax puffed up again and jutted out his chin. “Are you threatening me?”
Toby didn’t hesitate. “Yes. I am. And I will follow through.”
Wayne walked over and put himself in front of me, too. He didn’t say anything, but Dax must’ve gotten the message. I peered between their shoulders to see Dax looking like he was about to puke. Then he turned and walked away.
Wayne and Toby separated, and Toby turned and wrapped his arms around me. “I think maybe you should come stay in my apartment for a while. I know it’s the same building, but he’s less likely to gain access to my apartment. Besides, I’ve got some good cameras set up.”
I had cameras, too. Bee had left them for me. But I didn’t mention that. No need, because I wanted to go stay with him.
“Well,” I said with a sigh. “My buzz is gone.” It wasn’t totally.
I’d drank too much for that. But it was definitely subdued.
I was too exhausted to contemplate where I should stay or not.
I could’ve gone with Bee or followed Livvie home.
Heck, Briana or Skye would’ve extended me the invite if I’d needed it.
I was sure of that, even though I barely knew them.
Going home with Toby sounded nice. “Let’s go.”
Toby and Wayne said goodbye as Bee hugged me. “You know I’ve been through this. It’ll get better, I promise.” She left with Wayne as Toby held the passenger door of his car open for me.
Before I got in, he pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “I know we’re very new, but I’m glad you’re coming to stay with me. Thank you for not arguing.”
I gave him another kiss, then arched an eyebrow. “I’m drunk right now. We’ll see what I think about it tomorrow.”
He laughed as he shut the door and hurried around the car.
Toby opened the door and smiled at me as he sat. “Let’s go home.”