Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
ODD THAT THE B-LIST NEPO BABY DIDN’T EXTEND HIS BIRTHDAY INTO A WEEKLONG EXTRAVAGANZA LIKE LAST YEAR. THE DRAMA MUST HAVE HIM IN HIDING.
GREER
“To new beginnings!” Wren shouted with a bubbly laugh.
The whole bar lifted their glasses and cheered.
Again.
It was the fourth toast of the night. Or maybe fifth. Sixth? I wasn’t sure anymore. After the first, other people had started joining in with the celebration and the drink purchases. We’d had to turn the bartender away before the three of us ended up in drunken puddles under our stools.
Needless to say, my besties were hyped about my new job.
And, fine, I was, too. I was still apprehensive, of course. But mostly hyped.
“I can’t believe you’ll get to see behind the movie magic,” Maddie said with a wistful sigh.
I nudged her with my shoulder. “Says the person who attended a movie premiere with my new boss. Was that not enough to ruin it for you?”
Maddie had told us all about how miserable everyone was at the Old Flame event. I would’ve thought that disaster had squashed her love of movies.
Her lips curved down in a scowl before smoothing out as she flicked her wrist. “The people sucked, but the movie itself was amazing. I’m tempted to ask Tripp for an advance copy because I want to rewatch it. On repeat.”
“I read your glowing review.”
“I think everyone read her glowing review,” Wren put in.
Maddie grinned hard at that. “The digital newspaper has never had clicks like that. Ever. Joel is floating on air and not being a dick for once,” she said about her editor-in-chief.
She gave me an exaggeratedly pleading pout.
“So if you happen upon any insider insight that you’re free to share for another article… ”
“You’ll be the first to know,” I vowed solemnly.
“But don’t violate your NDA,” she said with the same mock severity. “Tripp’s lawyer is a real shark.”
Wren smirked. “One who always looks like he wants to eat you.”
“Looks aren’t deceiving.”
Must be freaking nice.
I couldn’t remember the last time Josh had gone down on me. If oral virginity was a thing, mine had grown back. And it wouldn’t be long before my regular virginity followed suit.
A depressing thought.
Maddie gave herself a little shake like she was clearing her head. “Even if you can’t tell me anything, I’m so excited for you. All those movie nights, and now you’ll get to see the actual filming.”
“Maybe. If it fits around my school schedule,” I pointed out.
And he doesn’t fire me first.
I left that part unsaid.
Maddie looked like she wanted to gush more, but she must’ve read my anxiety. Her expression softened. “It’ll be perfect. I know it.”
“I know it, too,” Wren said as she stood. “I also know I need the bathroom.”
“Same.” Maddie followed her lead by standing before leveling me with tipsy come-hither eyes. “Make this a group affair?”
I shook my head. “I’ll guard our table.”
The dive bar was starkly different from Golden, but just as busy. If we all got up, our drinks would be set on a windowsill and our seating long gone.
I watched as they walked off, suddenly realizing that they looked like they’d swapped styles.
Maddie had always worn a lot of baggy jeans and cropped tees while Wren favored pretty dresses and feminine clothes that accentuated her short, curvy body.
But right then, Maddie wore a dress for the second night in a row while Wren had stuck to plain jeans and a loose tee.
I hadn’t even been aware she owned either.
It nearly matched my outfit, though my shirt was more fitted.
Comfort over all else.
A happy woman after my own heart.
I finished my drink just as another round was dropped off.
I waved at the small group of women Maddie knew from the school newspaper who’d sent it over, clearly hearing our celebrations.
Or maybe they were kissing up to her since her movie feature had earned her all kinds of pull with her editor-in-chief.
Whatever the case, I was happy to accept the free booze.
I’m going to regret this tomorrow.
Pulling out my phone, I snapped a picture of the drinks and posted it on Instagram. I channeled optimism I didn’t feel into the caption.
Celebrating my new job with a bar full of lovely people who keep sending over rounds.
Think anyone will send some mozzarella sticks next?
I’d just hit post when the other two returned. Maddie grabbed her Dirty Shirley, but Wren pushed her margarita away.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Tired. The early mornings every single day are warping my schedule.”
“Hate to tell you this, but I think those early mornings are your schedule. At least for ten months out of the year.”
A soft, content smile curved her mouth, but she didn’t respond before her phone vibrated on the table. She checked it before rolling her eyes at me. “Of course you Instagrammed this.”
“I had to.”
“At least you only took a picture of the drinks this time,” Maddie muttered with a disgruntled sigh.
“The night is young. There’s still time for me to get a photo of you with your cheek plastered to the porcelain throne.”
She made a barfing face, one of her lids fluttering in her disgust. “At least tell me there are no more OGs lurking on your page.”
“Nope. Their Instas and Finstas have been blocked, and I am closely monitoring who follows me now.”
“Better late than never.”
And with that reminder, I guess I can’t be mad at Tripp for snapping those pictures of me.
Well, I can if he posts them somewhere.
I’d earned Maddie’s ire after sneaking a picture of her and Easton the month before. I’d known right then that if they weren’t already together, they were about to be.
And I’d been right.
Although the picture of the two of them was adorable, uploading it had been a mistake. Unbeknownst to any of us, our moms were cyber stalkers with secret fake accounts. In the short time I’d left the photo up before doing a dirty delete, Maddie’s mom had seen it.
Awkward.
Wren’s phone vibrated a few times in rapid succession, and her brows lowered.
“You okay?” I asked again.
She darted her gaze up to me before smiling. “Yes. I, uh, made the mistake of telling Chris I was tired, so he’s on his way.”
“We can all go,” I said, fine to leave my drink behind. It was probably for the best before I did something dumb.
Like text my handsome new boss.
“Yeah,” Maddie agreed in an instant. “Vic is right outside.”
Vic was Easton’s driver, and he always looked grumpy.
Or maybe like a robot.
“No reason for Chris to haul ass all the way here when C-3PO can drive us home,” I said. When they just blinked at me, I flung my hand out. “Because he’s a robot.”
In my drunken mind, that was hilarious.
And in Maddie’s drunken mind, she must’ve agreed because she cracked up. “I’m so telling Vic that.”
“Oh my God, don’t you dare. He’ll never take me for drive-thru tacos again.”
“Okay.” Maddie gave a gracious head dip. “I will tell Easton, though.”
“Easton is also part robot, so maybe that’s not a good idea, either.”
Maddie laughed harder. “He’s a business robot.”
I’d expected our dirty-minded Wren to chime in with something about him being a sex robot, but she wasn’t paying attention to our antics as she typed away on her phone with a happy little smirk.
“Will you be sleeping in your bed tonight, Goldie-Wren?” I asked.
A blush spread across her cheeks. “No.”
“So hot yoga in the morning…”
“Also a no. I’ll be back for brunch, though.”
“Good.” There was nothing that I needed more after a night out with my girls than a hair-of-the-dog mimosa brunch with them.
Well, that and some mozzarella sticks.
“Are you sure you don’t want Vic to drive you?” Maddie confirmed.
Wren nodded. “Chris was actually in the area with friends, so this worked out perfectly.”
“They could join us,” I offered.
Maybe one of them is a scholarly teacher who thinks the way I handle a three-hole punch is the sexiest thing he’s ever seen. And he’s super hot. With a hard exterior but a gooey interior. And a little cheesy.
Wait.
I think my perfect man is made of mozzarella sticks.
I dragged my thoughts out of my pants… Er, belly? I wasn’t sure. It was getting confusing. Either way, I shut out the noise in time to hear Wren shoot me down.
“I think he was looking for an excuse to leave. You know he doesn’t do nights.”
That was the truth. Chris had nearly fallen asleep at the table when he’d come out with us, and it hadn’t been that late.
He’d put up a valiant effort before finally letting Wren convince him that he should go to bed.
I’d felt bad that Easton had covered the whole bill when he hadn’t drunk anything.
Well, I’d felt bad until I’d seen his swanky office.
“And now you don’t do them, either,” Maddie said, hugging our friend. “We’re all growing up.”
“We all are? Does that mean you’ll be awake early to be my hot yoga partner tomorrow?” I asked.
She visibly shuddered—and only half of it was for dramatic effect. “If I ever… And I mean ever agree to that, take it as code that I’ve been kidnapped.” She looked back at Wren. “When will he be here?”
“Any minute.” At our surprise, she explained, “He was at that sports bar down the street.”
“You weren’t kidding about being in the area,” I said.
“We hadn’t even talked about the specifics of where we’d be going, so it’s fate. Or a coincidence. But I’m going with fate.” She started to give a swoony sigh before it turned into a yawn. “Why do mornings have to come so early?”
“Something about the sun and Earth and cruel torture,” Maddie said.
“Okay, then why did I make the decision to go into a career that involves said cruel torture?”
“Because being a teacher is literally the only thing you’ve ever wanted to do.”
My envy wasn’t a subtle pang. It crushed through the forced optimism I’d built around myself like a wall.
After reluctantly joining our high school paper because she needed the extra credits to graduate on time, Maddie had found a way to put all her inquisitiveness to good use.
She’d found her calling with journalism, and if dealing with her editor hadn’t changed her mind, nothing would.
And I couldn’t remember a time when Wren hadn’t wanted to be a teacher.
Even when we were little, we played pretend school not house.
Then there was me.
For our entire lives, I’d been the one with my shit together. The organized one. The calm one. The…
The bland one.
But as days ticked by faster and faster, I was left feeling further behind. Floating adrift with no clue what I wanted to do with my life. I didn’t begrudge my friends their happiness, but it was a stark reminder that I was still purposeless.
I choked down that ever-present panic and hoped that I’d cleared it from my expression by the time Wren rounded the table to hug me goodbye for all eternity.
Or until brunch the next morning.
Once she was gone, I stared at her empty stool for a long moment. “Is it weird that she said she was tired, so Chris made her leave?”
“No,” Maddie said. It wasn’t the answer I’d anticipated since she could be a little protective where we were concerned.
And by a little, I meant a lot.
I certainly hadn’t expected the one word to come out so quickly and firmly.
“Like she said, he was probably looking for an out to get home to bed.” She wiggled her brows. “And home to bed with Wren? How could he resist?” Reclaiming the drink she’d been willing to abandon in the name of friendship, she took a long sip. “I think it’s sweet he cares. Easton tells me—”
Her words cut off suddenly. But not as suddenly as the instantaneous blush that spread across her cheeks.
“Tells you what?” I prodded just as the server appeared.
Rather than more drinks we didn’t need, a basket of mozzarella sticks were set in front of us.
“We didn’t order these,” Maddie said, and I was tempted to kick her under the table.
Usually, I had a firm policy about not eating any of the food served at the bar since their D health code rating stood for dirt cheap drinks but don’t order food.
But I could’ve kissed one of those piping hot sticks of ooey goodness.
The frazzled server shrugged. “They were sent over.”
As he rushed back into the kitchen, Maddie stared to the side as she drummed her fingers.
Remembering where we left off, I asked, “What does Easton tell you?”
She did her best to wave me off, though she ended up just sloshing some of her sticky red drink onto the table.
“Just that I should get more sleep.” I got the distinct impression she’d been about to say something else, but she dangled a distraction before I could push.
“And I have been, which is why my lowest grade is now an eighty-nine.”
It was my turn to slosh my drink as I slammed it down. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. I have nary a late nor subpar assignment.”
Some older man lovin’ is clearly good for the mood, soul, and academics.
Who knew?