Elaine's alarm chimed cheerfully from her nightstand, the sound far too optimistic and loud for someone whose head felt like it had been filled with gravel.
She groaned, burying her head under her pillow as she slapped her phone off the charger and onto the floor. "Why did I think tequila was a good idea?"
Her phone buzzed from where it had landed. A chain of vibrations that made her want to throw it in the trash. Reluctantly, she pulled herself to the edge of the bed, retrieving the noise device. Squinting at the screen, she found several notifications from her friend group chats to tags on social media from the party.
There was one notification that stood out, a user she didn't recognize who had liked 22 of her posts. Not that that was unusual, considering she was a musician, even if her following was smaller than those in the industry.
After a shower, she emerged from her room, walking into the kitchen where Eleanore was making breakfast… Or attempting to.
"You alive, superstar?"
"Barely," Elaine rasped. "How many photos did you post?"
"Just two," Eleanore replied, way too cheerfully for Elaine's taste. "Maybe three. Kendra posted like a dozen. You're blessed with being photogenic, by the way."
Elaine snorted, stumbling toward the counter where Eleanore had made a fresh pot of coffee. "Yeah, that's definitely the reason my inbox looks like it exploded."
"Fame's a burden, babe." Eleanore grinned over the rim of her coffee mug before returning to finish making breakfast.
Elaine grabbed her own mug, pouring the liquid into it before sinking into a dining room chair. "I'll survive, hopefully."
She mindlessly scrolled through the flood of notifications, checking the photos everyone posted from the party. I guess I am photogenic. She let out a small sigh, then paused. That unfamiliar user again.
@EchoFame.
She frowned; something about the blank profile picture felt off. While she didn't normally snoop through profiles of her followers, she tapped the profile. There were no posts, no followers. They were following only her, and their bio read: See you soon.
She blinked at it, her screen locking with a dull click as she shoved it aside. "Nope. Not dealing with that before caffeine."
She didn't have time to think back about the notifications or the strange profile, as Eleanore dragged her out of the apartment to hang out with Kendra, Maya, and Simone downtown.
"So," Kendra flipped her hair dramatically behind her shoulders. "Did you see the forum post? Someone called you 'The mystery muse of Golden Valley.'"
Elaine laughed right in the middle of taking a drink of her latte. "Wait, what? No, no… That sounds like a bad student film."
"It's kinda true though," Maya grinned. "You disappear for a week, then show up at a rooftop party like some sort of aesthetic ghost. It's total main character energy."
"I was just tired and wearing eyeliner." Elaine rolled her eyes.
"Well," Simone hummed. "It was working for you."
Elaine shook her head, offering a small laugh as they window-shopped the local boutiques.
"That skirt should be considered a war crime!" Simone scoffed at one display, lifting a hand to his chest as if personally offended by it.
Maya and Kendra nodded in agreement, snapping photos of it to post online, no doubt. Eleanore wandered ahead before running back, grabbing Maya and Kendra's wrists, "We'll catch up with you two!" She beamed, scurrying away despite Kendra's confused protesting.
Simone crossed his arms over his chest, tilting his head into the faux fur collar of his coat, "Of course, they leave us out."
"Maybe they wanted to get you a gift?" Elaine suggested, taking in the sights of the stores on the street until she spotted one in particular. Luminos.
She wandered through the doors, scanning the racks of clothing while Simone strutted behind her, checking a pair of heels that caught his eye. "God, this place is like money and emotionally unavailable people," he said, holding the heels up by their straps to present to Elaine.
She stifled a laugh, smiling. "You're basically describing yourself, you know."
"Oh, please." Simone set the heels back on the display, waving his hand dramatically. "I'm emotionally selective. I am not willing to waste my feelings on someone… basic."
His fingers trailed the clothing racks before pulling a silk blazer to present to her. "See this? This is the kind of jacket you wear when you're making terrible life choices and want to look good doing it," he said, promptly returning it to its place.
"Simone… you're wearing silk." Elaine gave an amused hum, idly looking through a rack of men's shirts.
"Your point?"
She gave a small snicker, looking at the patterns on a few button-up shirts with crisp collars, stunning pearl snaps, and subtle patterns.
Simone tossed his head back, looking around the sections before his brows furrowed. "Why are you in the men's section?"
"Just looking."
"Oh, right, just looking," he repeated, his lips curling faintly. "That's what I said when I bought that leather jacket and cried over my credit card bill for a week." He sidestepped beside her, leaning an arm on the rack. "Who's the mystery man? Do I need to approve him?"
"There is no mystery man." Elaine stifled a laugh, shaking her head.
"Lies," Simone chimed. "You're smiling like someone who's keeping a secret. Is it that guitarist? You know, the one with the cheekbones and horrendous choice in fabrics?"
She blinked, turning to give him a flat look. "Calm down, Sherlock. I was literally just looking."
Simone gasped dramatically, lifting a hand to his chest. "Fine. Crush my hopes. I was ready to live vicariously through your love life since mine's currently on sabbatical."
"Didn't you go on a date last week?" Elaine raised a brow, moving onto the next rack while she spoke.
"Yeah," he sighed. "And halfway through dinner, he told me he 'doesn't believe in labels.' Which translates to 'I want to date you, but I'm not committing to just you.'"
Elaine snorted. "Sounds like a keeper."
He clutched his chest, dramatically snapping his head toward her. "Rude… but fair," he gave a solemn nod. "Maybe I should just start dating older men. At least they have furniture that isn't inflatable, and maybe I'll end up crazy rich."
Elaine tried, and failed, to stifle her laughter. Her laughter drew glances from a few store attendants, causing her to cover her mouth quickly. "Stop. You're going to get us kicked out of Luminos," she said, trying to compose herself.
Simone promptly waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, please. They should pay me for the atmosphere I bring."
Elaine rolled her eyes, still smiling, and picked up a black, silk dress shirt with faint emerald green threading along the cuffs and collar.
Simone raised his brows, leaning over her shoulder. "You sure this isn't for anyone in particular?"
"Simone."
"What? You're the one staring at it like you have someone in mind," Simone pointed out, "Plus, you have two male friends. That isn't Julian's size, and I wouldn't be caught dead wearing that."
She shook her head, hanging the shirt back up while rolling her eyes. "I was just appreciating the design."
He eyed her suspiciously, then sighed dramatically. "Fine. But if you start writing love songs, I'm staging an intervention."
"Notes," Elaine nodded. "You can host it at Luminos."
She finished her browsing, following Simone to the exit and down the street to continue browsing other stores.
"Why is window shopping so exhausting when we didn't even buy anything?"
"You bought sunglasses," Elaine corrected.
"Yes, because I needed them for my mental health," he replied dramatically, adjusting the pink-tinted frames. "These are self-care. You wouldn't understand."
"I understand that they cost more than your car insurance."
"Exactly," Simone said proudly, twirling around dramatically, catching sight of Maya, Eleanore, and Kendra with several bags swinging from their arms in front of The Locket. Eleanore waved at them while Kendra and Maya were talking mindlessly about a sales associate who was "weirdly aggressive about cotton."
"Okay, okay! You two need to see some of these outfits," Eleanore beamed, stepping through the doors of the bistro.
"Oh, honey, yes," Simone nodded vigorously, strutting to a booth near the window.
As soon as they finished ordering, Simone was scrolling through his phone, face scrunching up in visible disappointment.
"Ugh," he groaned, tossing the device to the side. "Why are all the men within a fifteen-mile radius allergic to effort? I swear, I'm one bad date away from adopting a houseplant."
Eleanore snorted. "You'd forget to water it."
"I'd still get more affection from it," he countered, then sighed dramatically. "I miss romance. I miss passion. I miss someone texting me 'good morning' without a spelling error."
Kendra laughed, looking up from her phone. "You know, maybe what we all need is a singles mixer."
Simone perked up immediately. "Finally, a good idea."
Maya nodded, not even bothering to look up from her phone. "That could actually be fun. It's been a while since we've been to one."
"I'd be down," Eleanore nodded. "Worst case scenario, we get free drinks and good stories out of it."
They paused before turning to Elaine, whose brows furrowed. "No," she said immediately, "Nope. No, I'm not-"
"Oh, come on," Simone interrupted. "You're the only one of us who could actually land someone halfway decent. I mean, look at you. You radiate 'mystery and only mild trauma.' Men love that."
"Oh, yeah," Elaine rolled her eyes, leaning against the wall. "Because that's what I'm going for. Mystery and mild trauma."
"There's one in three weeks," Kendra chimed, typing on her phone, "It's a Brisco, the dress code says 'elevated casual.' That sounds like our speed."
"By our, you mean your," Elaine muttered, taking a sip of her cola.
"Elaine," Eleanore said softly, leaning her face in her hand, "You've been working on projects nonstop. It wouldn't kill you to do something different for once."
"Yeah," Maya nodded. "Step out of your comfort zone. Who knows? You might even enjoy yourself."
Simone nodded vigorously before giving a dramatic gasp with his usual flair. "Imagine: Elaine laughing at a mixer, making eye contact with someone hot. Maybe even flirting."
"You people are relentless." Elaine groaned, running a hand over her face.
"Because we love you," Simone said sweetly. "And also because I need emotional support if I'm going to face a room full of men who list 'gym' and 'crypto' as hobbies."
Elaine eyed him while the others laughed. She groaned, slumping down. "Fine," she muttered, drawing out the word. "I'll go, but only because you'll guilt-trip me for the rest of my life if I don't."
"That's the spirit!" Kendra beamed.
Simone grinned, raising his glass. "To three weeks from now, where at least one of us lands a man, and Elaine learns to talk without dying inside."
Elaine eyed them as they clinked their glasses, barely raising hers. She sighed, half-heartedly listening to their chatter while pondering ideas on how she could get out of going. Someone… Save me from having to go to a mixer.