Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Charles treated Sabrina to a quiet dinner, but she was all about hitting the shops next because her laptop bit the dust. They spent the whole afternoon window shopping and finally scored a laptop that set Charles back by over 3 thousand dollars.
Sabrina was stoked about her tasty dinner and her brand–new laptop, courtesy of Charles. She was bouncing off the walls.
with excitement.
When they rolled up to the Starlight Bar, the staff knew them by sight and showed them to their usual VIP spot. Charles wanted to make sure they all got home safe. He was on the soft suff, not the hard stuff.
Sabrina went for a cocktail. Seeing Charles with a non–alcoholic drink made her feel chill, knowing he’d be the DD for her and Abby later. Since Sabrina had the next day off, she was thinking of getting dropped at Abby’s cozy pad for a slumber
party.
As their drinks touched down. Abby strolled in.
Sabrina popped up and grabbed Abby’s arm, “Abby! You got her in a flash! I was just about to buzz you.”
“I had a movie set thing, but the star bailed last minute, so I swung by here after work,” Abby said.
“What’s your poison, Abby?” Charles asked.
“I’ll take what Sabrina’s having. Abby co
settling in. Charles lagged down the waiter and ordered the same for her.
Sabrina and Abby were tight because they were close in age, so they had a ton to gab about. Abby was always in the loop with the bigwigs in showbiz and had all the freshest dirt.
Sabrina got the lowdown on the messy showbiz scene from Abby Some folks seemed cool but were total jerks behind the scenes. If there was any buzz about them and Fred, it got even more scandalous. With that in mind, Sabrina figured it was smarter to just keep up with the gossip instead of getting into any celeb drama.
“Who’s the star?” Sabrina asked casually.
“Who else? It’s Clara, the new hotshot everyone’s yapping about She’s got an attitude, you wouldn’t believe how tough she can be.” Abby whispered back.
“She’s the one who just made waves with Fred? Wow, he’s got a knack for picking them,” Sabrina said, unfazed.
The two girls huddled closer, dishing the latest showbiz scoop as Abby filled Sabrina in.
As Abby casually dropped Hayden’s name, Sabrina’s heart skipped a beat. “Hayden’s been in Meadowland for almost a week now. Have you heard from him?”
“Why would I… why would I hit him up?” Sabrina stammered, suddenly feeling jittery about Hayden being mentioned.
“Are you really throwing in the towel on him?” Abby asked straight up. She thought if her bestle had a thing for her bro, why not go for it? Having Sabrina as a sis–in–law would be ace–no drama with the in–laws and their mom loved Sabrina. So, that was a win.
“Shhi Sabrina clapped a hand over Abby’s mouth, hearing her lead comment. She pecked at Charles, who was preoccupied with his drink, and exhaled, hoping he hadn’t caught their secret
Only Abby knew about Sabrina’s crush on Hayden because it slipped out one tipsy night at Abby’s place. Sabrina usually
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kept her feelings on lockdown, pretending Hayden was just another friends when they were in public.
Meanwhile, Charles was scoping the bar when he spotted a women who looked just like Shawn’s old flame, Tracy. Before he could get a better look, she vanished. Turning back, he asked the girls, “What are you two whispering about? Want to hit the dance floor??
“When’s Hayden coming back?” Abby asked, echoing Sabrina’s thoughts.
“Don’t you know your own bro?” Charles teased.
“He wouldn’t tell me. My parents probably don’t have a clue either, Abby sighed.
It was true; Hayden was always on the go and checked in when the mood struck. He was super independent, and his folks had gotten used to it.
“I’m not sure either. We had an online huddle yesterday, and things are pretty much wrapped up. They should all be back soon, Charles filled them in.
Just thinking about Hayden coming back made Sabrina grin.
“Once Shawn’s back, Natalie will probably swing by too. When she’s around, I can take you both out for a bite, Charles said. He had a serious food fetish–he couldn’t go a day without his fave grub,
Both girls lit up at the mention of free eats but quickly agreed to wait until Shawn was out of the picture. His frosty vibe could scare anyone off, and they definitely didn’t want any of that
Just then, a familiar voice cut through their chat. “Charles, is that really you? I thought I saw you from across the way but wasn’t sure! I had to come over and check. And you two must be Sabrina and Abby, right? Wow, you’ve both you’re almost done with school!” It was Tracy, sauntering over with a friendly grin, acting all familial.
grown so much;
Sabrina and Abby swapped glances, barely holding in their giggles, seeing Charles was usually quiet as a mouse, so they kept
schtum.
Charles looked up, acknowledging Tracy as she stood there with her drink. He confirmed to himself that he hadn’t been hallucinating; it was indeed her.
Feeling a bit out of place with the silence, Tracy pushed on, “Can I sit down?”
“Sure!” Charles replied, unsure what Shawn would think about Tracy, especially since he’d set her up in the Charles didn’t want to be rude either.
apartment.
When Sabrina and Abby heard Shawn talk, they didn’t chime in much. They’d only met Tracy once, ages ago, and weren’t close. Plus, Tracy hadn’t shown at Shawn’s proposal bash. Now that Shawn was hitched, Tracy popped up again. Both girls smelled something fishy.
They’d already sized her up back then, so they weren’t keen on engaging. Instead, they stuck to their own convo.
Seeing the girls were deep in chat, Tracy felt a bit awkward trying to butt in. So, she shifted her focus to Charles, hoping to scoop some deets about Shawn from him.
Lately, Tracy had been trying to get a word with Shawn but got dio silence. Her calls went to voicemail too. To grab his attention, she’d been inviting friends over, hoping to bump into shawn or his crew. After waiting for days, she finally spotted Charles. Of all Shawn’s pals, Charles seemed like one of the easier ones to shoot the breeze with.
Tracy knew the Starlight Bar was owned by Hayden, which meant these guys had the VIP section on lock. Those seats were
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9.42%.
the prime real estate in the bar. Even when the place was jam–packed, that section was never opened to the public; it was reserved for Shawn and his mates.
This exclusivity was a huge draw for the bar, luring in many who wanted to catch a glimpse of these guys because they were the bomb in Janisburg.
Plus, aside from Shawn, all the other guys were unattached. Even though Shawn was married, there wasn’t an official ceremony, and whispers went around that he didn’t really dig his wife. Not long ago, gossip about him and Tracy had surfaced, but it died down quick. Onlookers figured it was a sign of guilt, which only stoked the fantasies of girls who were lucky enough to see them.
Tracy hit the bar with a few friends she wasn’t super tight with. When they saw her raise her glass and strut toward the VIP area, making herself at home, they couldn’t help but think that Shawn must still have a thing for her.
Their whispers turned into compliments, and envious glances flew her way. Tracy lapped up the spotlight and was eating up. all the attention and admiration she was getting.
