Page 1 of February

CHAPTER 1

“Why does my head weigh a hundred pounds?”

Bridgette’s eyes opened slowly. There was a female voice in her bedroom. It was coming from behind her. She thought she recognized it but was too tired to identify it.

“No, it’s a thousand.” There was a sigh. “Bridge, do you have all the ibuprofen in the world in your bathroom?”

Jill. It was Jill. Bridgette’s eyes opened wider, and she looked down at her body. She was clothed. Well, she was sort of clothed. She was wearing a tan bra and a pair of old cheer shorts from high school that still somehow fit, so she considered them to be like the jeans inThe Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: no matter how much weight she gained, the magic shorts would always fit her, or so she hoped.

“Bridge?” Jill asked.

Bridgette tried to remember the previous night. She and Jill had gone out, and they’d definitely had too much to drink. Jill had been on three dates with a woman she’d met online, and at the end of the third one, she’d known it wasn’t going to go anywhere, so she’d called Bridgette to see if she wanted to sulk with her over drinks. Bridgette remembered that part. They’d gone to a bar in the Quarter, which was probably a mistake because the drinks had been cheaper, and it had been an all-night happy hour, which meant that the drinks were alsobasically doubled, and they’d danced and drank and danced some more. Bridgette hadn’t danced like that in a while, and she definitely hadn’t drunk like that in a long time, either. Maybe last year, during Carnival season, but she didn’t remember much beyond the drinking and the dancing.

“We didn’t sleep together, Bridgette,” Jill said. “Well, we passed out together, but nothing happened.”

Bridgette sighed and rolled over to face Jill, who had the blanket pulled up to her neck, but Bridgette assumed she was clothed, given her statement.

“No?”

“God, no. You’re pretty, I guess, but… no, thanks.”

Bridgette laughed and said, “Thanks, I think.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Yeah. So, what happened?”

“We got drunk.”

“I don’t remember leaving the bar.”

“Melinda drove us. I texted her to go get your car. She and Kyle met us on Canal, and I don’t think we’ll be hearing the end of this one for a while. I remember them offering to take me to my place, but I really had to pee, so I told them to just leave me here. I think they walked back to her place after that.”

“So, they probably assume we…”

“Yeah,” Jill said. “And I plan on correcting them today when I can make my legs move and get to work.”

“Your legs don’t work?”

“I passed out in my heels,” Jill replied. “I woke up and kicked them off, but I think my feet will be deformed for a while. Should be fun walking around the city today, giving tours.”

“Shit… Work,” Bridgette muttered, rubbing her hands over her face. “I’ve got work, too. Why did we get that drunk?”

“I’m only twenty-five. I should be able to handle my booze still, right?”

“I’m only twenty-seven. I should be able to do the same,” Bridgette replied.

“I need a shower and a lot of coffee.”

“I can make us coffee. Do you want to shower here?”

“No, I’ll go home. And I’m going to call a car because I cannotwalk right now. I need to get my uniform, anyway,” Jill replied. “Can you make my legs move, though?”

“I can shove you off the bed,” Bridgette offered. “Gently, I mean.”

Jill laughed a bit before she stopped and said, “Don’t make me laugh. My head is killing me.”

“Well, I can at least help with that and send you home medicated and with a bottle of water that you should chug. I’ll do the same.”

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