Page 28 of Alice & Meg, Girls Trip

“Don’t all people like spiked lemonade?” Greta mumbled.

“That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day,” I agreed, feeling a little more cheerful at the thought of a cold drink waiting at the end of this mini golf gauntlet.

As we continued to play through the course, my luck didn’t exactly improve, but at least I managed to keep the rest of my shots on the green. Cyn made sure to cheer me on every time, and even Alice threw in a few words of encouragement, though I could tell she was having a hard time keeping a straight face.

By the time we reached the eighteenth hole, I was ready to throw in the towel. Or the putter. Or maybe both.

“I’ll just watch you all finish up,” I said, plopping down on a nearby bench. “My ego can’t take any more bruising today.”

“You sure?” Greta asked, tilting her head at me. “This is the last hole. It’s your final chance to redeem yourself.”

“Nope, I’m good,” I said, waving her off. “You all go ahead.”

Alice stepped up to take her shot, effortlessly sinking the ball in one smooth stroke, of course. She turned to me with a playful grin. “You sure you don’t want to give it one last try? Maybe I can give you some pointers.”

I shook my head, laughing. “I think I’ll just take a page from your book and stick to what I’m good at—cooking and baking.”

“Well, you’re definitely good at that,” Alice agreed, giving me a wink.

“Yeah, yeah,” I said, rolling my eyes. “We can’t all be mini golf prodigies like Alice here.”

Alice just shrugged, clearly not fazed by the ribbing. “What can I say? Some people are just naturally talented.”

“Don’t let it go to your head, Alice,” Paige said, taking her turn and sinking her ball with relative ease.

“Hey, I’m just here to have fun,” Alice said with a grin, raising her hands in mock surrender. “And to support my friends in their endeavors. Even if those endeavors involve launching golf balls into the wilderness.”

“Support noted,” I said dryly, but I couldn’t help but smile. Despite my less-than-stellar performance, I was having fun. And that was what this trip was all about.

Once everyone finished the course, we gathered our things and headed towards the bar, where the promise of spiked lemonade awaited us.

When we reached the bar, we settled into two booths, and I immediately ordered a large spiked lemonade, determined to drown my mini golf sorrows in something cold and refreshing. As I took my first sip, I sighed in contentment.

“Better?” Alice asked, raising an eyebrow as she sipped her own drink.

“Much,” I said, nodding. “This is exactly what I needed.”

“To surviving mini golf,” Lennox said, raising her glass in a toast.

“To my purple ball lost in the woods,” I added, clinking my glass against hers.

“To whatever’s next on this crazy trip,” Paige said, joining in.

We all raised our glasses, smiling at each other. This trip might have been full of unexpected moments—some more successful than others—but it was exactly what I needed.

And even though I might not have won any mini golf trophies, I knew I’d be going home with something far more valuable: the kind of memories that would make me smile every time I thought of them.

Alice

“S’mores?” Cyn’s voice was full of hope as she looked over at me.

“I brought all the goodies. We’ve just been full every night,” I pointed out, flashing her a grin.

Meg held up her hands in mock surrender. “I’m sorry you guys like my food so much,” she joked, her eyes twinkling with humor.

I jumped up from my chair, a sudden burst of energy taking over. “Well, tonight is the night!” I announced, darting towards the camper. It was about time we indulged in some s’mores, and of course, since I was in charge, I had a little twist planned.

As I rummaged through the cabinets inside the camper, I couldn’t help but feel a bit giddy. Sure, classic s’mores were great, but I wanted to take things up a notch. After gathering everything I needed, I made my way back outside, the cool evening air nipping at my skin.

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