CHAPTER 17
That night, Evan got home exhausted. After bidding her sister and her family farewell, she had gotten a flight back immediately to Los Angeles to attend an important meeting. The meeting had lasted all night. Early the following day, desperately craving a massage, she reached out to Zoe and got them a spot at the Spa. Zoe soon joined her, but to her dismay, she brought Mary with her.
"Hey, look what the cat dragged in." Evan said, not bothering to hide her annoyance. She turned to Zoe, "I needed this. Why did you bring her?"
"This has gone on long enough. It would help if you guys settled already." Zoe scolded them both, looking at them pointedly.
Evan smirked, "Is that what she told you? Because if it is, that's a lie. She has some vendetta, and she isn't done yet."
"No. She isn't." Zoe defended, "Mary?"
"She has a point there, Zoe. I don't think we can settle this. She doesn't want Logan anymore. Why can't I have him?" She threw the words at them, uncaring.
"Because it's the girls' code. Everyone knows that. You don't date, sleep with or befriend your friend's ex."
"Then, she did all that, not me. Logan was my friend before she stole him."
"Please, stop making things up. You introduced us to."
"And you stole him."
"Mary!" Zoe yelled angrily. "Have some shame and let's settle this and move on. Please, you both." She pleaded with both friends who were standing so close and venting off alarmingly. She stood between them, turning left and right to catch their faces.
"Have some shame? I didn't even sleep with the guy. So what did I do wrong? And what about you... The perfect little friend who knew all along yet feigned ignorance. At least, I didn't hide mine." Mary said.
Evangeline stepped back, "What is she talking about?" She tapped Zoe, who had her back to her, then turned her friend to face her. Mary left without a backward glance. What she intended to do had to be out in motion.
"It's something that happened a while back."
"I'm all ears then." She sat down, as did her friend. "So?"
"That day, I went to the club. The one we started frequenting around Maroon. Logan was there, and so was Mary. She was sitting on his laps and groping him. To him, it meant nothing as they were friends and all. I'm not sure he even realized what she was doing."
"Where was I?" Evan asked.
"Away. I'm not sure where. Either you had a business deal, or you were in Miami with Adriana."
Her answer made Evan think more about her work ethics. It seemed she had been too focused on that not to see what was going on around her. She tried recalling how her sister had painted it, shutting out the world while making money?
"Okay, and?" She urged her friend to continue the event that unfolded.
"I was so angry I called her out." She shifted uncomfortably. "I told her to back down. That it was obvious what she was trying to do with Logan. I called her a slut who wanted to bed her friend's man." She sighed, "She was so angry she blurted out that you stole him from her and that..."
"What?"
"She loves him."
Evangeline sat up straight, "Wow, okay, Zoe. That's something. But why didn't you tell me?"
"I knew you love him. Hearing her say that, it was just wrong. I thought we shouldn't tell you. So, I warned her seriously to drop the idea and let Logan go. She agreed that the man was totally into you and didn't look her way at all. So, I assumed that ended it. That was why I called her out the day we were at the spa."
"Oh." Evan said, remembering that particular incident. "So it happened before that day."
"Yes. If I had told you.... we could have avoided this drama."
"You think? Nah. This would have happened either way. Mary wasn't ready to back down."
Zoe hugged her friend so tight she started to cough. When she was released, Evan asked, "What was that for?"
"For being so cool about all this." Her friend said, cheering her on. "Your phone." she said suddenly as the phone vibrated against her thigh. "Jason Valdez?"
"Yes." Evan mouthed before moving away to take the call. "Hey." She said into the phone.
Zoe watched from the corner as her friend told him about the old cottage and the house hunting that didn't go well.
"I might have to stay with Adriana for the time. It's just three months anyway. She's going to over-pamper me."
Jason grinned on the other end, "What if I have a better solution?" He asked, "I live here too. And I've got a massive building."
"This is okay for me. Trust me." She told him. He asked how she was and then ended the call soon as she said she was okay.
"So, this is still on?" Zoe asked as soon as she ended the call. Evan smiled and nodded. "And you're staying with Adriana." She commented, "Why?"
"Oh, just for the first trimester." she said.
