Chapter 31: Why You?

Caitlin and Laura had been friends for a long time, but Laura’s triple billionaire dating arrangement brought out the worse in Caitlin. Laura decided that she would have to be the bigger person and extend the olive branch of peace to preserve that friendship. After all, she contacted the three guys, why not reach out to an old friend?

Caitlin agreed to come over. When she entered the loft it was impossible not to notice how it was filled almost to capacity with flowers, expensive gifts, and assorted other luxuries. And that was just with a superficial glance from the doorway. Caitlin almost turned around and left right then. Laura sensed her hesitation, and hugged her, which required Caitlin to step forward so Laura could close the door and help to ease her friend through the doorway.

“It just doesn’t stop, does it?” Caitlin spat out her first words to her friend.

“Caitlin, I’m trying to make up. Why pour salt in the wound?” Laura stated, “Why does this bother you so much? You are acting like I am doing all of this just to hurt you.”

Caitlin raised her voice, “My friend is acting like a common slut and I am supposed to just stand by and watch these men buy you off and pass you around?”

“A slut?”

“A slut.”

“But you don’t understand. I care about these guys for who they are as individuals, not for their billions, or however much they’re worth, and influence.”

“That only makes you a dumb slut with a big heart who thinks...who thinks...”

“Who thinks what? Get it out Caitlin. You haven’t had any trouble speaking your mind up to this point. Who thinks what?”

“Who thinks that they care about you. You’re nothing but a cheap and easy lay. Once they’ve used you up, they’ll get bored and be on to the next thing. These gifts are nothing to them. Like pennies for the average person.”

“How dare you!”

“You can’t handle it but you need to hear me out. I’m not going to sugar coat it and it may not be what you want to hear, but it’s the truth.”

“I get it now, Caitlin. You can’t stand it. The attention, the gifts, the flowers, the dates, the competition for my affection. You wish it was you. You’re not sought after by them but I am and you. can’t. stand. it. You’re jealous!” Laura was breathless and almost hoarse from the argument.

“You’re wrong!” Caitlin shouted at Laura, “You’re wrong because you’re whipped and you don’t even realize it. Have you slept with any or all of these men?”

“That’s none of your business and it does not even matter,” Laura continued, her heart breaking that her friend thought so little of her.

“Really? You HAVE slept with all of them.”

Warm tears were rolling down Laura’s cheeks. “Did you come to criticize me or offer the support that you would want if you were in my shoes?”

“I AM offering support. You just can’t tell because you think that because they have money it doesn’t make you any less of a slut. Wake up. You are not upstanding. They send you a few trinkets, spend a little on you for a date, then they confuse you into thinking that they actually care about you. Wake up before you are in too deep and hurt too bad. It’s nothing more than a competition.”

“How do you even think this is being supportive? All of these years I have stood by and watched guy after guy bypass me for you and been happy for you. Then I get a little attention and you become a jealous b*tch, wishing it was for you, dying inside that, for the first time, it is not.”

“I’m not living in some filthy closet filled with two bit trashy Valentine’s Day knock offs offered to keep you hanging on and giving it up.”

“ENOUGH!!!!” Laura screamed. “I tried to be the bigger person. But all you know how to do is hurt. Maybe that’s why you don’t have anybody in the first place and I’ve got three men to your zero.”

“Does it feel better now that you hurt me for telling you the truth?”

“I dunno. Did it hurt to hear what you don’t want to acknowledge?”

“I don’t need this. Next time you call me, make sure that you’ve outgrown being a mistress shared by three men who’s too stupid to realize it or get anything out of it. I’m outta here.”

“Good riddance. You wish you had what I have. Take a look in the mirror. If what I have is the definition of being a slut, then you’ve been one since I’ve known you.”

“How dare you!”

“I don’t need your support if what you call support is really just jealousy in disguise.”

“Don’t call me when you’ve hit rock bottom with your triple romance. Remember that I told you so. I don’t want to be around when your house of cards falls apart.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t want you to be around you, period,” Laura said, overwhelmed with sadness and disappointed over losing her best friend.

Caitlin stormed out and Laura slammed the door behind her. Laura stomped away to her bedroom and cried it out. Lately the loft had been the source of so much heartbreak and pain with the only sunshine coming from her joy in getting to know the guys. She had had enough of trying to be a strong 21st century woman. Right now if one of the guys showed up offering nothing more than a shoulder to cry on she would take it and choose him over the rest.

Some fairy tale romance. She lost her best friend. She was at risk of neglecting her three new wealthy suitors. And her ex-boyfriend, now on the streets and no matter how unappealing, wanted her back.

She ate one Belgian chocolate truffle, a gift from one of the guys that had made it past the living room area and next to her bed. “As bad as I feel right now, these chocolates will be gone by morning.”

Solitude was not what she wanted anymore. She was ready to choose. She wanted to narrow it down to just one of her billionaire bachelors so she could get on with happily ever after. Whatever a contemporary fairy tale ending looked like, it had to be better than this.