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Chapter 4

Mickie James' Apartment, Manhattan, New York

Maria stood outside her best friend's apartment door. Without hesitation, she knocked loudly and waited for Mickie to appear. After a moment, the door was opened, "Hi … Can I come in and bitch to you for the evening?" She held up a bottle in her hand, "I have vodka."

Mickie smiled, "Sure, come on in."

"Thanks, I've had a shitty afternoon."

Mickie's smile faded, "Well that sucks, Sweetie. I take it things didn't go well with Jeff?"

"You could say that," Maria replied as she walked towards the couch and sat down. "You're not gonna believe what has happened."

The brunette stopped in the kitchen area to collect a couple of glasses and two cans of diet coke from the fridge. She then sat down right next to her friend and gave her a glass and the can of soda, "What is it?"

Maria rolled her eyes and poured herself a drink not even bothering with the soda, "Jeff's got himself invited to my client's wedding and to make matters worse, it's next Saturday."

Mickie frowned, "How'd he managed that?"

"By saving the day and being a big fat hero," Maria replied, "Stupid Jeff and his stupid wedding dresses."

Mickie laughed at her friend's mutterings, "What?"

The redhead shook her head, "My client has a disaster with her wedding dress. Some idiot at the original store somehow managed to make the final adjustments two sizes too small. So then her mom somehow gets Jeff's number and she calls him and he's all …" She paused for a moment to make air quotes, "Come on over and I'll fix you up cause I'm such a great guy."

Mickie started laughing, "Wow, you're not still bitter towards the guy at all are ya?"

Maria smacked her friend lightly in the arm, "Shut up. He's an asshole. And I thought we agreed never to mention that."

"Ria, it was two years ago. I really think you need to let it go."

Maria's jaw dropped in shock, "Let it go? It's gone. I let it go a long time ago."

Her best friend raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? Then why are you so bothered about him being at that wedding next Saturday?"

"I'm not," Maria protested.

"You totally are."

"Okay, I am but I have good reason to be … That asshole broke my heart."

"What? Why didn't I know about this?"

Maria sighed, "It's my own stupid fault. I shouldn't have gotten so attached to him so quickly. I mean we only went on four dates but I was gonna sleep with him."

The brunette's eyes nearly popped out of her head, "I repeat, what?"

"The night he stood me up, I was all ready to sleep with him. God, I'm so pathetic. It's been two years and I'm still not over him. I need another drink." She poured herself a double and downed it in one.

"Why didn't you say something about this sooner? Maybe you could have worked it out."

Maria poured yet more vodka into her empty glass, "No way, he obviously didn't like me that much or he wouldn't have no showed on our big date. I spent five hundred dollars on my dress. I had my hair done, I had my nails done, the whole fucking works and he didn't even have the guts to call me to cancel. And besides now he makes out like the whole thing never happened and he doesn't even know I exist."

"But you never let him explain why though did you? You just cut him off."

"Well he didn't exactly really try to tell me either. He gave up after I busted his chops the first time."

"Is that why you were rude to him this morning on the phone? You know what maybe you should talk to him about it … Maybe he's changed," Mickie replied hopefully.

Maria waved her friend off, "Pft, he hasn't changed, he's still the same. He hasn't even started work on your dress yet."

Mickie made a face, "You do remember that I'm not getting married for like a year right?"

"Of course I do." She took a large sip of her drink.

"Maybe you should go easy on that stuff, honey?"

"Why?"

"You're gonna have a hang over in the morning."

Maria shrugged, "Right now, I don't care. I just want to get wasted and forget I ever hear the name Jeff Hardy."

"Whatever you say, sweetie."

An hour or so later and Maria was drunk which was probably the reason why she hadn't protested too much when Mickie's finance, Chris had turned up with the very man she was trying to forget, Jeff Hardy. Everything had remained perfectly civilised until Jeff had cracked a joke about needy woman and Maria had snapped.

"And you," Maria ranted, "I was so wrong about you. I used to think you were the greatest guy on the planet. How wrong was I? You're still cute but you're such a loser. And do you know why you're a loser?"

Jeff came right up to her face, "Why am I a loser, Maria?"

"Because you lost me. You had me and then you lost me," she snapped her fingers, "Just like that. Loser!" was the last word out of her mouth before he passed out onto the couch.

Mickie cringed at her friend's behaviour, "Sorry about that Jeff, she's had a bad day."

Jeff nodded, "Yeah, she wasn't doing so good earlier. She slipped down my stairs … I think she hurt herself but she wouldn't admit it. Do you want me to carry her to your guest room or should I leave her here?"

"If you could take her to the guest room that would be great. I've got a feeling she's gonna have a pretty sore head in the morning and she really doesn't need to be all cramped up on the couch. It's the third door on the right. Thanks Jeff."

"No problem." The designer scooped up Maria and took her away to the bedroom. He pulled back the covers and gently put her down on the bed. He pulled her shoes off and tucked her in, "Good night Maria." He kissed her forehead, "Sweet dreams."