25. Leveling Up to Real Life Love
The brunch spotwas all trendy exposed brick and mimosas that hit just the right spot—especially after a night like the last one. As we settled into our booth, Emily and Sadie already had that spill-everything gleam in their eyes.
“So, how was the Nashville trip?” Emily sipped her drink, her tone casual but her eyes sharp with curiosity.
“It was a disaster,” I sighed, swirling the mimosa in my glass. “My sister threw a fit, accused me of abandoning her for video games, and basically disowned me in front of her Barbie brigade.”
Their mouths dropped in almost perfect unison. “No way,” Sadie choked, almost spitting out her drink.
“Yeah, but that’s not even the news I dragged you both out of bed for this Sunday morning,” I said, leaning in, ready to drop the real bomb. Their eyes widened.
“I told Everett,” I blurted out, unable to hold the grin back.
“You what?” Emily nearly shouted, earning a shush from a nearby table.
“I told him,” I repeated. “About Huntra. About everything.”
Their shock melted into grins, and then they erupted into cheers, clapping their hands and causing even more heads to turn our way.
“And?” Sadie prodded, her voice rising an octave in pure excitement.
“And we had sex,” I added, the words sparking another round of gasps.
“No!” they both exclaimed.
“And let me tell you, it was amazing,” I said, a dreamy sigh escaping me as I recalled every perfect detail.
Sadie, ever the instigator, slammed her hand on the table. “That’s it, I’m buying a round of pancakes for everyone to celebrate!”
The entire brunch spot turned to look at her, the server raising an eyebrow as if she’d just suggested we order a unicorn on the side. “You’re crazy,” Emily laughed, her voice filled with affection.
“I know, but seriously, who needs more champagne when you can have pancakes to celebrate Rachel getting some?” Sadie winked, and we all burst into laughter, the kind that drew smiles even from the surrounding tables.
As the laughter died down, I leaned back, feeling lighter than I had in ages. “Thanks, guys. It feels like, I don’t know, like I’m finally not just floating through life. I’m choosing it, you know?”
“Here’s to choosing life, choosing pancakes, and definitely to choosing hot sex,” Emily toasted, lifting her mimosa.
“Cheers to that,” I echoed, clinking glasses with my best friends, the morning light casting everything in a warm, soft glow of new beginnings.
As our glasses clinked in a cheerful toast, Sadie didn’t waste a second before diving into the juicy details. “Okay, so we need details. Spill. Every. Single. Thing.”
I rolled my eyes, my cheeks heating even as I smirked. “What do you want, a play-by-play commentary? It was great. That’s all you’re getting.”
“Come on, any… interesting kinks we should know about?” Emily’s eyebrows did a little dance, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Emily!” I exclaimed, though I wasn’t really shocked. This was typical brunch talk, after all.
Sadie, never one to be outdone, chimed in with her own brand of bluntness. “Girth. Positions. Give us the dirty. We’re all adults here. Plus, I need some fresh material for my own… research.”
I shook my head, chuckling. “You guys are ridiculous. Fine, if it’ll satisfy the curiosity beast”—I glanced around, lowering my voice—“let’s just say he’s very… thorough. And creative.”
“Creative? Honey, you make him sound like a Pinterest project,” Sadie snorted, nearly choking on her mimosa again.
Emily clapped her hands, delighted. “Oh, that’s all I needed to hear. Rachel’s got herself a lover who knows his way around the craft table.”
“More like he knows his way around the bedroom, thank you very much,” I corrected.
Sadie’s expression was mock-serious. “So, on a scale of one to ‘buying a ring tomorrow,’ how good are we talking?”
“I’m not buying any rings, but let’s just say I wouldn’t mind a few more… rounds,” I quipped, enjoying the way their jaws dropped just a smidge.
Emily raised her glass again. “To happy endings!”
“Cheers to that!” Sadie agreed enthusiastically.
We all burst into laughter, the sound mingling perfectly with the clinking of glasses and the busy hum of the brunch crowd around us. It felt good to share this moment, to revel in the humor and closeness that only best friends could offer.
As our laughter simmered down and we sipped our mimosas, Sadie leaned in, her curiosity not quite sated. “So, he knows you’re Huntra? How did he react?”
I nodded, stirring my drink a bit absentmindedly. “Yeah, he already knew. Turns out, Jo spilled the beans.”
Emily’s face fell into a mock-guilty expression as she slumped back in her chair. “I kind of knew he knew,” she confessed with a shrug. “I was just waiting for you two to figure it out on your own.”
Sadie threw her hands up, her voice rising in playful indignation. “Why am I always the last to know these things? What is this, a conspiracy? Am I not part of the secret-keepers club?”
I couldn’t help but giggle at her dramatics. “Sadie, you are literally the gossip hub of our group. We had to keep you out of the loop or the whole city would know by now!”
“Fair,” Sadie conceded with a sigh. “Even so, it hurts, you know? Left out of the loop like a common stranger.”
Emily reached across the table, patting Sadie’s hand. “Don’t worry, next big secret, you’ll be the first to know. Promise.”
“Better be,” Sadie muttered.
“And besides,” I added, trying to steer the conversation back to a lighter note, “now that everyone knows everything, there are no more secrets to keep, right? We can all just be scandalously open with each other.”
“Scandalously open, I like the sound of that,” Emily chuckled, raising her glass once more. “To no more secrets!”
“To no more secrets!” we echoed, clinking our glasses together with a sense of closure and new beginnings swirling around our little table.
As our mimosas dwindled and the laughter continued to echo around the quaint brunch spot, Sadie’s expression shifted to something a bit more serious. “So what are you going to do about your sister? I mean, she practically banished you. You had to fly home early on Friday night because you were so upset. Speaking of, you didn’t even tell us. Just texted Emily for Everett’s address then disappeared all day Saturday.”
I blushed. “I was busy.” With Everett. Under Everett. Sucking hi?—
“Don’t change the subject, guys. Rachel was obviously counting orgasms while gone but we have bigger fish to fry. Are you still going to the wedding?” Emily asked.
I sighed deeply, feeling the weight of her words. “My mom has been calling me nonstop, but I’ve been avoiding them. I feel like I should go to the wedding, but I don’t want to ruin her day.”
“Shut up, you aren’t ruining anything,” Emily interjected sharply. “If you want to go, go. If you don’t, then don’t.”
“It’s just intimidating,” I admitted, fiddling with the edge of my napkin.
Emily’s face lit up with a sudden idea. “Bring Everett with you so you have a buffer.”
I paused, taken aback. “Isn’t it a little too soon in the relationship to ask him to join me in my family drama?”
Sadie rolled her eyes. “Girl, Everett would follow you into a literal dragon’s den. Shut up.”
“How do I even ask something like that?” I muttered, feeling a mix of hope and nervousness.
Without a word, Emily picked up her phone and started typing. Moments later, she looked up with a grin. “I invited him to brunch. He’s eager to see you anyway after last night, I’m guessing. You can ask him now.”
“You what?!” I exclaimed, my heart skipping a beat. I had left early this morning after rounds two and three. “Did it make me look clingy to invite him here?”
But before I could spiral further into my worries, the door to the brunch spot swung open, and Everett walked in, his eyes searching until they landed on me. My breath caught at how quickly he appeared.
“How did you get here so fast?” I blurted out, half in disbelief.
He shrugged with a charming smile. “I was kind of waiting for you. Wanted to spend more time together.”
The sincerity in his voice made my heart swell, and I couldn’t help but swoon. I’d always hated the games of the dating scene, like when to call or how long to wait before texting back. But with Everett, it was different. He wanted to be with me. End of story.
As we settled into the fresh wave of mimosas that Sadie had triumphantly declared on the house, she gave me a nudge. “Rachel has something to ask you,” she announced, making sure all eyes were on me.
Everett turned to me, a curious smile on his face. “What’s up?” he prompted gently.
Taking a deep breath, bolstered by the courage my friends and the mimosas lent me, I dove in. “Would you go with me to my sister’s wedding next weekend?” I blurted out, my voice steadier than I felt.
Without missing a beat, Everett whipped out his phone, already tapping away. “Absolutely,” he said with conviction. “Have you already booked flights? I can get us first-class tickets. And what about the hotel? I can get us a room. Oh, and I’ll need a tux… and a limo… and should I get you a corsage?” His enthusiasm was both endearing and slightly overwhelming.
Emily laughed, cutting through his planning spree. “It’s a wedding, not prom,” she joked.
Everett’s cheeks tinged pink, and he chuckled, a bit embarrassed by his own overzealousness. I seized the moment to press a soft kiss on his lips, his surprise melting into a warm smile. “Thank you for inviting me,” he murmured earnestly. “I know it’ll be hard for you, and I want to be there. It’s what I should do for my girlfriend.”
Around the table, Sadie and Emily cooed in unison, a chorus of awws filling the air.
“Girlfriend, huh?” I teased, a playful note in my voice.
With a serious, yet tender look, Everett nodded. “I know, and I plan on changing that label later,” he whispered, only loud enough for me to hear.
Emily raised an eyebrow, mock-groaning. “Okay, that’s too cheesy for me, but still cute,” she declared, causing a blush to creep up my cheeks.
As brunch wrapped up, I felt lighter than I had in days. The support of my friends and the commitment Everett showed made me look forward to the wedding—not just as an obligation, but as a chance to show where my heart truly belonged.