Chapter 8

The bar was crowded as it usually was every other Friday night. It was the week's end and people, employees and business owners especially, were more than thankful for the feeling of liberty that came with these last hours.

It felt less forceful when she stepped out of the ash coloured maserati and people gawked in her direction than when she had the paparazzi rushing towards her and flashing their bright camera lights at her. Trinity looked around the crowded bar for any signs of her friends, she only found men across the room leering at her and the women whispering to each other while stealing small glances towards her direction.

Although she had grown used to the attention, she still hated it. Settling on a bar stool, she quickly ordered a shot of tequila and waited for two familiar faces to pop up. The barman was friendly towards her but she doubted it was the type of friendliness you would offer someone who wasn't famous.

"Drinking alone tonight, are we?" The bartender said as he placed the shot cup in front of Trinity and poured the drink into it. He had a tattoo over his arm that was partly revealed through the folded arms of his shirt.

"I'm with friends tonight. Hopefully, they don't ditch and bail out on me." Trinity said.

"Who would ever want to ditch you?" He asked.

Trinity smiled and swallowed the bitter drink that stung her throat. "We live in two different worlds….." She searched for a name tag on his shirt.

"Georgie." The bartender offered.

"Georgie." She repeated, allowing herself to get familiar with the name. "I'll have another shot, please."

They talked for a few minutes and it didn't take long until Georgie pointed out two squealing ladies making their way over to Trinity. Trinity got up from her seat and almost leaped into the arms of both Ruby and Elodie out of sheer joy. The two females, although strikingly distinguished in physical looks, moved together with a sort of likeness that Trinity had known since their days together at Princeton.

Elodie walked with the poise she had known since infancy, as she was a noble daughter from one of the royal families. She was the perfect epitome of beauty and grace, with her long raven black hair bouncing with each step she took. Ruby on the other hand was new money, and her gait alone screamed high fashion model and party girl. Ruby was the one to always draw people to her, but never really let anyone but her friends in.

"It's been a while, hunny, I've missed you so much." Elodie said, still in the tight hug Trinity gave her.

Ruby was quick to order them drinks while they found a nice booth for themselves.

"Tell me all about him." Elodie eagerly demanded, barely letting Trinity settle down on the seat.

"There's nothing much to tell, really. He comes and he goes and I've barely gotten the chance to know him." Trinity knew she would be answering a lot of questions for the entire night, and there was no point in hiding anything especially when Elodie had always been so much of the detective.

"What about Bryan? Did he at least try to get an explanation from you?" Ruby asked again.

"What's the point in trying? We were only together for a couple of months and it was never stable anyway."

"A couple of unstable months are enough months, babe." Ruby said.

A bar server approached them with their drinks and set it down on the table. Trinity mouthed a thank you to the scrawny looking staff before she gave a small nod and left.

"You know, I heard about that Daniel guy. Rumours say he and Melanie Graham might still have something going on." Elodie said as she took her drink.

Trinity stiffened at the statement. Was it really true that Daniel was still in love with Melanie? Curiosity grew more than ever inside Trinity's mind. What had been so special about this Melanie that made Daniel so hung up on his past?

It was somewhere in the middle of their discussion that Ruby snorted, bringing Trinity's mind back to their little rendezvous.

"Please, I don't believe he's still into her." Ruby countered Elodie's claim.

"How do you know?"

"Well, not with Trinity around him now."

Trinity knew Daniel had shown no interest in her, infact she had been the one almost falling into his big bare arms the other night because she couldn't comport herself.

"That's enough about me," Trinity said, trying desperately not to think anymore about her husband's love life, as hard as it was. "What have you two been up to? What about your charity organisation, El?"

"It's going really great, although I did have to put a pause on our plans for the charity gala since elections are right around the corner." Elodie explained and neither Trinity or Ruby were surprised at their friend's sudden interest in politics. Elodie was naturally the brains behind every curtain as she had been raised to be. Politics had always been a part of her.

"What about you, Ruby? When's the next time you get to invite me over to your runway show? I've missed seeing you walk down the stage." Trinity said.

"It's all work anyway," Ruby said. "Next stop, Australia."

"I'd really love to come and I promise I will eventually, but I just need time to settle and process everything that's happening right now." Trinity sincerely felt bad that she had been apart from her best friends for the time that she was, but even when giving false hopes was all she could do, they never demanded what was too much for her.

"That's fine, Trin. Get yourself together. We're always here if you need us."

Just then, the karaoke machine started to play and the singer across their booth was singing off-key to the tune of Ed Sheeran's Galway Girl. The light in Ruby's eyes sparked with intensity as she found a new way to turn the night's event around. Trinity and Elodie both sensed the idea their friend had come up with even before she said it.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking." Ruby grinned.

"Okay, no." Elodie said first.

"Definitely not," Trinity followed, shaking her head firmly. But the truth was that no matter how much they disagreed, they would always end up doing what Ruby wanted.

"Oh come on, it'll be fun. When last did we have this much fun together?"

Elodie groaned in frustration as Ruby practically dragged her to her feet. The three of them spent the rest of the night drinking and singing of key to a list of songs until Trinity decided Ruby was drunk enough and need to go home. The night ended with Elodie taking Ruby home in an Uber and Trinity driving herself back to Daniel's penthouse. It was only past midnight, and thankfully for here, there wasn't anyone in the house she could disturb with a broken vase this time around.

She kicked off her heels immediately she unlocked the door and let herself in. Making her way to her room, she slowly stripped off her clothes until she let herself fall on the bed. Her head ached slightly from the noise of the previous hours, but she didn't regret any part of it. Lastly, before she let her heavy eyelids drop, Trinity took out her phone and searched the internet for the person who had been on her mind for most of the evening.

Melanie Graham was pretty in all her pictures, and even as gorgeous as she was, Trinity couldn't help but compare little features of hers to the beautiful redhead. Trinity felt her nose was a little bit bigger, and her smile was more crooked than Melanie's. Maybe if she dyed her own hair a brighter, redder shade, maybe he'd look at her the way he'd looked at his ex-girlfriend. Trinity let the phone fall from her grip onto the sheets, and finally let sleep cuddle her.

In it, she found Melanie laughing and running into the arms of Daniel. It was supposed to be their wedding day, and Melanie was behind the wheel. She was too engulfed in the small talks and jokes Daniel said, so she didn't see when the other car came speeding and crashing into them.