Page 17 of Down Beat

“For you maybe.” I shoot her a displeased frown and trudge from the room. “How long do I have?”

“Half an hour.” She sidesteps to see me down the hallway. “Put something short and sexy on.”

“Short how?” I holler back as I step into my bombsite of a room.

“I don’t care. Short top, short skirt, short shorts: whatever makes you irresistible. We’ll see if we can get free paninis.”

“Kendall,” I whine, flopping onto my bed face-first. “Why? Why do you do this to me?”

She startles the fuck out of me when she speaks from my doorway. “Because you’re young, you’re pretty, and its just downright sad watching you waste away like a bitter old spinster.”

“I like being a spinster,” I groan into the bedding. “Let me wallow in my self-pity.”

She takes hold of my arm and rolls me over. “Harden the fuck up, princess.”

“Your hands are like goddamn ice.” I swat them away, fending off the slouch top she tosses at me.

“Put that on. And your faux-leather booty shorts. Sexy, yet demure. You can’t go wrong with that.”

Ugh.

I emerge from my room fifteen minutes later to a dissatisfied sigh from Kendall. “What the fuck is that?”

“It’s comfort in troubling times, is what it is.” I readjust my baggy sweater so it covers my ass a bit more. “I have the shorts on. I compromised.”

“You look like a hobo in those worn boots.”

“And you look desperate,” I counter, gesturing to her tube top and tight skirt.

She scowls, and then thrusts my phone at me. “You missed a call, little miss sunshine.”

“How the hell did I not hear it?” I check the display to find John’s name.

“You left it on silent.” Kendall snatches up her purse, and then steers me to the door with a hand on my shoulder. “Ring him on the way.”

“Why?” I pocket the device and open the apartment door. “He probably wants to tell me when the next available booking is. I don’t want to know how far away it is, yet.”

Yep. I’m still sulking. What of it?

“You’re so fucking depressing,” Kendall moans as she locks the door behind us. “You need to lighten up.”

“Give me reason to.”

As though on cue, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I slide it out and pick up John’s call before it goes to voice mail again. “Hey.”

“Good. I got you this time.”

“Why? What’s the urgency?” I sass.

Kendall leads us out onto the street while I talk.

“Tell me you’re still in the city,” John asks.

“I’m still in the city.”

He sighs at my smart-ass response. “Are you really?”

“Yes.” I roll my eyes as we turn right and head downtown. “Why?”