I waited a beat, and as the woman in the leather jacket gave a convincingly dejected shrug and walked away, I said, “I actually do!”
The girl with the braids looked at me.
“Oh, I guess she didn’t hear.” I turned back to Amy.
“Sorry, what did you say?” Box braid girl’s partner was starting to look irritated.
“I was just saying I do know that girl over there,” I shouted. “She’s my friend.”
“Oh!” She smiled and it lit up her face. “Um.” She gave a slightly apologetic look as her partner rolled her eyes and slunk away into the crowd. “What’s her name?”
“Eva!” I continued to dance with Amy unconcernedly.
I could practically feel the tension in the air as the girl stood on her tiptoes to look at Eva again. Amy grinned and gripped my hand.
“I think I danced with her earlier,” the girl said.
“Yeah, she’s danced with a lot of people tonight.”
“Do you know if she’s single?”
“Sorry, it’s really loud in here. Do you want me to just introduce you to her?”
“That would be cool!” she shouted. “Thanks!”
I led the way across the dance floor and over to Eva. She did an excellent job of not noticing us.
“Hey, Eva, this is…,” I began.
“Jasmine!”
“Eva, this is Jasmine. We were just dancing over there; she’s really cool.”
I winked at Jasmine, and she pressed her hands together, mouthing,Thank you.
“I think Christopher might be a genius,” I told Amy a few minutes later as Eva and Jasmine leaned their heads together at the bar, deep in conversation.
“I think you might be a genius,” Amy said. “It was your idea.”
“Christopher led me there.”
“Well, maybe you make a good team.” I snorted skeptically.
“I wonder…” Amy sounded thoughtful. “I wonder, if you were the one married to Ryan, if you’d have the same problems that I have.”
“What?” I set my empty glass down on the bar. “What are youtalking about? Ryan said himself that he’s the problem, not you. He called you a Victoria’s Secret model, remember?”
Amy gave a little shrug and looked away.
“It just seems like it would be easier if I had your confidence,” she said quietly.
“Ames…” I didn’t know what to say. This night was supposed to be about my friends—helping Eva find someone and getting Amy out on the town—but they kept stroking my ego.
I didn’t hate it, of course. Us red-bottomed types enjoy a compliment as much as anyone—possibly more.
“I’ll just try to be more like you.” Amy’s voice was stronger as she grinned at me. “You know I’ve looked up to you ever since we met freshman year. Any tips?”
“Just… If you see something you want, just go for it. Don’t sit there wondering whether you deserve it or whether you’ll fail. You always fail if you don’t try. And don’t let Ryan’s—or anyone’s—reaction to you impact the way you feel about yourself.” I thought about it for a moment and continued, “Have you ever tried daily affirmations? Every morning, you stand in front of the mirror and tell yourself something good, like ‘I am whole, I am safe, I am loved.’”
