Page 30 of One Week Wingman

I hit him again, harder this time. “I told you not to say things like that!”

Inside, Duke’s is dark and disheveled, but it’s cozy and familiar in a way that makes me relax as soon as we walk in the door. It smells like beer and the garlic from their iconic pizza fries.

I spot Nita and Evan waving from the corner booth, and they’re not alone. Daisy and Jason have already arrived, with Daisy’s BFF, Lottie, and there some other old friends from high-school, too: Colin, who came out the week after we graduated, and his boyfriend, Jeremy, a burly former quarterback who hosts a sports podcast and is one of the biggest gossips in Ashford Falls.

“Look at us!” Nita cries, after I’ve introduced Seb—that is,Stefano, to them all. “The old gang’s back together!”

“Do you remember when we were last all here together?” Colin asks, once we’re settled in with drinks.

“After graduation,” Nita says immediately. “Also known as, that night we drank so much tequila, my mom tried to take me to the ER.”

We all wince at the memory.

“Tequila, hmmm?” Seb nudges me. He’s sitting beside me, his arm draped over the back of the booth, barely brushing my shoulder. His nearness is distracting, but I can’t let it show. I should be perfectly at ease with Stefano, after all.

“Don’t even ask. We’ll take it to our graves,” I tell him.

“And look at you now,” Evan says affectionately. “Getting a hangover off a single glass of wine.”

“I’m a lightweight,” Nita agrees.

“Amen to that,” Jeremy agrees, toasting her with his beer. “We’re getting old, man.”

“Speak for yourself,” Lottie speaks up with a smug smile. She was in Daisy’s graduating class, and always gave me seriousMean Girlsvibes.

Sure enough, she turns her mascara-ed gaze to me. “Were you and Jason still together then?” she asks tilting her head innocently. “I can’t remember.”

I take a sip of my drink. “Yup,” I reply blandly.

Seb gives my shoulder a squeeze.

“Whoops, sorry,” Lottie says loudly. “I shouldn’t have said anything. You know, because of the whole awkward situation here.”

“Nothing awkward about it,” I say with a big smile. “It was a long time ago.”

“Phew. I’d hate to bring up painful memories,” Lottie says, pressing a hand to her low-cut tank top. “You two really were such a cute couple. Soooo in love.”

I see Daisy flinch across the table. “Water under the bridge,” I insist, feeling bad for her, but before I can change the subject, Seb jumps in and does it for me.

“Jeremy, did I hear something about a podcast?”

Everyone groans.

“Don’t get him started,” Colin warns him. “He’ll talk all night.”

“That’s kind of the point of a podcast,” Jeremy teases back. And just like that, the conversation moves on from Jason and I’s torrid teenage romance.

Thank God.

“Ooh, remind me to send you this episode I heard,” Nita pipes up, looking over at me. “It was all about songwriting, and how to break down the perfect melody.”

“Sounds great,” I reply. “I’d love to listen.”

“You still play music?” Daisy asks me in surprise.

I pause, suddenly self-conscious. “Just a little,” I lie.

Like every single day. In the privacy of my own home.

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