Chapter 33

• It had been about an hour since Haddie's pep talk, and Annabelle's confidence, bolstered by her steady intake of alcohol, was back in full force. They had danced and socialized with some of Haddie's co-workers and were currently sitting at the purple booth, taking a breather before hitting the floor again. Annabelle had tried desperately to not search out Nicholas in the club during this time, attempting to ignore the fact that he was probably kissing someone somewhere in the vicinity. But her eyes flitted here and there whenever she saw a big mob of people. Haddie had also noted Annabelle watching for him and tried to be subtle about it, assuring her that he was probably busy with Merit Rum executives. Annabelle appreciated the explanation, her friend's attempt to make her feel better, so she pushed him out of her head, or at least tried to, with the aid of another Tom Collins.
• Haddie's drinks had disappeared at a much slower pace than Annabelle's since she was technically "at work" and wanted to make sure she had all her faculties. Annabelle had a steady buzz, but she wasn't drunk by any means, as she hated the lack of control that came with too much alcohol. Haddie laughed at her as she asked for the third time about a situation with a pretentious A-lister she had to deal with earlier in the week.
• "Annabelle, my dear, you are—"