The Legacy Enslaved. William Speir

of friends. They were about the only female friends she had who weren’t members of the Order, and she cherished having “normal” friends to hang out with.

      Lori was a petite brunette with smoldering, hypnotic eyes. She wore her hair short, but when Jamie had first met her, Lori’s hair was much longer and fuller. The short hair framed her face perfectly, making her look even more striking. She was sweet, driven, and wicked smart. Her undergraduate focus had been in marketing and journalism, and now she worked as an assistant news producer at one of the local television stations. She had been dating a guy named Dwight for a month or two, but Jamie didn’t think that it was serious.

      Susan was a blonde who wanted to be a professional dancer and musician, but whose parents insisted that she finish college and get an MBA so she’d be able to support herself. Susan went through boyfriends like most people went through boxes of cereal, and lately she had started going after other people’s boyfriends, making her somewhat unpopular. She had been dating a choreographer for several months, but Jamie wondered how much longer that would last.

      Lynn was the most different member of the group. Outwardly, she was a blonde pixie of a girl with blue eyes and a beautiful smile. Inwardly, she was a Romani gypsy through-and-through from her mother’s side. She was adventurous, which is why she fit into the group as well as she did, but she had a problem with the idea of monogamy and fidelity. As a result, she was constantly moving in and out of her boyfriends’ homes because she’d cheat, get caught, and have to find a new place to live. Jamie had already begun to distance herself from Lynn; as much fun as Lynn could be, Jamie just couldn’t understand that lifestyle.

      Jamie drove past the entrance to the alley where, four years earlier, she had helped uncover an underground casino engaged in counterfeiting as a way to destabilize the U.S. economy. A few blocks later, she arrived at the restaurant. Glancing at her watch, she saw that it was five minutes before 7:00. She parked her car and walked up to the entrance.

      Jamie wore a short, dark-green dress that showed off her red hair, and above-the-knee brown suede boots. Once inside, she saw Lori waving to her from a table near the bar on the left. She waved back and walked over to the table.

      “Been here long?” she asked, sitting next to her friend, who was wearing a similar outfit with a blue print dress and dark red boots.

      “A minute or two,” Lori said, giving Jamie a hug. “Susan just texted me; her cab’s stuck at the light on 24^th. Lynn should be arriving any minute.”

      Jamie looked around the restaurant. “Have you been here before?”

      “Nope. I’ve been waiting for the next ladies night to suggest it. I hear it’s great!”

      “How’s Dwight?” Jamie asked.

      Before Lori could answer, Susan and Lynn bounded up to the table. “Hi, girls!”

      The four girls hugged each other. The waiter appeared immediately and took their drink orders. Jamie ordered her usual scotch.

      “Of all the drinks on the menu,” Susan said after the waiter had left, “you always order scotch. Live a little! Drink something tropical for a change.”

      “What can I say?” Jamie smiled. “I love scotch. Once you’ve found the best, why look for something else?”

      “Same answer as always,” Lynn quipped. “Give it a rest, Susan. She’s never going to order something different unless it’s wine with her meal.”

      “A girl can try, can’t she?” Susan laughed.

      Jamie turned back to Lori. “So, what’s going on with Dwight?”

      “Yeah, are the rumors true?” Lynn asked.

      “What rumors?” Jamie asked.

      Lori looked guilty. “I’m not dating Dwight anymore.”

      “Oh,” Jamie said, looking at the other girls. “So? I never thought it was that serious.”

      “Tell her,” Lynn said to Lori.

      “I’m dating Brad now,” Lori confessed.

      “Dwight’s roommate?” Jamie was shocked.

      “Former roommate.” Lori blushed furiously.

      “He moved out?” Jamie asked.

      “Dwight threw him out,” Lori replied softly. “It was terrible.”

      “No surprise there,” Lynn said. “He violated the ‘bro code’ and got what he deserved.”

      “Bro code?” Jamie asked.

      “You know,” Susan interjected. “Bros before hos. It means guys who are friends aren’t supposed to let a girl come between them, and you never scam on another guy’s girl.”

      Lori shook her head. “Brad didn’t scam on me. It was the other way around. Dwight was in that basketball league, and I used to go watch him play. Brad was always there, too, and since we were both watching Dwight, we sat together. We’d talk, and after a while, I realized that I had a lot more in common with Brad than I did with Dwight. Brad felt the same way, but we didn’t want to hurt Dwight, so we never acted on it until we could find a way to tell Dwight.”

      “And he blew up when you told him?” Jamie asked.

      Lori shook her head. “We never got to tell him. He found out from someone else in the league who saw Brad kissing me goodnight when he walked me to my car after one of Dwight’s games.”

      “So, you have a new boyfriend, and he has a new place to live?” Susan smiled broadly.

      Lori nodded. “Personally, I’d rather spend time with someone who thinks I’m more important than a bunch of other guys. That ‘bro code’ nonsense is a load of crap. Brad’s intelligent enough to know better, and I think intelligence like that should be rewarded. It shows good judgment. I’m sorry I hurt Dwight, and I’m sorry that Dwight and Brad will probably never speak again, but I’m not sorry that I’m with Brad now. He makes me feel loved!”

      “Well, good luck,” Jamie said.

      Susan laughed. “Yes, I hope you’re happy.” Looking around, she added, “I broke up with my boyfriend, too, and I’ve moved back in with Beth for a while.”

      “The choreographer?” Lynn asked.

      Susan nodded. “I’m moving in with Peter next month.”

      Jamie was shocked. “Wait, Peter? Professor Donaldson?”

      Susan beamed.

      “You’re moving in with your former finance teacher?” Lori asked. “Isn’t he married?”

      “Was,” Susan corrected her. “He’s getting a divorce.”

      “Why?” Jamie asked. “I thought he and his wife really loved each other.”

      “It was inevitable after she caught us together,” Susan admitted. “I guess some things you can’t forgive.”

      The waiter brought over their drinks.

      Susan took a sip and looked at Lynn. “Anything you have to tell us?”

      “You said you wouldn’t bring it up,” Lynn hissed.

      Susan grinned. “It’s a night for confessions, girlfriend. Come on. Spill.”

      Okay. I’m moving out of the apartment that Bob has been paying for, and I’m moving in with some guys from work.”

      “Some guys?” Lori asked.

      “Four guys. They have a place, and they say they have room for me.”

      Lori shook her head. “And you’re doing this… why?”

      “I don’t like feeling like I owe Bob anything.”

      “But