Page 30 of The Player Penalty
“Lily?” Sarah asks.
Maddie is beside her, with both dressed in jeans and shirts, each displaying their husband’s number. I don’t have one of those.
I stop to greet them both since they’re blocking my path.
“You look bored,” she says.
“That’s because I am.”
The two of them share a look.
“Come out with us. It’s nothing special. Girly drinks without the guys. You want to go?”
I perk at the invitation. They make a regular effort to speak with me, but we aren’t close, unlike my friendship with Julian. “Are you sure I won’t get in the way?”
“Nonsense,” Sarah says.
“Completely ridiculous,” Maddie says. “Let’s go.”
They put an arm around me, dragging me towards a waiting Uber.
∞∞∞
The hotel bar is a little old-fashioned, with dark wood and velvet chairs. Its small alcoves and rooms keep it quiet, even with all the people there. Our corner has three comfortable chairs spread around a wooden table. It reminds me a little of the cocktail lounges found in old movies. It’s perfect.
“There are only two rules when we go out,” Sarah starts. She holds up a pair of fingers to enunciate the point. “The first rule is we only have girly drinks. That means no shots of vodka or beer so thick you can stick a fork in it.”
“That’s an easy rule to follow,” I say. After tonight, the memory of beer’s smell turns my stomach. “What’s the next one?”
Maddie chimes in this time. “We don’t talk about work or the guys. So, there’s no racing talk either, thank goodness.” I want to giggle because that topic never interests me. “We can talk hobbies or history or…”
“Herbs,” Sarah finishes for her. “The alliteration was right there; I had to run with it.” She holds up both arms as if to say, what are you going to do?
This means no uncomfortable questions about Julian, doesn’t it? I’m not ready to talk about him yet, especially after leaving him behind the way I did. He’ll be angry tomorrow if he notices I left.
“Those are easy.” It’s as if they were written for me.
“How is school going? I remember you switched majors last semester, right?” Sarah asks.
I’m halfway through my first Sea Breeze, and a cozy sensation is moving through my body. The two of them are best friends and technically sisters, so they’re used to an easy camaraderie. It’s kind of them to include me. I’ve been interning for almost an entire year, and it’s the first time, probably because they happened to find me. How pathetic did I seem? A rejection aura surrounds me.
“Education. I meet with my advisor soon to determine my specialty.” Sarah leans in, confused. “Early education or history or whatever. I can’t decide which. Not math.”
All three of us nod in agreement over that.
“My mom teaches first grade and tells me the funniest stories. Last week, one of her kids asked if she could go home during summer break,” Maddie says.
“Please tell me she said teachers may never leave,” Sarah adds. “Kids are adorable, but also kind of intimidating.”
“They’re less intimidating than grown-ups,” I say, and both laugh. I can see the humor in it, even if it wasn’t an intentional joke.
“Another round,” Sarah says, lifting her hand to signal the server.
“How will we get home?” I ask. If we keep up, I’ll be certifiably drunk for the first time in my life.
“One of the guys will take us home. It’s Boone’s turn this week,” Maddie says. “For safety.”
“For safety,” Sarah repeats.
