Sovereign Ground (Breaking Bonds) by Hilarey Johnson

shoji.” He points to one of the three-paneled bamboo
screens.
    My heart pumps more blood than I need as I return
to the bar. Trey’s face goes from surprise to pleasure and I feel like I’m coming
home.
    “How’s my favorite girl?”
    “Oh.” The infernal smile takes over again; I need
to restrain my errant lips.
    “Oh, what?”
    “I thought Talia was your favorite.”
    He asks me to repeat before he understands. It forces
me to look at him and speak loudly.
    “Well, you know…” He winks and puts both hands on
the counter like, he is about to do a push-up. “What do you need?”
    I order the Jack Daniels and place it on the
platter.
    “Do you want something, too?”
    The schnapps earlier made me feel warm and loose,
party mood. I would rather party than feel like I’m at work all night. I turn
and look at the bamboo panel. “Sure, one more won’t hurt.” I’m not going to
drink like Thom. I’ll stay in control.
    On my way back to the bald guy, Brody intercedes.
    “Jack Daniels?”
    “Yeah.” I lift the platter to him. He looks at me
as though I offered a mud pie, and not the ice cream kind.
    “I don’t drink, Baby.”
    Jewels stumbles by us. Brody hails her with a nod.
“Take this back to the bar,” he says and gives her my tray.
    Jewels’ lips work out a petulant, “Sure thing, Brody.”
He doesn’t watch her walk away.
    “Hang out with Cori tonight.”
    “Okay?” I hear the inflection in my own voice, but
I didn’t mean to ask it as a question.
    “She asked for you.”
    This makes me feel like I just took another shot.
I don’t know why, but I love Cori like I would a sister. It’s as though I have always
wanted to know her, always wanted someone beautiful to know me.
    Cori wipes the makeup counter in the dressing room
with a gray hooded sweatshirt.
    “Hi…Bella.”
    Cori turns and smiles. “Yeah. Did you see the
show? How did it look? Are you ready to put something together?”
    I love that she fills the room with conversation.
I don’t have to feel inept. I take a deep breath through my nose, searching for
the right word. “Fab-u-lous.” It comes out before I remember. Even though it
makes me think of the Wild Lily, it was just the only thing to say.
    “Hmm.” Cori studies me like a new insect discovery.
Using Brody’s word eroded the intended compliment.
    All the different hair spray and lotions combine
to make a cloying, throat-burning scent. I wish there was a window on either
side of the intensely lit mirrors. “Brody said you wanted some company.”
    “Oh, I just wanted to hang out with you.” Cori
pulls out a five-dollar bill rolled like a straw, unfolds it and flattens it by
dragging it across the corner of the counter. She pulls up the sweatshirt again
and wipes the counter. Her hands shake, and she keeps looking at the door like she
expects someone. I can barely see the blue of her eyes with all the black
eyeliner.
    My throat continues to burn from the aerosol. That,
combined with the two shots, makes for a merry-go-round in my head. I go to the
back counter and grab a couple bottles of water from the mini fridge. I bring
one to Cori. “Would you like this or do you want something else?”
    “Oh. So you’ve moved up from drinking outta the
tap?”
    Heat tingles from my core to the top of my head,
but she probably can’t tell with my dark skin. I adjust my sequined triangle top
and lift the carpet of hair from the back of my neck. “Well, if you don’t need
anything…”
    “Baby come back.” She sings a familiar tune. “You
can blame it all on me.” Her voice is horrible. Cori moves her hands like she is
rubbing lotion into each one. “I had an anxiety attack and Brody couldn’t stay
with me. He gave me something to help.” She stands abruptly, walks over and
gives me a hug. “I need your company.”
    I remember the side of the road: Hayden’s strong
arms holding me, the crazy terror of my anxiety attack. “I had one before…” First,
I let my