Page 39 of The Guru: Shadow

“Aww, sweet as ever. So ready to spin the man away?”

“Oh yes.”

In the elevators, Julie, of course, rounded on her for all the details.

“Before we forget him for the night, you gotta tell me exactly what happened. Have you seen Insta?”

“Oh, I have.” In her, the blank rage was cooking up. “I have also seen them fucking on our couch a week before.”

“Damn, that’s so low.”

“What’s even lower, the resort in Bali, it’s the one I looked up for our wedding.”

“No spine. But to be honest, I never liked him. He was always flat like flounder, equally slippery.”

She had to laugh really hard. It was a moment of lightness she hadn’t had for a long time.

“That one was gold,” she said, still snickering as they arrived at the top floor.

“So, bar or club?”

“Let’s start with the bar, I need some alcohol to make my world spin.”

“Sounds good,” answered Julie with a wide grin. She was always up for heavy nights with plenty of liquids.

The bar was packed. Generally, she hated crowded places, but tonight, it did not matter. Tonight, she was not her usual self. She was a normal version of human. So they went for a table, Julie, of course, made it possible for them to get a space there, however, she was doing it – it was her kind of magic.

Julie ordered them two Cosmopolitans, and while she was a gin and tonic girl, tonight was supposed to be different. So she just let Julie be Julie and blended in with her character.

“To you without Chris.”

“To you getting married.”

Instead of sipping, she gulped down the whole glass. She needed it to brace herself for what Julie would do to her and for what she was to do later.

And for sure, Julie did not disappoint. After an hour, she felt like she had been in an interrogation room, and when she finally stopped, she had squeezed every last bit of the happenings with Chris out of her. So much about having him spin far away.

“Em, listen. I’d like to invite you to something. It’s a surprise, but I promise you it will make your life a lot better.”

Eyeing her with her fifth Cosmopolitan in her hand, she asked, “A surprise? You know how much I like ‘em.”

“I know. But it’s got to be that way. I’ll be there, too. It’s research, and I thought it would be a good fit for you, as it’s all about reaching goals in life and transforming your life.”

What goals?

The dreams I gave up on?

Transforming my life?

Sounds a bit like the girl in the ad and the shit mother would go to.

“What kind of event is it? And who’s doing it? Not that Lauren, whatever girl who’s all about manifesting stuff into your life?”

“No, it’s not her, she’s a big name from what I’ve heard however, but no. It’s a weekend in November, all costs covered. Give yourself a push, Em.”

And maybe it was the alcohol or the fact that she felt utterly unlike herself at the moment, that she said, “Okay, but if it’s any of the manifestation shit, I’ll leave immediately.”

“It won’t. Deal.”