Date The CEO.com

"He said that he'd buy you the whole skating rink?" Andie cackled on Eve's bed. The story made her stomach. She collapsed on her side, her shoulders shaking from laughter. The hem of her black tank top rose slightly.

How could her best friend not be more shameless? That was business! A popular one too! Even if it went down, she'd still have a building and earnings.

Maybe they'd open their own bakery afterwards. The smell of food would bring in the customers for them.

"Before you ask, I hinted that it was a bad idea." Eve rolled her eyes. She tugged on Andie's foot and painted the next toenail in bubblegum pink. Cotton balls filled the gaps between the toes. It helped keep them separated from each other, especially the two smallest ones.

Tonight, they'd hang out like they used to during college.

Junk food scattered all over the floor. Opened chip bags, half-eaten cheese pizza, liters of soda, a box of truffles—plus two pints of ice cream in the freezer. With all of these in their stomachs, they would be up for hours! Maybe even sleep just before the sun rose. 

Although, they'd probably knock out after midnight.

"I know you rejected the suggestion." Andie giggled as she sat up. Her toes wiggled at Eve. A cotton ball fell to the floor. "I still believe you have allergies to wealth."

Eve tightened her hold and glared at her best friend's cheeky smile. She put the cotton ball back then, moved onto the next toe. "Oh, please. A large sum of money without earning it doesn't always lead to good things."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But it's a business! I'm sure Ambryan would do all the paperwork and inspection. Maybe even drag you, Ms. Secretary, to accompany him." Andie tried to sell. It was an opportunity far beyond their imaginations. 

Why would that be a bad thing? Sure, it could lead to losses but this was Eve, for goodness' sake! She'd be able to use what she learned during her time at Eros. Her training could lead her to be the manager of her own company.

And they could always convert it to a bakery! Or a restaurant! It would only be defeat if they let it be that way.

Andie used her other foot to poke Eve's stomach. Her best friend recoiled from the attack. "Damn, I can't believe you exchanged that for roller skates. Why you so cheap, ah?"

Eve slapped the foot away but her best friend persisted. She put her own foot down to hold it in place. Andie struggled to get out of it but Eve switched tactics. She used her whole leg by trapping her best friend's ankle under her knee as she tucked her leg underneath. 

Andie stopped moving her foot.

For now.

"Roller skates I can wear like when we go to the park," Eve explained. She already had two jobs. Managing a business was out of her time budget. 

Unless she quit.

Which wouldn't happen any time soon.

Andie stuck her tongue out. She may have lost the foot war but she could still win in other ways. "Or to work when you're rushing so you won't be late. Those wheels do add in speed." 

"Har-har. You're hilarious."

"Thank you." She chuckled, tipping her invisible top hat. "Although, if Ambryan recognizes them, you'd be busted."

"Sounds like an idea to end my worries," Eve muttered. It had been only a week since the launch party. It felt like she always sat on the edge of her seat every minute. Just when things seemed to calm down, new players showed up to test her.

How was she to keep this facade with everyone?

"You mean his father?" Andie propped her elbow on her thigh and her hand cupped her cheek. She watched as Eve moved to her big toe. The bubblegum pink reminded her of a time when she played all day with dolls.

One more to go and her other foot would be free.

"Yes." Eve sighed. She dipped the brush for a fresh coat of nail polish. "Not just him, even Mikael and Jordan."

"That sounds like a harem."

She pointed the brush at Andie. "Stop right there. If you want one, get it yourself."

Her best friend merely grinned. "But I do have a harem."

"Really?" Eve blinked. Then, narrowed her gaze in suspicion. There was a catch somewhere. She just couldn't put her finger on it. "Does Jarrett know?"

"Yeah, it's you and Jarrett." Andie declared. 

Eve rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. She went back to painting toenails. "Are you sure that it's not with a co-worker who has been eyeing you since your first day?"

"Totally irrelevant on this subject," Andie shot down. Just the thought of that man left a bitter taste in her mouth. The problem was how sweet the guy was. He was also quite cute.

Every time his puppy eyes droop at her, she'd forget to scold him and let him go. 

"I don't know…" Eve trailed off. She wiped off the excess polish that touched the nail's outer edge. "Does he still write your name in icing whenever you ask for dessert?"

"Shut up."

"Just curious."

It was Andie's turn to roll her eyes. She saw the guy more as a younger brother than anything. He never stood a chance. She and Jarrett were already a couple before they met. He had a face that doesn't seem to age. He had flawless skin too, even thicker eyebrows and lashes than her. 

It reminded her of someone else with thicker brows and lashes.

"Hey, do you think we can visit town tomorrow?" Andie proposed. Her lids hooded over her stormy blue eyes. She could almost hear the upcoming rejection. "I'm sure someone would be happy to see us."

Eve chuckled. She released the other foot and worked on its nails, not sparing Andie a glance. Her hands worked faster to finish. "Can't we just pay for her travel fare? She already has free food and lodging in this apartment."

"Then, you should be the one to convince her. You know how much she hates travelling." Her best friend snorted. Whenever they had this conversation with their other friend, it would last, at least, for an hour. It always did when two opposing people were stubborn.

Andie eventually ran out of patience. She was the only one fine with travelling. She tried to please both but they always ignored her. Since then, she let them be the ones to argue while she enjoyed whatever food they had in the fridge.

"At least, it would be free," Eve pointed out. She coated the third toenail with two left ahead. Her mind wandered to the game they created about nail polish. "What design do you want? Fair warning. I am still bad at this."

Yup, they would attempt nail arts. It didn't always end well which was why they used toenails for it. They could hide the disastrous ones through socks and/or shoes. Only people close to them would spot the nail arts—if they were lucky as Eve and Andie liked to joke. 

"I want cupcakes in blue cups and purple icing," Andie stated. She had decided on that from the beginning—maybe because they were displayed on the bakery shop window earlier in the day. "Don't forget the cherry on top. I want it to be a hot pink rhinestone."

Eve paused from her work. Her brown eyes widened at her best friend. She couldn't tell if Andie was teasing her or not. "Can't you think of a simpler idea?"

'What part of 'I am still bad at this' did Andie not understand?' 

"I want them facing me too and not upside down," her best friend continued, admiring her finished foot. She wiggled her toes, imagining the cupcakes on them. "Oh, when I want the cups to be sky blue. Use pastel colors too. There should be some in the kit."

Shaking her head, Eve reached for her phone. No way was she going to eyeball this. A reference should be a big help. She found a photo that made the cupcakes look like 2D cartoon. It had black outlines which she could use to hide her mistakes.

"How am I even supposed to paint one on your little toe?" Eve suddenly thought. It was the smallest nail. With a tall design like this, it would be hard to squeeze all the details in. The rhinestone would take up half of the space.

"That's your problem. It is supposed to be a challenge." Andie grinned. This would now be her revenge for losing the foot war. 

"Try not to make them like ice cream," she teased further. "They might look like sundae cones if you're not careful."

"Damn," Eve cursed, screwing the cap for the bubblegum pink polish. She rummaged through the kit and looked for the nail art pens. Her best bet was to make an outline. Something close to the bubblegum shade too.

Just a shade lighter or darker maybe. 

She drew her first outline.

It came out thin and tall. The silhouette resembled an ice cream sundae—just like Andie warned. 

"I hate you," Eve taunted. A dark cloud hovered above her head. She traced the first outline, making the cupcake wider.

Andie giggled at her grumpy face. The fun was just getting started. Oh, how she missed these nights… if only there were three of them instead of two.

"Love ya too, Eve."