Eliana's POV
"Well, well, look who finally decided to come back," Sophia said, raising her glass, the moment I reached her and Juliette in the club. "You've been gone for, what, half an hour? Or was it a lifetime?"
"Don't even try to pretend nothing happened." Juliette said with a teasing smirk.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I said sliding into the booth beside them, pretending composure while stealing a sip of Juliette's drink.
"Oh, come on!" Sophia gasped dramatically. "You disappear with the hot guy and come back looking like you just starred in a perfume commercial titled Regret Nothing?"
"Please tell me it was good." Juliette said, leaning forward, eyes bright with mischief "No—don't tell me. Wait. Actually, tell me."
"You two have way too much imagination." I said with a shy laugh. rolling my eyes.
"Sweetheart, we don't need imagination. You're glowing." Sophia shot back.
"I'm not—" I started, but stopped when I caught my reflection in the mirrored wall behind them. Jesus Christ. My lipstick was half gone and my hair was a little messy. I looked like… well, exactly what they thought.
Juliette burst out laughing moving closer to me suddenly as if expecting me to give her the juice about the details.
"Oh my God, you did! You actually—"
"Shut up!" I clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Our little Eliana just joined the scandal club!" Sophia threw her head back, laughing.
Juliette mumbled something into my hand, and I reluctantly let go.
"You guys are the worst." I said.
"We're the realest," Sophia corrected. "Now, spill before I start writing fanfiction."
"You're unbelievable." I groaned, leaning back.
"Unbelievably correct." Sophia said.
"Okay, fine. Don't tell us details. Just blink twice if it was good." Juliette said, crossing her arms.
I shot her a look, she smirked and I reluctantly blinked twice.
Both of them shrieked and high-fived across the table like teenagers.
"I knew it!" Juliette crowed. "That man looked like he knew things."
"Like how to rearrange your whole worldview." Sophia nodded sagely.
"You two need therapy," I said through my laughter. "Separate ones."
"So do you, sweetheart, but for entirely different reasons." Sophia said, still laughing.
I tried to look unbothered, sipping my drink, but the truth was my heart was still racing. Partly from the teasing and mostly from the memory of Asa.
I didn't get to dwell on it long, though, because Juliette suddenly froze as if she had seen a ghost or something. Her gaze flicked toward the bar, and her teasing grin slipped into something… else.
I followed her line of sight. A woman stood near the bar, her back to us, ordering a drink.
"Oh. That's the girl, isn't it?" Sophia said with a smirk the moment she noticed too.
"What girl?" Juliette asked in pretense.
"The one you made out with during your sad breakup monologue," Sophia said, swirling her drink. "Please don't act innocent."
I grinned, watching Juliette's ears turn pink.
"Wow, you really do have a type." I said.
"I'm not doing this with you two." Juliette groaned.
"Come on, go do it with her again." Sophia teased, giving Juliette a nudge.
"Sophia!" Juliette shot her a glare.
But before she could say anything else, our mystery girl turned and their eyes met. And I swear I saw Juliette melt like ice as she smiled like a four year old. And then the girl started walking toward us.
"Oh my God, she's coming," Sophia whispered under her breath.
Juliette's hands flew straight to her hair trying to put herself in order and look good.
"Does it look messy? Does it look like I've been crying again?"
"You look fine," I said, trying not to laugh. "Relax."
"Hey." our mystery girl said, the moment she reached out booth. "I thought that was you."
"Zara. Hi." Juliette's lips curved, nervous but genuine.
"Hi." Zara's eyes softened.
For a moment, they just looked at each other. Then Zara's gaze flicked toward Sophia and me.
"Mind if I join you?" She asked.
"Please do." Sophia gestured grandly. "We were just about to interrogate Juliette about you, but this is even better."
Zara laughed — a light, honest sound that made even Sophia pause.
"Interrogate, huh?"
"Don't worry, she's mostly harmless." Eliana said leaning forward, smiling.
"Mostly," Zara echoed with a smile, then slid into the booth beside Juliette.
The mood in the air shifted a little bit. It became lighter somehow, easy. It was as if everyone completely forgot I just finished f**king Asa at the back of the building and focused entirely on Juliette and her little mystery woman, Zara.
"I didn't think I'd see you again." Juliette said, trying to recover her cool.
"It's my night off." Zara said, shrugging softly. "I almost didn't come, but my friend dragged me out."
"Good friend," Sophia said, raising her glass. "Otherwise we'd miss this reunion."
Juliette shot her a warning look, but Zara only smiled.
"It's okay. I'm glad I came." She said.
Sophia and I decided to move a little bit to the side, pretending we had some important matters to talk about, giving Zara and Juliette a little privacy.
They spoke for a little, giggling and teasing each other lightly as if we were watching some rom-com movie. And just like that: Zara and Juliette started kissing right in front of us. And I don't mean some soft and innocent kiss.
"Freaky..." Sophia teased out loud.
The four of us started laughing loudly and carried on with the moment. I motioned to one of the serving waters to bring to us a round of drinks in honour of Zara.
While we all sat there enjoying ourselves, I pulled out Asa's new card from my purse and my mind traced off thinking about him. I quickly saved his contact, making up my mind to give him a call by morning — or a text.