Page 95 of Semantics

“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.