**Sara**
"What the hell, Matt?" I scrambled to my feet, nearly toppling over again in my heels.
Matt touched his reddening cheek, looking stunned. "I... I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."
"Sorry? You're sorry?" My voice rose an octave. "You show up uninvited, knock me over, and then kiss me without my consent, and all you can say is sorry?"
"I thought... I mean, we used to..."
"Used to, Matt. Past tense. As in, not anymore. As in, never again!"
I smoothed down my dress, trying to regain some semblance of dignity. "Get up and get out. Now."
Matt scrambled to his feet, still looking dazed. "Sara, please. Can't we just talk?"
"Oh, we're way past talking." I pointed down the hallway. "Leave. Before I call security."
"But-"
"Now, Matt!"
He opened his mouth, then closed it again. With a defeated sigh, he turned and trudged down the hallway, leaving a trail of crushed petals in his wake.
I waited until he disappeared around the corner before I slumped against the doorframe, my heart pounding. "Well, that was a disaster," I muttered to myself.
Just then, the elevator dinged, and Jessica's voice floated down the hall. "Sara? You ready to par-tay?"
I groaned inwardly. Of course, Jessica would show up right now. I plastered a fake smile as she rounded the corner, her eyes widening as she took in the scene.
"Sara? What happened here? Did you get into a fight with a florist?"
I let out a nervous laugh. "Not quite. It's... a long story."
Jessica's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the crushed petals and my disheveled appearance. "Uh-huh. And does this long story have anything to do with why you look like you just wrestled a bouquet?"
"Can we just... not talk about it?" I pleaded, stepping aside to let her into my apartment.
"Oh, honey," Jessica said, her voice dripping with mock sympathy. "You know that's not how this works. Spill."
I sighed, closing the door behind us. "Fine. Matt showed up."
"Matt?" Jessica's eyebrows shot up. "As in, cheating ex-boyfriend Matt?"
"The one and only," I muttered, kicking off my heels and flopping onto the couch.
Jessica perched on the arm of the chair opposite me, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "And? What happened? Did you two... you know?" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"Ew, no!" I threw a pillow at her, which she deftly caught. "He tried to apologize. Again. With flowers."
"And you what? Decided to wear the flowers instead of putting them in a vase?"
"No, I tripped and fell on him. Then he kissed me, so I slapped him."
Jessica's mouth dropped open. "You slapped him? Go, Sara!"
"It's not funny. It was awful and awkward, and now I just want to crawl into bed and forget that this day ever happened."
"Oh no, you don't," Jessica said, jumping up and pulling me to my feet. "We are going out, remember? A little dancing, a few drinks, and you'll forget about Professor Hottie and Cheating Ex-Boyfriend."
"I don't know," I hesitated. "Maybe we should just stay in. I could make some popcorn, we could watch a movie..."
Jessica fixed me with a stern look. "You did not get all dolled up in that smoking hot dress just to sit on your couch and mope. We are going out, and that's final."
"Fine, fine. You win. Let me just fix my makeup, and we can go."
As I headed to the bedroom, Jessica called out, "And hurry up! The night's not getting any younger, and neither are we!"
I snorted, shaking my head as I reapplied my lipstick. Maybe going out wasn't such a bad idea after all. At the very least, it had to be better than the disaster that was my evening so far.
A few minutes later, we were in Jessica's car, cruising down the street with the windows down and the music blasting. Jessica bobbed her head to the beat, singing along off-key to some pop song I didn't recognize.
"So," she shouted over the music, "what's our game plan for tonight? Are we looking for Mr. Right, Mr. Right Now, or just planning to dance our troubles away?"
"Definitely not looking for any 'Mr.' anything. I think I've had enough guy drama to last me a lifetime."
"Spoilsport," Jessica pouted. "Fine, dancing it is. But don't think you're getting out of talking about this whole Professor Blackwood situation."
"Can we please just forget about that for one night?"
"Nope!" Jessica grinned, popping the 'p'. "That's what best friends are for, darling—to pry into every juicy detail of your love life."
"Some best friend you are," I muttered.
We pulled up to the pub, the bass from the music inside vibrating. As we exited the car, Jessica linked her arm through mine.
"Ready to par-tay?" she asked, bouncing on her toes excitedly.
I pushed thoughts of Matt and Tom to the back of my mind. "You know what? I think I am."
"That's my girl! Now, let's go show these boys what they're missing."
As we stepped into the pub, the pulsing beat of the music hit me like a wall. The place was packed, bodies writhing on the dance floor and the air thick with the smell of sweat and alcohol. Jessica grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the bar.
"Two tequila shots!" she shouted at the bartender, who nodded and reached for the bottle.
"Jess, I don't know if I'm ready for-"
"Nonsense!" she cut me off, sliding a shot glass in front of me. "Bottoms up, buttercup!"
I sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing. We clinked glasses and threw back the shots. The liquor burned its way down my throat, making me cough and sputter.
Jessica laughed, slapping me on the back. "That's it, girl! Let's get this party started!"
Just then, a familiar face materialized at Jessica's elbow. It was Brad, the guy she'd hooked up with last time.
I felt a twinge of discomfort, remembering how Jess had spilled all the steamy details of their one-night stand over brunch the following day. He flashed a grin, showcasing a set of blindingly white teeth that seemed to glow in the dim lighting. I recalled Jessica's vivid description of how those same teeth had left marks on her neck. The memory made me squirm, and I found myself desperately wishing for another shot to dull the awkwardness of the moment.
"Ladies! Fancy seeing you here again."
Jessica's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "Brad! What a... pleasant surprise."
A pleasant surprise, my foot. I'd bet my last dollar she'd texted him our location when we left my apartment.
Brad leaned close to Jessica, his lips touching her ear as he spoke. I couldn't hear what he was saying over the music, but judging by the way Jessica giggled and blushed, it was probably something that would make me want to bleach my ears.
"Sara, you don't mind if I dance with Brad for a bit, do you?" Jessica asked, already backing towards the dance floor.
"No, go ahead," I waved her off. "I'll just... hang out here. At the bar. Alone. Again."
But Jessica was already gone, disappearing into the crowd with Brad in tow. I turned back to the bar and ordered another drink. So much for girls' night out.
I nursed my drink, watching Jessica and Brad ground against each other on the dance floor. It was less like dancing and more like vertical foreplay. I grimaced, averting my eyes. You just didn't need to see your best friend doing some things.
As I scanned the room, trying to find literally anything else to look at, my eyes landed on a familiar face. My heart dropped to my stomach. No. It couldn't be. But it was.
Tom was sitting at a table across the room, surrounded by a group of people who looked to be about his age.
Of all the pubs in the city, he had to walk into this one. I quickly turned away, hoping he hadn't spotted me. The last thing I needed tonight was another awkward encounter with Professor Blackwood.