The Millionaire Myth by Jennifer Taylor

listings...it's fantastic.”  I reasoned, “Besides, you thought it was a good idea too.”
                  She shook her head and argued, “I didn't say it was a good idea.  I said it would be funny.  But it's getting a little out of hand, Estelle.  I thought you were just going to see how they changed.  I didn't think you were going to change.”
                  “Change?  I have not changed,” I disputed.
                  “Let's cut through it, Estelle.  You love all the attention.  And I don't blame you, really.  But going out to dinner with Slick last week?  And again last night?  Next thing I know you'll be bonding with Gina and Tess.”
                  I looked down at my untouched burger.  It was already getting cold.  I took a drink of my soda, hoping she'd calm down and we could change the subject.
                  She was silent as I carefully studied the ketchup bottle.  After too long of a pause, I got suspicious and looked up.  Her eyes were wide and I could see her wheels were spinning.  “Wait a second...I haven't heard you mention the gruesome twosome in quite a while...”
                  “So?  I haven't seen them around much.”
                  She challenged, “Really?  You always have something to say about them, even if it's just about their clothes...”
                  I confessed, “Fine Kami.  Tess and Gina took me to lunch the other day.” She took a breath to speak, but I cut her off.  “Don't even say it.  We're not friends, and I was going to tell you about it, but you didn't give me a chance.”
                  “I didn't give you a chance?  I must have missed all those calls from you, the ones where you were dying to tell me all about it, the ones where you apologized-.”  She set her napkin on the table and dug through her purse.  “I guess now that you have new friends you don't need your old one any more.”
                  From the tremble in her voice I knew she was about to cry.  “Kami, you know that's not true.  I tell you everything.”
                  “You used to.  You used to call me all the time, complaining about the agents and the office.  And I was always there to listen.”  She scooted to the edge of the booth, turning back to me.  “I guess now I'll have to make some new friends too, maybe some that wont drop me when a better deal comes along.”
                  She was actually going to walk out on me.  I sat there dumbfounded, watching my best friend essentially dump me in a public restaurant.  How had this happened so fast?  “Wait!” I yelped.
                  She turned back, eyebrows raised expectantly.
                  “Kami, what's the real problem?  I know you can't be this angry because of one week of missed calls.”
                  She leaned down toward me.  “Maybe you're right, it was just one week, like any other week in my life.  I hope all your new pals are worth trading in your old ones.”  She chuckled slightly and added, “Have you thought about how long this will last?  How long do you think Slick will wait?  At some point, Estelle, he's going to collect.”

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 8
     
                  I had no idea what time it was.  I knew it was dark...inside the bar at least.  After Kami walked out of the restaurant, it took me a few minutes to get myself together.  I paid the bill, grabbed my purse and started the walk back to my apartment.  I was so confused about Kami.  Part of me knew there had to be something I'd missed.
                  A much larger part of me however, was completely pissed.  I knew she was jealous of me.  She'd worked at Lawson & Stone for years, and had never once had lunch with an agent, much less intimate