Miss Independent Read Free Page A

wondering what the hell had just happened to mine. I’ve got no closure – I’ve NEVER had closure from this. After all these years of listening to me, it astounds me that you never realized that.” She paused. “I just did what I always do, I moved on and acted as if my life was too great to continue giving a shit. People bought it and so I kept up the charade, chucking deuces everywhere I went when I was constantly asked about them and THEIR life together, practically donning a No Fucks To Give t-shirt on the daily when I was running basic errands to the grocery store or SoHo. So yeah, I’m still pissed and I’ll remain pissed until he can at least get off her pussy long enough to pick up a phone, dial my number and fucking apologize for screwing me out of a life that should’ve been mine.”
    Nikki’s heart sank for her friend. She puckered her brows and looked to the floor. “Do you still want that life with him, V? Even after everything he’s done?”
    She exhaled deeply and placed a hand on her chest in an effort to gather her thoughts. “It would’ve been nice to have had the option then. But now… now, he broke whatever trust I ever had in him. I miss what could’ve been and that’s what I’m most angry about. Sometimes I blame myself, most times I blame him.”
    Nikki gulped. “I guess I didn’t know it still affected you as deeply as this. I mean, I knew, but… I didn’t.”
    “Yeah, well…” Vanessa tucked her hair behind her ears and shook her head as a variation of memories from over the years came flooding back to her all at once. “My therapist says I hide it well, even though it’s unhealthy.”
                  “It’s healthier to let it out.” Nikki nervously looked around the room.  “But, probably not like this.”
                  Vanessa looked throughout her office as her employees and even passersby were staring in both shock and fear.
    Her assistant got up from her desk and peeked her head inside. “Do you want me to tell them that you suffered an aneurysm and you need a minute?”
                  “There’s a bottle of vodka in my mother’s office. Why don’t you get it and just set this place on fire with me in it.”
                  Samantha looked over at Nikki, who gradually shook her head no. She backed out of the room and tried to move those pointing and staring away from Vanessa’s direction and door.
                  Vanessa spun around and nibbled her lip. She leaned back and frowned. “I don’t recall making the ‘no day drinking’ thing official.”
    “It became official right after Page Six smeared your name all over their cover, remember? We went out to celebrate you getting the job and you got so plastered, you passed out in the middle of the Biltmore hotel. I’d never seen your mom so pissed, I thought she was going to kill me.”
    “And yet look at you! Still alive to tell the tale. Nikki, my mom is in Paris. My ex-boyfriend is getting married. My ex- best friend is trying to rub my face in it, and my current best friend is giving me a look that only works if you’re a dog in need of a home. I don’t care about Page Six . I care about clouding my mind so that I don’t have to keep thinking about what could’ve been.”
                  Nikki stood up and walked over to her. “I just don’t think this is a very good idea, V. You’ve hardly eaten lunch and your breakfast was a cinnamon roll.”
                  “My breakfast was that invitation. And now I need lunch to properly digest it. Preferably with vodka and Worcestershire sauce.” She went behind her desk and grabbed her coat and purse, slipping the strap on her shoulder. “Besides, these people need at least a day to forget the words, ‘dick’ and ‘pussy’, came out of my mouth before 2pm.”
     
    Part Two
    After helplessly watching her friend down what seemed to be an unending amount of