Page 139 of Waiting for Acceptance
“What a fucking badass. You’re the COO of The Fitzgerald Firm in New York!” I laugh gratefully, as she pulls me in for a hug. All the girls join in, holding me tighter than ever—like they’re scared to let me go this time.
“We’ll definitely come try your New York tacos,” Shane says.
“And that pizza place Fitz is obsessed with,” Taylor adds, and I catch Fitz throwing his hands up from the corner of my eye, making me laugh.
“I’ll bet you have some swanky new office you could show us too,” Leah says.
“We’ll be regular tourists for you.” The girls giggle, but when I catch Ruby’s eye, and see this warrior of a woman with tears streaming down her face, I freeze.
“You better not forget about us,” she warns.
“Are you kidding? I could never.” Her lip quivers and I look around the bar, smiling as I remember the night we first came here. The guys move to stand next to their wives, and Fitz pulls me into his lap on his barstool.
“When do you move?” Shane asks, sniffling as she wipes her face.
“I start in two weeks, so…before that.” Everyone silently nods.
“Hell yeah. Packing party this weekend.” I look at Max gratefully.
Tucker claps, pointing finger guns in the air. “Be happy the number of us has multiplied since Taylor moved in with me.” We all laugh, finishing our drinks as we reminisce on the last few years. Starting from when Shane moved back to Nashville and needed to drink away a crappy weekend, we came to Chattahoochies to do just that, and four tequila shots and a key lime martini later, we wound up here—one big family that we found along the way and pieced together little by little. I’m going to miss them more than they’ll ever know, but I know that moving to New York is what I’m supposed to do next. Because while my heart aches thinking about all I’ll miss when I’m gone, I have so much peace over what I’ll experience in New York with Fitz. I may not be down the street anymore, but we'll always have our Nashville nights.
CHAPTER 71
FITZ
THE PACKING PARTY
Lauren and I got all the boxes assembled last night so they would be ready for us to pack up and load onto the moving truck. Then ran out and grabbed coffee and breakfast sandwiches for everyone this morning, giving Lauren the chance to cry over how much she’s going to miss her favorite coffee shop. I know we’ll go through the grief of everything she’s leaving behind, but I’m fully prepared to listen and comfort her until she starts to love the places around our new home. The door swings open and Taylor walks in with packing tape and bubble wrap in her arms.
“Packing party is here!” she yells. Lauren runs over and they wrap their arms around each other, and Tucker and I bump fists. Ginny jumps up onto the counter next to us and Tucker jumps.
“When the fuck did you get a cat?!” Lauren and Taylor burst out laughing. “Hey, kitty kitty,” Tucker coos, picking her up and petting under her chin, making her purr. They rub their heads together and the three of us just stand back watching them. “What’s her name?” He looks at Lauren.
“Ginny.”
“Let me keep her.” The girls fall over in laughter again and I shake my head, laughing with them.
“I told you!” Taylor yells.
“Told her what? Stop talking shit. She loves me. She doesn’t wanna move to New York. Do you Ginny?” Tucker lifts her up and she meows. “See.”
“Ginny loves New York, actually. You can’t have my cat, Tucker.” Lauren tries to take her from him but he turns in the other direction, blocking her from being able to.
“I just met her, let me hold her a little longer. Stingy ass.”
“You’re unbelievable.” Lauren rolls her eyes at Tucker, walking back over and stopping by Taylor. “Please take him to the animal shelter when you leave here.”
“Nah. I think I’ll keep him.” They laugh as the rest of the crew comes flooding through the door. Ten adults, three kids, and Ginny makes for a crowded ass house, but the laughter that fills every inch of this place is something I wouldn’t dream of taking away from my future wife.
“Did I ever tell you guys about the time that Tucker almost killed Zander in front of my house?” Taylor asks, taping up a box full of Lauren’s clothes.
“Really, Darlin’? That’s the topic of conversation you’re choosing during a lull?” Tucker sighs, and Taylor shushes him.
“That doesn’t surprise me, but details please.” Leah leans over the counter in the kitchen, where she’s boxing up kitchen supplies Lauren is donating to the thrift store.
“It was the night he finally took me on a proper date, and we ran intobothof my exes. Michael was the waiter, but y’all knew that already. Then when we got home, Zander’s drunk ass was on my porch talking shit, so Tucker choked him out and was going to leave him in the bushes while we ordered takeout. We had to send him home in an Uber so the takeout guy wouldn’t think we murdered someone.” The girls burst out laughing andthe guys in the room all shrug in solidarity. Meanwhile, I’m realizing just how crazy my new friends are.
“Y’all remember that time Max punched Pete when he showed up at Black Hearts? I think I fell in love with him that night.”
