Page 28 of Fluke
“Nothing rhymes with tequila. You get whiskey frisky, and I get, what—tequila Argentina?”
“You know what? This is a perfect example of how you misalign your manifestations. You give me whiskeyfrisky. Frisky is a playful, sexy kind of word.” She cocks her head to the side. “You gave yourselfnumb.”
“What was I supposed to say?Rum bum?”
“Would’ve been better than numb. Orrum cum.”
I make a face. “Ew. No. That just …” I shiver. “No.”
“Just something to consider.”
“Or not.” I pull a napkin out of the dispenser in anticipation of my drink arriving. “I don’t know whether to laugh, dance, or cry about my day, so let’s start with yours.”
“Fine. But can I have a quick rundown so I can prepare for the conversation in advance? The way tonight is already going, I’ll need a minute to get myself ready.”
I lean my head back and sigh.
My body aches. The toll from the day—the roller coaster of emotions leading up to it and following Bridgit’s decision—settles in my bones. I considered tucking myself into a hot bath with a pint of ice cream, but Kerissa has a way of taking my mind off things while also solving them—or at least making them seem less overwhelming.And I could use a little of that tonight.
I level my chin. “Okay. Quick rundown goes like this—we had a meeting. Chuck made an impromptu last-minute filibuster of sorts, so I got put on the spot to say my state of the union or whatever.”
“What’s with all the political shit?”
I lean forward. “Because that’s what it felt like, okay? Like I was running for some sort of office and my opponent is smiling for the cameras and lying through his teeth.” I pause as reality hits me over the head. “In a huge bout of irony, I was the one smiling and lying. But let’s not focus on that.”
Kerissa struggles not to laugh.
“Anyway,” I say. “Bridgit picked me.”
“Yay!”
“And Chuck semi-lost his cool.”
“Also, yay!”
“And then …” I tap my hands against the table in a pathetic attempt at a drumroll. “I got finagled—how? I’m still not sure—into taking the trip that I used in my proposal with my nonexistent ex-husband.”
The smile melts from Kerissa’s face.
“Yeah.That part,” I say, taking my drink from Jenny. “Thank you.”
“Do you guys want food?” Jenny asks.
Kerissa forces a smile and turns to her, still processing my revelation.Take your time. I haven’t fully processed it either, and I’ve had all day.
I should be on top of the world tonight. I should’ve gone home, set up this dinner with Kerissa, and then called my mother—and left a message because it’s not like she’d actually answer—letting her know that I’m the new department head at work. She’d dismiss it and act like I was promoted to head pudding taster or something equally pointless, but at least I would know that she knew.
I should be reveling in my success and taking a moment to appreciate it. To start preparing for my new adventure. To celebrate the huge step I made toward purchasing my own home someday—a goal I’ve had since my parents walked out of my college apartment and told me they would not be supporting my life if I bailed on med school. I would be on my own.
But I’m not doing either of those. I’m not partying in delight. I’m fretting over a situation that I have to control, yet I feel like I have no control over it at all.
“She’s going to have to eat something if she’s drinking,” Kerissa says, pointing at me. “But we need a minute to get her life in order, okay? She’ll be two sheets to the wind in about fifteen minutes because she’s a lightweight, and in the meantime, I have to figure out how to get her married and divorced by next week.”
Jenny laughs. “If you pull that off, I have some shit I could use some help with by Monday.”
“I’m here to assist,” Kerissa says, shrugging. “But I don’t dig holes, and I can’t afford your bail. Just keep that in mind.”
I take a sip, choking on the tequila. “Damn, that’s strong.”
