over. There's something nice about being with someone
who already knows al your faults and likes you anyway…
or at least doesn't like you any less because of them.
She had a new boyfriend. Tony something-or-other, I
didn't recognize the name. Kira had never mentioned him
in her text messages or occasional e-mails to me, but the
way she dropped it casualy into our conversation now
meant she wanted me to ask about him.
'How long have you been going out?' I leveled a shot of
Cuervo and studied it, not sure I wanted to take it. Once
upon a time I'd been able to toss them back without fear
of the consequences, but I hadn't done much drinking
lately. I pushed it toward her, instead.
Kira drank back the shot with a practiced gulp. 'Since just
after you moved. A long time.'
I didn't feel as if it had been that long, but anything longer
than three months was a record of sorts with her. 'Good
for you.'
She wrinkled her nose. 'Whatever. He's good in bed and
buys me shit. And he has a fucking awesome car. He's got
a job. He's not a loser.'
'Al good things.' I had slightly higher standards, or at least now I did, but I smiled at her description of him and
wrapped up the papers from our food.
Kira got up to help me. 'Yeah. I guess so. He's a good
guy.'
Which said more than anything else she had. I shot her a
look. Times did change, I reminded myself. So did people.
When it came time to get ready to go out, though, the Kira
I knew faked a gag. 'Gawd, don't wear that.'
I looked down at my low-rise jeans. They were boot cut. I
I looked down at my low-rise jeans. They were boot cut. I
had boots. I even had a cute cap-sleeved T-shirt. The
hours of working out I'd been putting in lately were paying
off. 'What's wrong with what I have on?'
Kira swung open my closet door and rummaged around
inside. 'Don't you have anything…better?'
High school was a long time ago, I wanted to say, but
looking at her short denim skirt and tight, bely-baring
blouse, I figured my comment would be lost. I shrugged,
instead.
'I know you have hotter clothes than that.' Kira
reappeared from my closet with a handful of shirts and
skirts I remembered buying but hadn't worn in a long time.
She tossed the clothes onto my bed, where they spread
out in a month's worth of outfits.
I picked up a silky tank top in a pretty shade of lavender
and a stretchy black skirt. I held them up to myself in front
of my ful-length mirror. Then I put them back on the bed.
'No, thanks,' I said. 'I'l wear what I've got on. It's comfortable.'
