"What do you mean you're outside a hotel?" Anna's worried voice sounded from the phone.
"I…I don't kn-now what t-to say, Anna." Laura stuttered. I-I was d…drinking in t-the c-club, and t-the n-next thing I-I knew, I s…saw m-myself in bed i-in a hotel. I—"
"What hotel?" Anna alarmingly interrupted her rambling.
"I'm outside er…" Laura paused as she hastily turned to face the entrance of the hotel, in search of its name.
Upon sighting the signage in the reception, through the glass French doors, she placed the phone back to her ear. "Rits-Carlton… um, New York Central Hotel."
"Rits-Carlton? Okay, that's fine. I'll order an Uber right now." Anna straightway responded.
"Thank you, Anna." Laura could only say, biting her lips.
"The Uber would be there in 3 minutes," Anna said, her voice still sounding concerned. "I'll text his details to you now." She added.
"Hmm," Laura replied feeling her phone vibrate as she stood hidden in the corner of the hotel's entrance; she was too embarrassed. Upon looking at the now lit-up screen, she saw a notification pop up, it was Anna's text. "I— I just received it." She spoke to her phone.
"Okay, you'll be at my place in an hour once your ride begins. Please be calm until then."
"I'll try." Laura's shaky voice hastily replied.
The ride to Anna's apartment felt unexpectedly longer. Laura was biting her nails as various thoughts went through her mind. Her legs were shaking repeatedly, and her head, trying to make sense of the relationship between her yesterday night's affair and today's result.
Laura's eyes light up as soon as she recognises the neighbourhood she is now being driven through. The scanty trees and the familiar apartment buildings gave her hope, soon, the vehicle halted.
"We're here." The Uber driver catches Laura's attention as he alerts her of his arrival. Her eyes sized up the building she was stopped in front of, it was Anna's, her best friend's block.
Just immediately, Anna came running out of her apartment building towards the car. She grabs the door handle, revealing Laura's distraught body.
"Laura!" Anna cries, gently guiding Laura out of the car.
"That'll be 18.90 dollars, miss." The driver cautiously informed.
Anna stretched her hand in the direction of the driver's wound-down window, a 20-dollar bill held in between her thumb and index finger. "Keep the change," Anna said, grabbing Laura's bag and closing the door shut.
One step at a time, Laura is led up the stairs, and straight to Anna's apartment. Now seated on Anna's couch, Laura began to feel at ease, seeing that she was now in the comfort of her best friend's company.
"Laura, what happened to you?" Anna questioned as she noticed dried blood on Laura's lap. She quickly walks to her kitchen counter and grabs an already-prepared cup of tea.
"Here." She holds the cup of tea to Laura's face.
"Thank you," Laura responds, collecting the warm cup from Anna's hand, and sipping from it.
"I— I was in bed with a man, Anna." Dropping her cup of tea on the side table, she places her palm to cover her face. "We had— sex."
"Oh no," Anna responds, she lets her hands fall lifelessly as she drops on the couch beside Laura. "I'm so sorry, Laura." Anna's voice whispers as she pulls Laura in an embrace.
Laura burst into tears.
"I shouldn't have let you go clubbing alone. You never go to the club. I didn't even keep to the plan." Anna continues as Laura's sob intensifies.
"Sophia was at it again." Laura managed to say. "I shouldn't have taken the drinks before your arrival, but I was too stressed." She sobbed even more.
"I had already finished delivering a 50-thousand-page research work she gave me only 2 weeks to prepare, yesterday…" She paused to blow her nose in a tissue Anna offered her.
"…And she was expecting me to complete another 10 thousand pages over the weekend, in just two days! That was too overwhelming." Laura protested.
"It's okay, Laura, you do not have to speak. I shouldn't have asked you to go there in the first place." Anna said as she hugged her even more.
"But where were you, Anna?" Laura shook away from Anna's hug, looking at her. "You told me to go there and wait for you. You never showed up."
"I'm so sorry, Laura. It was Jeff…" Anna said as she broke her eyes away from Laura's. "He came by yesterday and apologised, we spent the night together. He just left a couple of minutes ago."
"Why didn't you let me know? I wouldn't have been there any longer if you told me you couldn't make it, Anna." Laura's voice shakily queried.
"I was carried away by Jeff, we were in bed. I'm so sor—"
"Ha!" Laura managed to stand. "Didn't you say he cheated? I thought you broke up with him yesterday?" Laura's shaky voice progressively increased as she looked down at her seated friend.
"You said we should go party in the club since we were both having a rough day, Anna." Laura looked at Anna with spite. "You told me that it was all over… your relationship with Jeff!"
"You know I don't go clubbing, but I wanted to be there for you." Laura railed. She couldn't believe what Anna did.
Anna stood, having an apologetic demeanour. "I'm so sorry, Laura." She pleaded.
"You said that you needed to dance away your pain…" Laura fumed. It was as if Anna didn't speak at all. "Also, I can't believe you're back together with Jeff. Jeff?!"
"Jeff and I—" Anna began.
"He cheated on you 3 times, Anna!" Laura snapped.
"He's changed now." Anna insisted with a firm voice.
"You know what, I don't care anymore. Do whatever you want." Laura concluded as she fell exhaustively on the sofa. Her body couldn't take the altercations anymore.
"I just spent the night with a strange man, Anna." She said, bringing both her palms to her face. "The worst thing is that I've never been with a man before. I've never had sex befo—" She sobbed again.
"I'll make it up to you, Laura, somehow. I promise." Anna joined her on the sofa. "Please believe me." She held her hand.
"Leave me alone, I just want to go home." Laura fiercely said, yanking her hand out of Anna's.
"Laura," Anna called as Laura stood, grabbed her bag from the centre table, headed for the door and left.