CHAPTER 27
Violet poured the remainder of the champagne they’d bought for twelve dollars at the convenience store nearby into her plastic glass because they didn’t have real champagne flutes, and she downed it.
“Damn! Violet is celebrating,” Sarai said with a laugh.
“I am, yes. Finally, there’s some good news.” She held up the now-empty glass. “For years, it’s mostly been bad or just decent, but now, it’s good news, and we needed some good news.”
“You all know we don’t have it signed and sent back yet, right?
” Enya asked. “I feel like I should remind us of that. They said they were interested and would work something up, but there are no guarantees until we have it in writing and really, until the money is in the account, and we can spend it.”
“I know, but I’m celebrating,” Sarai said as she held up her own plastic glass in the middle of their living room.
“Vi is right: we’ve had a lot of shit thrown our way.
And to be honest, I’ve felt horrible because I haven’t been able to build our brand.
I can make excuses about the budget being too small, but the reality is that people can market something for next to nothing if they do it well enough, and I just haven’t.
I think I got burned out there for a while, and I hate that.
I’m sorry. I’m back in now. All-in and ready to help take this money and use it to make our business some money. ”
“Here. Here,” Arlowe added. “I’m ready to hire some engineers.”
“Arlowe, we can’t–” Violet began.
“I know. I know… I don’t expect a team of fifty right away, but we could use a few more working for us full-time that we can actually afford and not just random freelancers when we’re desperate.”
“We’ll see how much they decide to offer us, and we’ll go from there. I know what we asked for, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll give it to us, and even if they do, they might give it in parts, like Ant said could happen.”
“What is her middle name? It has got to be better than going by Ant when her last name is Flow.” Enya chuckled.
“I have no idea. But you know what? I am tipsy, and I don’t care. Arlowe, stand up with us,” Violet said.
“Huh? What?” Arlowe set something back down on the couch, making Violet glare at her. “Why?”
“Because we’re tipsy, and we’re toasting,” Violet replied, and Arlowe had to stand up and join the rest of them in the middle of the living room.
“You’re out of champagne.” Enya tipped her full glass into Violet’s and shared some with her. “There. Better. Now, we can toast.”
Violet held up her glass then, and the other three did the same.
“I know we’re about to go out and probably drink a little more and dance to celebrate, but that will be in public.
This is just us, so… To us. To Enya for coming up with this idea to begin with.
To Arlowe, who made it happen. To Sarai, who figured out how to make our first big sale to an international school five years ago and who has managed to keep that account for us ever since. ”
“And to Violet, our leader,” Arlowe said.
“Whom we will never, ever be able to repay, even if we can actually repay her one day,” Sarai added. “We know what you’ve sacrificed for us to even have a chance at this.”
“She’s right.” Enya held her glass up higher. “To Violet.”
“To all of us,” Violet said.
They shared their toast, and Arlowe told them all to get dressed for a club before she specifically added not to wear a business suit as she looked at Violet.
Violet didn’t take any offense, and soon, they were in an Uber, heading to Blue.
The whole place was the color. Some neon along the walls, dark-blue napkins, light-blue signs everywhere.
It was somewhat excessive, even if blue was someone’s favorite color, but Violet didn’t care at all tonight.
She was buzzed, and her inhibitions were just the right amount of low, allowing her to still make good enough decisions for herself and her friends as well as letting the night feel full of possibilities.
She decided to splurge and ordered a melon martini, the bar’s special, for the night and a few appetizers for the group to share, and they started at a table, where they finished their food and their first drinks.
Then, she ordered a cheap glass of wine because they didn’t have the investment locked in yet. She wasn’t going to be irresponsible.
Violet sipped her white wine at the table while Arlowe and Sarai went out to the dance floor.
Enya stayed with her, and they talked about a few of the women they saw around the club.
It wasn’t a gay club, so if one of them tried to buy another woman a drink, there was a pretty big chance they would get turned down.
“She just always seems to find them somehow, doesn’t she?” Enya asked, nodding to Arlowe.
“Who?”
“Someone who wants to dance with her and maybe do more.”
Violet chuckled when she saw Arlowe dancing with a woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties. Then, Arlowe leaned in and kissed her, and the woman seemed to be more than all right with that based on how she wrapped her arms around Arlowe’s neck in response.
“Yeah, I don’t know how she does it,” she said.
“It’s because she just gives off confidence and that she doesn’t give a fuck. Women like that, or so I’ve been told.”
“They do?” Violet asked.
“I don’t do or have either of those things, and I’m always pretty dateless. Meanwhile, all Arlowe has to do is swipe whatever direction is good on her phone, and she has a woman waiting for a dance floor make-out session and sexy dance.”
“You want someone to sexy dance with?” Violet asked.
“I can’t sexy dance,” Enya said, laughing, and took a sip of her drink. “I can barely dance, period.”
“You can dance. You just don’t like to.”
“I like learning.”
“I know you do, my tipsy friend.” Violet wrapped her arm around Enya’s shoulders and squeezed. “I’m just on the right side of drunk. Would you like me to find you someone to talk to at least?”
She looked around the dark club, trying to find someone whom Enya might find attractive.
“I’m not good at clubs. I’m better when we go to a bar.”
“Arlowe and Sarai like these places. I think they’re overpriced.”
“And pretty boring,” Enya noted. “I don’t dance, and I’m not a fan of this music, so it’s really just alcohol, which I can get at home, where my friends live, and we can all hang out there until I want to go to my room and fall asleep or learn something new. I know I’m a nerd.”
“You’re not a nerd. Enya, you’re a genius.
Your brain is unbelievable. We wouldn’t be where we are right now without it.
Because of how your brain works, nights like this aren’t as interesting to you, and that’s perfectly fine.
I’d also prefer that we hang out, just the four of us, at home, but we have two other people in our little family who like places like this, so I think we give them tonight, and the next time we want to celebrate, maybe we just stay at home or go somewhere else. ”
“It’s fine. They’re having a good time,” Enya replied.
When Violet looked at the dance floor again, Sarai was now dancing with someone, too, and it made Violet think of Stella and how they’d danced briefly before she’d asked Stella to take her home.
Part of Violet wished they had stayed and danced a little longer, but she’d never been much of a club dancer, even when she’d lived in Amsterdam and had been twenty-two years old.
Still, it would have been nice to have a beautiful woman dance with her tonight, maybe make out with her a little, and then take her home.
She must have been hallucinating due to the alcohol or something because while she was picturing Stella in the club with her, it looked like Stella actually was in the club with her.
“Um… Violet?” Enya asked.
“Yeah?”
“Why is Stella here?”
“You can see her, too?” she asked, checking with Enya before looking back at Stella, who was walking toward them.
“How drunk are you?” Enya asked.
“Not drunk enough, apparently.”
“Hey,” Stella greeted when she arrived at the table.
“Hi, Stella,” Enya said.
“Hi. Congrats on the funding, Enya.”
“We don’t have anything yet, but how did you know we got the good news?”
“Um… Violet–”
“She was the one who booked the meeting for us,” Violet interrupted.
“You booked the meeting for us?” Enya asked Stella.
“No, I didn’t.”
“I’m confused,” Enya said. “I’ve had a little too much to drink, and the music is giving me a headache.”
“Violet, all I did was send a couple of emails,” Stella insisted.
“A couple?”
“Two total. One to Asset because I knew Ant, and one to Pritchett & Park because they invested in one of Cerebral’s vendors, and I thought they might be interested.”
“So, you got us the meeting?” Enya asked.
“No. All I did was suggest they check you out,” Stella said, her eyes only on Violet. “Ant did, and she liked what she saw. She did call me today to tell me that the meeting went well, though, right before you texted me to tell me the good news.”
“So, you found out before I texted?”
“Only just,” Stella replied and looked around the club.
“Are you mad that I didn’t tell you about the emails?
I know you said you didn’t want the help, but I swear, all I did was send emails, Violet.
I had no control over whether or not they would want a meeting, and I definitely had nothing to do with them wanting to invest. That was all you. ”
“I’m not mad about that.”
Violet shrugged a shoulder.
“You’re not?”
“No. I should’ve agreed to the help in the first place. I was putting my pride ahead of the business, and I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Okay. Then, why are your arms crossed over your chest like you’re really pissed off that I’m here?”
“Because I am. Well, I’m not pissed, but I’m not exactly happy.”
“You’re not?” Stella asked, looking confused.
“No, I’m not,” Violet stated. “I told you that I didn’t want to talk tonight because I was going to celebrate with my friends.
Stella, I appreciate you sending the emails and helping out this past weekend, because your ideas, though hard for me to admit, did help us secure the investment, but you don’t work with us.
This was supposed to be our night out. I told you that I’d talk to you tomorrow night. ”
“Yes. Then, you texted me again and said that I should come here.”
“What? No, I didn’t,” she protested.
Stella pulled her phone out of her pocket, unlocked it, opened her app, and held it up to Violet’s face.
Violet Russell: If you’re free, you should come to Blue with us tonight. We’re heading there soon.
“I didn’t send that.”
Violet took the phone from her and re-read the text.
“Maybe you were tipsy and don’t remember,” Enya suggested.
“I wasn’t that tipsy, but this is a message from me. Our earlier messages are here, too.”
“Oh, hey!” Arlowe said, hurrying over and wrapping an arm around Stella. “You came?”
“I did, yeah,” Stella replied. “How drunk are you right now?”
“A little. Want a drink? I’ll buy.”
“Arlowe, why are you not surprised that Stella is here?” Violet asked.
“Oh, because I stole your phone when we were toasting in the living room earlier, and I texted her and told her to show.”
“How do you know my password?”
“What are you talking about? Hi. I’m Arlowe.” Arlowe waved at her. “I’m pretty techy. Besides, I set up my face on Face ID on all your phones whenever you get a new one, and your password is 154794. Enya’s is–”
“Hey!” Enya stopped her.
“What is 154794?” Stella asked.
“Can we maybe stop sharing my phone password with the entire club? It’s just random numbers that I will now be changing.” She looked from Arlowe to Stella. “More secure that way unless your roommate is a nosy computer software engineer.”
Arlowe laughed her drunk laugh and said, “I’m glad you could make it. Violet is, too.”
“No, she’s not. So, I should go.” Stella reached for her phone, which Violet didn’t realize that she was still holding, and added, “I’m sorry. I thought I was invited.” She tucked her phone into her pocket. “Maybe… call me tomorrow or something, like you’d planned.”
Stella turned then, escaping Arlowe’s arm around her shoulders, and walked in the direction of the club’s door. She looked disappointed, which made Violet feel horrible, so she smacked Arlowe on the shoulder.
“What the hell, Arlowe? Why would you do that?”
“Because you like her, and she likes you.”
“Arlowe, you can’t just invite the woman Violet is having sex with places,” Enya said.
“Well, Violet is being an idiot, and she knows it. She could’ve bought Stella a drink, danced with her, talked a little, and ended the night with a girlfriend or something, but she’s stubborn.”
“That’s what you took from our little talk this weekend?”
“Okay, full disclosure… I had about half that bottle of champagne and a beer, so I was feeling all the alcohol when I saw your phone on the couch. I thought it was a good idea at the time.”
“You know…” Violet pointed at Arlowe. “I’ve thought about finding Eline on social, like, a million times just to see if she’s single or not for you, but I haven’t done that because that’s something you have to want to do for yourself.”
“What? What does she have to do with anything?”
“She’s the only woman you’ve ever loved, and you still think about her, but you think she’s probably married by now, so you don’t look her up because it would hurt too much. I don’t want you to hurt, so I don’t look her up, either.”
“Well, thanks, Violet, but now I want you to think about something for a minute here.”
“What?”
“You just compared my old relationship, which, in the grand scheme of things, might not have been all that long but mattered to me a lot, to the woman you claim to only want to sleep with. I loved Eline. I would have done anything to get to have more with her, but I couldn’t seem to work out how.
Maybe think about that before you get upset with me about inviting Stella tonight. ”
Arlowe turned and walked back out to the dance floor.
“Do you want to go?” Enya checked. “Sarai is still dancing, but I can just text her that we went home.”
“Yeah, I think I’m done here,” Violet said. “Let’s go.”