“It's pretty great.” I agreed.
“Great? It's fucking perfect! This is the only suite with it's own personal hot tub!”
“Of course it is.” I teased.
She rolled her eyes. “What do you say we order some wine, and unwind?”
I grabbed my phone from the bed where I'd tossed it, and checked the time. It was only noon, but if I was being honest I wasn't in the mood to do much of anything. I shrugged my shoulders, setting my phone back down.
“Why the hell not. There's nothing wrong with a little day drinking.”
Before I could say anything else on the matter, she dashed back through the door she'd just entered, slamming it for good measure. I shook my head, before grabbing one of my suitcases from the floor and placing it on the bed. I dug around a little, finding my favorite aqua colored bikini. I've had it for years, but it was so damn comfortable that I couldn't bring myself to part with it.
After changing out of my clothes I tied my hair up into a messy bun on top of my head, and grabbed a towel from the bathroom. I was just about to head out onto the patio, when my phone pinged in my hand. I glanced at the screen, and saw that it was a text from Derek. I knew I shouldn't have given him my new number, but I was weak when it came to him.
D: Baby girl, please just let me know you're safe.
I stared at the screen for a while. Debating on whether or not I should answer. I bit my bottom lip in thought, before ultimately deciding that I should.
R: We've made it to Virginia.
D: Can I call you later?
R: No.
D: Please?
Instead of responding, I powered my phone off and set it down on the bedside table. No more distractions. I opened the sliding door that led to the patio, to find Morgan already sitting in the hot tub. She had a sun hat, and an over sized pair of sunglasses on, and she waved me over enthusiastically.
“This feels amazing.” She gushed, as she reached for her glass of wine. “The manager sent us a bottle on the house, and if we need more all we have to do is ask!”
I set my towel down on one of the lounge chairs, and climbed up the small set of stairs that led into the hot tub. The temperature of the water was perfect, and when I sat down my body instantly relaxed. Morgan handed me a glass of wine, and I took a long sip before leaning my head back and closing my eyes.
“We need to get one of these for our new place.” Morgan said, draining her glass.
I laughed, opening my eyes to look at her. “Are you serious?”
“Can you imagine coming home to something like this after a long day at the boutique?”
“It's a luxury we can't afford just yet.”
“Think about all the hotties we could invite back to our place?”
“You mean all the hotties you could invite back to our place?”
“Potato, Patahto.” She shrugged, pouring herself another glass of wine.
The two of us sat, sipping wine, and enjoying the relaxing jets from the hot tub for the next two hours. The wine had gone to our heads, and we were laughing, and joking about everything under the sun. We somehow got on the subject of high school, and then all the poor dating decisions that Morgan had made. I was laughing so hard by the end of that conversation, that she had to splash water on me just to get me to stop.
With our inhibitions lowered, our conversations became more, and more personal.
“Did you love Derek?” I asked suddenly. “I mean, before we started dating?”
“No.” She said, without emotion. “He was a nice guy, but he was too cookie cutter for me.”
“Is that why you let me have him?”
She rose a brow in confusion. “Let you have him?”
I rolled my eyes. “He was the only one.”
“Are you drunk?” She laughed.
“I think so.” I giggled.
“Derek loves you.”
“Lovvvvved.” I slurred.
She shook her head. “No. It's always been you.”
“What do you mean?”
She sighed. “He used me to get to you.”
I laughed out loud this time. “You can't be serious.”
“It's true!” She said, crossing her fingers. “Scout's honor!”
“You were never a scout.” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
“It doesn't matter!” She snapped. “What does matter, is that Derek wanted you.”
I shook my head. “You let me have him. Every other guy was always off limits-”
“They weren't good enough for you.”
“Apparently neither was Derek.” I said, before emptying my glass.
“What's wrong, Ronnie? Really?”
“Nothing.” I said, as a tear slid down my cheek.
“Ronnie...” Morgan pressed.
“I'll never be you, Morgan. I'll never be good enough.”
She came over to sit beside me then, and put her arm around my shoulders. I laid my head on hers, and she let out a long sigh.
“I envy you.” She said, softly.
“Me?” I scoffed. “Why?”
“When people look at me they only see a pretty face. It wouldn't matter if I cured cancer, or invented the next best thing since sliced bread. They'll only ever judge me by my looks.”
“And what do people see when they look at me?” I asked.
“A confident, intelligent woman. When people talk to you, they respect you. No one ever takes me seriously.”
“I do.” I said lifting my head, and turning to face her. “No one can design like you, Morgan. You know exactly what looks good on which body type. You can look at a swatch of fabric, and turn it into something extraordinarily beautiful. I could never see the world in the same way that you do.”
We were both crying now. The three bottles of wine making us over emotional. I had intended on telling her how hurt I was. That it bothered me when she constantly stole the spotlight, but now I started to wonder if she just simply needed it more than I did. I never imagined her feeling the same way that I
