Page 21 of The Story We Wrote

“Okay, I’m going to come clean,” she said. “Mac has been coming into the library a lot, and I kinda think he is super hot and was hoping he would be here tonight.”

“Like, Mac Ridley? Like Boone’s friend Mac?” Theo asked.

“Yup,” Penny said, popping the “p” and taking a long pull of her martini. “Look, I just wanted to maybe have a few drinks and get the courage to hook up with him. That’s all.” She put her hands up like she was surrendering. I let out a laugh. The fact Penny needed liquid courage was unbelievable. Penny had any guy she wanted in high school. Even today, she can pull whoever she wants, not to mention her killer personality. My best friend was the whole damn package. She could bat her eyes and any man would fall to his knees. She was five foot two inches of pure sex appeal. Her long chestnut brown hair and skinny figure made her irresistible to nearly every guy. I used to, and sometimes still did, look in the mirror and wish my body would be more like hers. My curves didn’t make me feel “sexy” which was why I wore what I did. Dresses gave me confidence, the fabric was flowy and I could hide a lot more than in tight jeans or a tank top.

“I haven’t seen him yet tonight, but if I do, I’ll make sure to get your attention,” I said with a grin. Penny looked down at her fingers, picking slightly at her nails.

“Theo, what’s been new with you?” Penny asked, dodging the subject.

“Ugh, you know, traveling and working. I’ve seen some amazing places. Here!” Theo took out her phone and started swiping through, showing us the pictures she took and the places she’d been. Whenever Theo talked about her job, her face lit up. No wonder she didn’t come back to Faircloud much, the placesshe’d seen were beautiful. She didn’t have many ties to this town. Her father passed away when she was young and then they moved here, just her and her mom. Penny and I took her under our wing.

“Speaking of traveling…” Theo says, taking a sip of her drink. “I think I’m done for a while. I plan on sticking around and settling down back home.”

I knew I didn’t hold my poker face very well. She could read the shock on my face. When I glanced at Penny, she wasn’t hiding it very well either. Theo, not wanting to travel? There had to be more to the story, but if she wasn’t ready to share I knew to leave it be. Theo wasn’t the sharing type. Most people described her as cold or standoffish. When you knew the real her, she was anything but.

“Okay…” I started, unsure how to ask her the million questions I had. “Did you want to talk about it?” The question I settled with left it open to her to share what she was comfortable with.

“Soon,” she paused, taking another sip of her drink. “I’m happy we’re doing this. I really needed to see you two.” She held a half smile on her face.

“Whatever you need, we’re here for you,” Penny said, laying her hand on top of Theo’s, I did the same. We sat for a few seconds with our hands touching. I couldn’t for the hell of me come up with an explanation for Theo’s choice. My mind immediately went to something bad. I knew from the look in Penny’s eyes, she thought so too. With time, Theo would share, but until then, we would act like nothing happened.

* * *

The cover band was amazing. Every song they played made all three of us want to get up and dance. We spent most of the timeon the dance floor, hugging each other and laughing without a care in the world. I lost count of the amount of drinks I had. We all needed a breather and I really needed a glass of water. Penny, Theo and I took up bar stools on the far end of the bar near the bathroom. Speaking of, I had the sudden feeling that my bladder was full. I excused myself and made my way down the hall to the bathroom. I said I made my way, because everything was swaying slightly. I wasn’t wasted. I was at the sweet spot where I felt amazing and still had control over my actions. When I got into the bathroom, I busted into the first stall.

When the deed was done, I went to the sink and put my palms on the edge. The bathroom was small. It held two stalls and sinks across from them that stood alone.I took a good look at myself in the mirror. My hair was now in a low ponytail, slicked with sweat. My cheeks were a bright rosy color, from being hot and having too much alcohol. I smiled at my reflection. I was happy, carefree and it felt amazing. I’d always put on a happy and brave face, but lately I felt my life was lacking something, lacking excitement or connection. My life at The Coffee Cup was nice, it gave me the freedoms I wanted, but I wanted more. I wanted to own the shop. I wanted to be a business owner and girl boss all on my own.

Instead, I was working at the farm stand. Where did I go from here? Ellie would come back eventually and I’d need to move on. Writing had been a dream of mine for as long as I could remember. It wasn’t something I talked about often because it felt silly, but I think it’s time to start making the dream a reality.

I let my head hang down between my shoulders and took a deep breath. This was a conversation I needed to have with myself when I wasn’t at The Tequila Cowboy, an unknown number of tequila sunrises and who knows how many shots deep. I picked myself up and brushed off the icky feelings, ready to get back to the dance floor.

Penny was alone at the bar when I got back, a new drink for me and her, a shot laying next to each. “Where’s Theo?” I asked, sitting down.

“She said she needed to get home, she wasn’t feeling well. She told me to tell you goodnight and she loves you.” I picked up my shot, Penny did the same. We clinked our glasses and finished every drop. I took Penny’s hand and dragged her to the dance floor, drink in hand. We both avoided talking about Theo.

We danced to the country cover band, belting the lyrics at the top of our lungs. The dance floor was packed with locals, mostly older men, that didn’t matter to us. We danced the night away, time went by faster than I think we both intended. At this point in the night, my vision was blurry, and I was in no shape to drive home. Unfortunately for Penny and I both, we had to find a ride home.

“What time is it?” Penny yelled over the music. Swaying to the beat with her drink raised in the air.

When I glanced down at my phone for the first time in hours, I saw a text from Boone.

Boone: I hope you’re having a good time. I also hope those boys are keeping their hands to themselves.

I couldn’t hold back the smile that spread across my face. The butterflies that seemed to take permanent occupancy when Boone was involved started to flutter at the fact he was thinking of me. If he were here now, I knew I couldn’t keep my hands to myself. I shook my head, clearing all the downright dirty thoughts I had about Boone.

“11:45!” I shout back. “I’m in no shape to drive.” I began to giggle, and Penny joined in. The giggles turned into straight-up belly laughter, and we were both doubled over.

“I can call Boone,” I say through laughs, trying to catch my breath. I grabbed my phone and scrolled to find his contact.

“Boone? You think he’ll actually drive out at midnight to come get our drunk asses?” Penny asked. I nod immediately and hold up a finger. “I’m going to call him. Stay here.”

I stumbled my way out the front door and pressed on Boone’s contact, “Hot Neighbor.” The fresh air felt good on my skin. I put my back against the brick wall of the bar and let my head fall back, facing the sky.

In two rings, I heard Boone’s rough voice on the other end, “What’s up, Darling?”

I couldn’t help but giggle. “Darling,” I repeated back. The more he said it, the more I got used to it. “I can’t drive,” I said, straight to the point.

“Mhmm…” Boone hummed. Not in a disapproving way, in an “I can tell” kind of way.

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