Page 20 of Bullet

“What?” I exclaimed, my jaw dropping in the process. Hannah was a lesbian, and Meghan was bi, but I had no idea they'd even been dating. “When did this happen?”

Both women giggled, making goo-goo eyes at each other. “We got engaged just this past weekend, but we've been dating about two years, right?” Meghan asked, looking at Hannah for confirmation.

Hannah nodded, extending her hand across the table to me to see her ring. The princess cut diamond was stunning and fit Hannah's taste perfectly.

“Wow, that's beautiful. Looks like I've missed a lot.” I felt sad that I'd missed out on such a milestone in my friends' lives. But I had the opportunity to make up for lost time now that I was back home. “I'm so happy for you guys. We have to celebrate!”

“We actually wanted to talk to you about that. We planned to have an engagement party this weekend and wanted you to come,” Hannah stated, smiling brightly.

“Of course, I'll be there. I want to be as involved as possible. However you'll have me.”

Meghan grinned. “Good because we also want you to be a bridesmaid in the wedding. We're planning for early next March before it gets too hot.”

Excitement coursed through me. “That's great. I can't wait for all the wedding planning.” I released a content sigh. “I'm so happy to be back. I missed y'all so much.”

“Ditto, girl,” Nina agreed. “Life wasn't the same without you, especially once these two started shacking up.” She gestured to Hannah and Meghan. “It sucked being a third wheel all the time.”

We all laughed as the waiter brought our drinks. I lifted my glass. “To friendship.”

The girls lifted their glasses, and we clinked them together as they echoed my sentiment, “To friendship.”

Following my toast, we chatted about life after I'd left. Hannah and Meghan were two years older than Nina and me, and had already established themselves more. They had just bought a house, and Hannah was a kindergarten teacher. Meghan was a nurse in the trauma unit of the hospital.

“What about you, Neens?” I asked as we ate our salads.

She shrugged. “I work at one of the casinos as a waitress. Nothing glamorous but the tips are great, especially when the high rollers are on a hot streak.”

I hadn't even thought about applying at the casinos, but it seemed like my best option. “Is your casino hiring right now? I'm looking for a job and haven't had any luck.”

“We’re always hiring. You should come by tomorrow and fill out an application. I'll put in a good word for you.”

I smiled. Maybe things were going to start looking up. “I will. Thanks.”

Our waiter exchanged our salad plates for our entrees. I looked down at my dish. My mouth practically watered at the steaming chicken and fragrant garlic butter sauce. “Oh my God, this looks amazing. I haven't had D'Angelo's in so long.”

“We love it here. We were actually thinking about asking them to cater our wedding,” Meghan commented.

“But nothing is set in stone yet,” Hannah said. “We've barely started planning, and I want to look at other options.”

“I'm sure whatever you pick will be fabulous.” Hannah was very classy and elegant. She had the best taste in anything involving style, so I knew the wedding was going to be amazing.

Then Nina asked me the million-dollar question. “So how was life in LA?”

I sighed. “Not what I thought it would be. I was naïve to think I could make it out there. Almost every other person is an actor or model trying to find their big break. And you have to know someone to have a real chance.”

“Well, they're missing out,” Hannah said, reaching across the table and placing her hand on my arm. “You always killed it in your theater performances back in high school. If they couldn't see your talent, then they were blind.”

I smiled softly at my friend. “Thank you.”

“Anyone special in your life? Hook up with any hot movie stars?” Meghan asked.

I laughed. “I wish. Closest I got was a prospective actor like me. We auditioned for the same commercial, then hooked up in his car right after.”

The girls giggled. “Well, at least you got something out of it,” Nina joked.

For the first time in years, I felt real happiness. Even though so much time had passed since I'd seen my friends, nothing had changed. We picked up like high school had just been yesterday, and I'd never left. And I was utterly grateful to them for that. I needed them more than ever.

After we ate, we decided to get some drinks at a bar around the block. My mind drifted to the night before, and before I could stop myself, I asked, “Have y'all been to that bar, Harlot's?”

---