Page 37 of What Happened Last Night

She got me, because she texted back, Come to the salon tomorrow, I have no customers after 4.

I replied with a thumbs up. Having a cousin who was a nail tech had its advantages. One of them was that she did my nails. I always tried to pay her, and she always refused. We argued about it every time.

My phone rang. It was Mom. I sent it to voicemail.

A second later, she texted. Please call me. I am very concerned. This was followed by a dog emoji, which made no sense. She’d probably hit that by accident.

Another text from Mom, this one a link. It was a self-help article. What to do if alcohol is becoming a problem in your life. It included information on local AA meetings.

I leaned back on the bed, throwing my arm over my face and laughing into the crook of my elbow. Only one person would get it. I forwarded Mom’s text to Will and added a message. Look what you’ve done!

His reply was immediate. I accept no responsibility for this. I would have told her I was listening to a podcast.

I groaned aloud. Why hadn’t I thought of that? It was a better explanation for why there was a man’s voice in my apartment. Why did he have to be a stupid genius? He made the rest of us look bad.

I texted him again. If she makes me go to an AA meeting, I’m taking you with me.

He replied. I’d be happy to, but you’ll have to explain that, too.

My skin went hot and cold all of a sudden, and my hands went sweaty. Too many feelings at once, and I couldn’t sort them out fast enough. I texted him before I could think.

Luna: Please don’t fire me.

Will: Never in a thousand years. Please don’t quit.

Luna: Okay.

Will: I’m in Seattle tomorrow. See, I’m checking the schedule you made. I’ll be back in the evening.

Will had a meeting with a record company there, so he’d drive down and back. The record company had approached him for the meeting, of course. They probably wanted to either recruit him or pitch him something. People always came to Will.

Money is what everyone wants, he’d said.

And: I think I’m an old habit for her at this point.

I didn’t reply to his text, and as I drifted to sleep, in my mind he kissed me again. And again.

When I woke the next morning, there was already a text on my phone. Will had sent it at six thirty, probably when he was leaving the city. Check your front step. Or your aunt will find it first.

I jumped out of bed. Trying to be fast and quiet at the same time, I opened my door and descended the steps barefoot in my pajamas. Reggie’s apartment was dark and quiet. I opened the front door an inch and peered out.

I gasped aloud.

Then I grabbed the present on my doorstep and brought it upstairs, clutching it to me like a thief, my heart expanding until it was too big for my chest.

* * *

Katie gave me a narrow-eyed, dubious look as she shook the bottle of nail polish I’d chosen. “A unicorn,” she said.

“Yes,” I replied.

“That’s also a planter.”

“Yes.”

“And you don’t have a garden.”

“Correct.”

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