Page 14 of Unravel Me

I glance down at my college sweatpants and glare at her outfit; a wrap-around, preppy mini-dress and heels.

Penny doesn’t set down her purse, clearly riding a different energy wave than I am.

“Okay, change of plans.”

The blood rushes to my head, and the toile wallpaper on the wall behind her starts to swirl as I spring to my feet.

“Not feeling Mediterranean food anymore?” I joke, picking at my manicured nails and then stop. They are the only put together thing about me. I need to make them last.

“Oh no, we are still grabbing dinner. I've been dreaming about spanakopita, but we are going out tonight. I can’t watch you roll around on the sofa any longer. You’re starting to make me really sad.” Penny’s lips curl up into a mischievous grin.

I shove my hands in my hoodie pocket, glancing at my sweatpants then back at my best friend.

“I’m still in mourning, you brat.”

“No, you’re in self-destruction mode. Jackson sucks, this sucks, but I'm not going to watch you waste away in here. I’m not saying you need to find a new man tonight…but you need to keep living, okay?”

“I don’t know…” I moaned, kind of wishing I would’ve locked my front door and pretended I wasn’t home.

“Let’s make a deal. Let me take control, just for one night. If it goes horribly wrong, I will let you go back to sulking and eating takeout every day. But if it goes well…you promise to remember life isn’t over, and you pick yourself up.” She stares me dead in the eye. “He may have derailed your plans, but he didn’t take your crown. You’re still Audrey Elson. And tonight, we are going out.”

“Okay,” I squeak out. “But can I be anyone but Audrey Elson? I’m really sick of her.”

“You can be anyone you want, babe.” She smiles, whipping her blond hair behind her back.

“Okay. Let’s get this over with,” I add, and Penny jumps up and down squealing. Her pink glossy lips break into a huge smile, which makes me smile but then realization hits. This city isn’t that small…but the circle of people and the places we frequent are.

“What? Why that face?”

“I don’t want to run into him or his friends. We can’t go to any of the usual spots.”

I knew for a fact Jackson was out living his best, little ego-filled, trust-fund-baby life. His Instagram stories were evidence. Last night it looked like he was at his own bachelor party, and that was the last straw. I finally got the guts to block him once and for all.

“Okay….” Penny was thinking, pulling out her phone, her fingers moving fast. “Leave it to me, I think I have an idea. We can go somewhere totally new. Somewhere I know for a fact Jackson nor any of his asshole friends would go.”

I couldn’t lie and say the idea of going somewhere new thrilled me. I was a creature of habit and familiarity.

But look how much that’s done for me.

Penny insisted we get ready at her house, but before we left my apartment, she instructed me to shower, so I did without reluctance. I also didn't fight it as she ransacked my closet while I blew out my hair, deciding on big bouncy curls. She held up various pieces of clothing, nodding and biting her lip, throwing items into my overnight bag. Twenty minutes later, my best friend and savior grabbed my hand like I was a lost toddler and guided me out of my sad apartment.

She was right about another thing—spanakopita did solve a lot of problems.

Chapter ten

Audrey

After dinner, we went to Penny’s to finish getting ready. It was quarter to eight and she still hadn’t told me where we were going. She threw down clothing options for me to wear on her bed.

“Penny, I am not wearing your rhinestone cowgirl boots!” I swipe them to the side with my foot. There was an obvious theme evolving here with the outfits, and I wasn’t sure I was on board with it.

“We’re going to a casual place. Your Soren Devereaux little black dress will not do here. You don’t want to stand out like a sore thumb, do you?”

I picked up tiny denim shorts and a lacy black corset bodysuit she paired underneath.

“I’m concerned that wherever we are going this outfit won't stand out.” I held up the bodysuit, something that was definitely from one of Penny’s bachelorette trips to Nashville. Not that I didn’t think I'd look good in it…but I was someone who liked to be understated. By all means, I actually did want to blend in.

“Audrey, please try it on for me. This isn’t just us going out. This is your ‘fuck Jackson, I’m a new woman’ redemption night. It’s your debut into society as a single woman.”