Don't Take Chances

Opening the door to my apartment I dumped my large red bag in the hallway and slid my soaked black leather jacket off my shoulders. As I pulled my boots off the sound of my roommate Erica's voice met my ears along with the laughter of our friends Mike, William, Sisky and Michael.

"Hey, my favorite deputy art director's home," Andy, or The Butcher as he was mostly known as, stuck his head out of the kitchen doorway.

I smiled half-heartedly as I squeezed some of the rain out of my short dark hair, "Hi Andy."

"What's with the sad face?" he asked as I followed him back into the tiny kitchen.

"Apart from getting soaked by every single car that drove past me on my way home and not being able to get a taxi anywhere? Work stuff," I replied as I slid open the little hatch between the kitchen and the living room and waved at my other friends, "Hey guys."

"Care to elaborate?" he asked.

I pulled myself up onto the counter and tugged off my soggy knee-high socks as he finished mixing drinks, "Uh, well, apparently my work visa was up for review and they're not convinced that I have enough 'extraordinary ability' to stay in America, so I'm probably going to be sent back to England."

"Shit, that sucks," he said, handing me a glass of his concoction, "How can they just send you back?"

I shrugged and swirled the contents of my glass around, "Being a deputy art director at Teen Vogue is a pretty good job and they'd rather that an American have it than a Brit. It makes sense and I knew the deal when I came here," I downed my drink and grimaced, "What the hell did you put in that?"

"Whatever was in your liquor cabinet," he grinned.

"Oh God," I laughed and rubbed my forehead with my hand.

"Come on," Andy pulled me off the counter and slung his arm around my slightly damp shoulders, "Let's drown your sorrows and leave the problems to be solved in the morning."

"What problems need to be solved?"

"We're drowning sorrows?"

Erica and Sisky asked simultaneously.

I laughed as I collapsed on the worn out leather couch beside Michael, Andy flopping down next to me, "Just work drama."

William dropped his jaw in mock shock, "Drama at Teen Vogue."

I flipped him off playfully.

"Lily's being sent home," Andy informed him.

Mike turned to look at me, "But you already are home."

"He means back to London home," I explained.

"How can they do that?" asked Michael.

I shrugged and filled them in on the situation, "I know how the system works, I just didn't expect it to turn around and bite me on the arse."

"Arse," Sisky giggled from his spot on the floor, already a little inebriated.

Mike rolled his eyes at his friend and turned to me, "Surely it's not that simple?"

I shrugged again, "Apparently so."

"Well that sucks," Michael sighed.

I looked around at their sad faces and felt bad for ruining their Friday night, "There's plenty of time to fix it though, so don't worry."

Erica smiled sympathetically and nodded, "Between the seven of us we should be able to come up with something."

William leaned over the coffee table and handed me a bottle of beer with a small smile which I received gratefully, hoping my best friend was right.