Page 6 of One Timer With A Wingman

“Seriously, I could definitely swing three fifty,” Ivy says.

“So what does everyone think?” Aaron asks, looking around the table. I don’t even know why he thinks he should be coming with us. He’s only friends with Levi.

“Dude, you don’t even work here,” Simon announces.

“So what, this isn’t an employee trip. This is a pleasure trip. Think about how much fun we would have at an inclusive resort. Free drinks and food. A nice place to stay,” Aaron says with a singsong tone.

“Dude, aren’t you going home for the holiday?” Levi asks him.

“Not this year,” Aaron replies and there is something cryptic in his tone, but what do I know? I’ve only met him a handful of times.

I don’t want him joining our trip. I prefer to stay away from jocks. I know their type. They get around a lot and think they are a gift to women. Their egos are bigger than their cocks. It’s the last thing I need to be around.

“I’m sold. When is the departure date?” Nolan asks.

Taylor stares at her watch and bites her lip. “The only time the four-hundred-and-fifty-dollar deal is available is leaving tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. with a return on Thursday.”

“That’s in six hours,” Levi announces wide-eyed.

“No, bro, it’s in three hours. For international flights you have to be at the airport three hours before departure. Looks like we aren’t sleeping tonight,” Simon cheers.

“We’re doing this?” Taylor asks, looking at each of us sitting around the booth. My stomach is turning. I’ve never been on a plane. Hell, I’ve never left Michigan.

“I’m in,” Sofia whoops.

Her response causes a chain reaction. Everyone around the table says they are in. By the time they get to me, my response is automatic. “I’m in.” There is no way I am staying in Riverside by myself over break.

We all use our phones to book the trip. Since the hotel requires dual occupancy, we all discuss who will be rooming with who. Hawk is pushing to stay with Taylor, but then it sets our numbers off since we are six girls and six guys. We finally decide to divide up with guys rooming with guys and girls with girls. Sofia asks Lennon to be her roommate and it’s obvious Ivy and Lynsey will be rooming together, since they are besties. So Taylor asks me if I want to room together. I say yes, but I wonder where it will leave me if her and Hawk decide to spend the night together. We finish the bookings.

“Done,” I say. “This is crazy.”

“It’s okay to do something crazy,” Sofia notes. She knows me well. We spent a lot of shifts together. She knows I’ve planned out every aspect of my life. I’m not a fan of surprises or change. This trip is very unlike me.

“I don’t know about that,” I bite on my bottom lip.

“This trip is going to be good for you,” Lennon says. “You never let lose.”

She isn’t wrong. I’m at Riverside U because I made it on to the gymnastics team, which was no easy feat. I spent the better part of my childhood in a gym competing. Growing up with a single mom meant she didn’t have a college fund set aside for me. Even my gymnastics extracurriculars put a huge strain on her, but she did it for me because she wanted me to attend college. It was something she didn’t have the chance to do.

“Should we Uber to the airport together?” Ivy asks.

“Good idea,” Lennon answers. “But I think we should split up. There isn’t an Uber large enough to take all of us.”

“I can schedule the Uber,” I offer. “3:00 a.m., right?”

“Yeah,” Taylor says then squeals, “OMG, this is going to be so much fun.”

The guys hear our plan to schedule an Uber, so Levi offers to order one for the guys.

We clean up the table and put our aprons away. We all head out of Black Jack’s. Since I have my SUV, I give Taylor and Lynsey a ride to their place.

“What do I pack?” I ask once we get in the car. The car is frozen and it takes some time for it to warm up.

“Bikinis?” Lynsey states the obvious.

“Shorts, tank tops, maybe a summer dress or two,” Taylor continues.

“It’s four nights and five days,” Lynsey says. “We shouldn’t overpack. I’m thinking of taking a carry-on and forgetting about a suitcase.”

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