The Promise of Friendship

Emily sat at the pink tiled bar waiting for Blair. Brushing long strands of curly hair out of her eyes as she checked her phone, three new birthday messages. Pursing her lips, she debated replying now but what if Blair walked in? Would she see where she had saved her a seat?

Being fifteen minutes late with no call is one thing, being fifteen minutes late on your best friend’s birthday is a harder pill to swallow.

“For the birthday girl” Ethan said, placing a shot of tequila on the bar in front of her.

Emily cut her eyes up to Ethan’s with a soft smile. Emily had celebrated her 21st birthday here three years ago and ordered this exact shot to celebrate. Ethan had served it to her then too.

“And… one for me to celebrate the occasion” He smiled and held up a matching glass.

“Thank you Ethan, I am just zoning out over here I guess. It seems to be getting busier for a Monday” Emily said, gesturing to the small restaurant space.

Lola’s was popular because of how effortlessly beautiful it was. Capturing the essence of old Mexico and brilliantly designed with authenticity, guests could escape to a lush, multicolored slice of Central America that refused to be bastardized by Tex-Mex American culture. Rattan chairs lined a pink tiled bar which sat across from oval booths of smiling families enjoying ceviche and freshly made corn tortillas.

Plus, they had all day long happy hour on Mondays.

“Are you celebrating solo today?” Ethan asked

Clinking glasses, Ethan raised an eyebrow at Emily. In response, she licked the tajin salt off of the edge of the glass slowly, without breaking eye contact. She pressed the tip of her tongue against the edge of the glass before tossing the fiery tequila back and biting the lime that gingerly rested on the glass’s edge.

Ethan’s eyes widened slightly as he sputtered through taking his shot of tequila. Emily smiled triumphantly and covered her mouth to try and hide the laughter that shook her body. Resting one elbow on the back of her bar chair she leaned back with a smile watching Ethan wipe salt and tequila from his lips and chin.

“You never cease to amaze me” Ethan replied.

“I couldn’t possibly know what you mean” Emily said batting her eyelashes at him with a big smile.

The sting of having your best friend late to your birthday celebration became a distant thought compared to the satisfying efforts of lime and salt. If that lime was named Ethan.

“Well, my best friend is supposed to be meeting me” Emily said, gesturing at the empty bar seat next to her “but she kind of runs on her own time which can be very interesting to work with sometimes”.

Ethan frowned at the empty chair and collected her glass off the bar.

“Well it looks like we will have to celebrate until she gets here and I hope it isn’t any time soon” He said before locking eyes with Emily once again and licking the her remaining salt off the rim of her glass.

Emily had long set her phone on the edge of the bar face down, ignoring any incoming messages or phone calls that vibrated against the tile. Despite the couples and families that were being sat at various tables behind them, the restaurant felt empty and warm. Emily cradled her chin in her hand as she watched Ethan bounce back and forth working. When nobody was looking, he’d slide a shot of tequila across the bar to her and they would race to see who could slam their empty glasses down first.

What had been a grey day in September became warm and fuzzy. Ethan’s eyes always managed to find hers as patrons filed in and out. Transported to the Mexican coastline, Ethan was the consistency of the tide rolling in, warm against the sand. Sure, a birthday solo would not have been the worst thing, she enjoyed her own company. Emily had taken herself on many a solo date at Lola’s, originally how she met Ethan actually, and loved the time there that she spent. New people to talk to or the reassuring silence that follows when you are meeting yourself in a place of contentment.

Snapping Emily out of her warm daze, a plastic crown crashed down on her meticulously curated curls. Jumping in her seat, an arm looped around her and squeezed her shoulders tight.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I am SO sorry I am late the traffic was absolutely insane getting here babe” Blair said tossing her purse down in front of the vacant seat. Like a child splashing furiously through the soothing lull of the moving tide, Blair arrived fourth-five minutes late to celebrate.

Flushed and with a half-hearted smile, Emily hugged Blair back with one arm. Lights that danced in Emily’s eyes faded back to a concentrated dark blue and she shrugged her shoulders forward at the unexpected touch.

“No baby it’s okay, I have just been hanging out and enjoying some drinks. Don’t feel bad at all because traffic is literally so unpredictable here” Emily said. Blair stood almost six feet tall and in chic black leather boots she towered over Emily like a supermodel on the the runway. Simple, but incredibly beautiful on her, she looked effortless in a fitted white linen top and jeans.

Leaning forward to give the illusion of a whisper, Blair touched Emily’s wrist gently.

“My stomach is literally destroyed from breakfast earlier so I’m going to the bathroom. I will be right back, please watch my purse” she said.

The smell of orange juice, mint, and alcohol rolled off her tongue; before Emily could say anything at all, she was gone.

Distantly, Emily let her face settle into despondent neutrality. She quickly examined her own outfit, black crop top and mini skirt wasn’t anything special and didn’t necessarily scream “birthday” but it was comfortable. Was it enough?

Emily lifted her phone off the counter and brushed aside numerous missed calls and texts. Opening the camera, she looked back at herself wearing the plastic crown. Untangling her long dark curls from the plastic and brushing up her lashes she pursed her lips. Her mascara was a bit clumpier than she remembered. Her shirt a bit too loose. Maybe she shouldn’t have had coffee this morning because the staining on her teeth seemed darker than usual.

“You look beautiful, you know” Ethan said. like a mirage in front of her. She could hardly hear him over the chatter in the restaurant now.

“What?” Blair said, crashing down in the seat next to Emily. “Oh! Right! Isn’t she absolutely stunning? Such a beautiful birthday girl”. Blair leaned over and kissed Emily’s temple.

“God you are warm, I am freezing” Blair said. “Have you started without me? She always turns into a little personal heater when she drinks”.

Ethan eyed Blair cautiously.

“Prada, nice.” Ethan said, looking at Blair’s light blue bag.

“Right! It was a gift, I am so grateful” Blair said with a big smile.

“Generous” Ethan replied dryly.

“I can’t believe that you started without me! I mean I totally understand because I was late. What are we drinking?” Blair said placing one hand on Emily’s knee and looking over at Ethan. “Oh! And I am Blair by the way”.

“Ethan, nice to meet you” Ethan said.

“Yes, Ethan, this is my best friend Blair. I actually am not sure what we are drinking…” Emily said, trailing off slightly.

“Oh my gosh you don’t even know! Damn I am late to the party!” Blair said, her laugh like a song in the air.

The light and music of the restaurant seemed to be refined by her, swirling in her effortless beauty and exhaled as a new and lively burst of joy.

“Tequila” Ethan said, preparing two glasses with tajin salt.

“When Emily drinks tequila she is just the silliest I swear. It is so adorable. Thank you so much for keeping her company while I was on the way, Ethan” Blair said. “How much is your tab, Em? You are literally flushed”!

Emily smiled awkwardly and shrugged.

“It’s my birthday I guess” She said shyly.

“Emily and I have been having a great time celebrating” Ethan said, placing two glasses on the bar.

“That is amazing! Let’s all celebrate together then” Blair said, snatching her glass off the bar.

Her eyes lingered on Ethan’s hands as he dried them on a towel tucked into his waistband.

“Nice tattoos, did you get them done here?” Blair asked.

Ethan looked down at the art that laced up his hands and wrists, disappearing under the sleeves of his black collared shirt.

“Yeah, over at Black Rabbit actually” He said.

“Oh my gosh, was it Anthony? He did my back piece I absolutely love him” Blair said.

Ethan gave a sly smile.

“Yeah it was, he’s a great artist. I wouldn’t have expected you to have a back piece” Ethan said.

He turned toward her slightly and nodded, a challenge.

Blair turned in her chair and lifted her dark hair up off of her neck. The top of a black inked tribal poking out against her tanned skin.

“It’s covered for now, but it’s there. If you look closely you can see it because the shirt is thin” Blair said, holding his gaze over her shoulder.

And it was true, Emily leaned back in her chair as Blair leaned forward in hers. Through her shirt you could see the outlines of the art. From the front, you could see how cold she was.

“Have a drink with us” Blair said, biting her full bottom lip with a smile.

“I’m okay for right now, I have had one” Ethan said holding her gaze. Blair ran her tongue along the salt rim of her glass slowly without breaking eye contact. Tilting her head back and relished the liquor as it slowly burned the back of her throat. Familiar.

Ethan watched her and forgot to be skeptical at her lack of cheers to the birthday girl.

Emily watched them, feeling much colder all of a sudden. Taking her shot, the liquor burned with less excitement as it did before.

Blair lazily held the glass in her hand and cocked her head to the side.

“I’ve not met a bartender who advertises tequila but serves mezcal” Blair said smiling.

“Well I know I will definitely be trying a bunch of different ones this time next month” Emily interjected clumsily.

Ethan turned to her and raised an eyebrow curiously.

“You know… when I move to Miami” Emily said folding her hands together on the bar counter. “In three weeks actually”.

“When WE move!” Blair said casting a sideways look at Emily. “Emily and I are moving to Florida to live our young and wild dreams”.

Ethan turned to ask Blair about Florida, suddenly the soft music floating through the air grew louder and louder for Emily. The seat seemed uncomfortable all of a sudden and a place she had been coming for years to celebrate now had more shadows. Cloaked in obscurity, Emily watched distantly as Ethan leaned closer to Blair and she closer to him. How his eyes cut down briefly to the front of her shirt, how she watched him do it with a sly and knowing grin.

Ethan’s smile was radiant talking to Blair, hearing about how she would be living in Emily’s apartment two weeks of every month, working different modeling jobs and in the bar scene. Maybe a rendezvous as an exotic dancer as well, anything to keep the flirty tension strong between them. For Emily, she had never left her city before. She had gone on vacation to Puerto Rico two years ago to meet and visit her grandparents, though that was the only time she had left. Moving to Florida was something that she had come up with entirely on her own. To try. To see something new independently.

She had been shooting up in the middle of the night for weeks after signing the lease and snagging any integrity-having boxes from her apartment complex’s recycle bin. Emily had been committing the terms listed on the U-Haul website to memory to ensure that she knew every detail before embarking on her journey. Blair hadn’t done any of that. In fact, Blair had a fiancée who had no interest in the sunshine state. He had no idea of Blair’s plan to spend so much time in Florida, and most certainly didn’t know the way she was leaning over the bar towards Ethan.

Now, she was scrolling through compromising mirror selfies asking Ethan’s ‘honest opinion’ as to whether or not he thought she could make it as a model in Miami. No, her fiancée certainly wouldn’t know about this. Emily wouldn’t ask her either. When it came to competing for most interesting story, most beautiful smile, most vibrant laugh, Blair was the reigning champion. Emily quietly signaled a waitress for her check and paid their tab, unnoticed.

Blankly Emily stared at a ring of water on the bar. She breathed deeply, and sneezed. Dots of blood dripped from her lip onto her black blouse. She hurriedly grabbed some cocktail napkins, face burning with embarrassment. When Emily looked up, expecting to see a fuss made about her snotty nose, bloody lip, and blood stained shirt she smiled.

Nobody had noticed.

Ethan was enraptured with Blair, and she with the attention from him. The servers bustled around the tables and the bartenders shuffled back and forth behind the bar to make up for Ethan’s lack of workplace participation.

Emily looked down at her shirt and noticed that the blood was indistinguishable from the black fabric and soon it subsided. She wiped her nose softly and drew her lips into a soft line. Instead she conceded and leaned forward to eavesdrop on Blair and Ethan’s conversation. That is still being a part of it, right? And maybe next time the world would stop for her the same way it did for her best friend. That is what friendship is, right? To push one another to be the best?