Page 9 of Serendipity

Her eyes soften. “I know. I appreciate it, too, and promise to take you up on it if I ever get to that point. But I’ve got this. I feel better than I have in years and I finally feel like I’m ready to make my life what it was always meant to be.”

“I love you so much. Thank you for sharing that with me.” We hug and then start laughing because we’re both crying and wipe our faces.

“We’re a mess,” she says through giggles and tears.

“But we’ve got each other.”

“Hey! Where’s our snacks?” Jess hollers.

“Coming!” I holler back.

With trays full of food, we join our friends for more snacks and wine and what I now know is just plain cranberry juice for Carissa rather than cranberry and vodka that I thought it was earlier in the night.

At some point, we start watching videos on social media and have the grand idea to recreate the dances. And post them to Jess’s account. I’m sure we’ll all regret it tomorrow, but Rachael is positive that we’ll go viral. Like Carissa and I said earlier, we’re a mess. The fact that she joined in with our shenanigans without a drop of alcohol just adds to the awesomeness of the evening.

However, the fact that I’m way too loopy to drive home tonight is not escaping my fuzzy brain. My kids will never let me hear the end of it if I call one of them to pick me up, but it definitely seems like the best option at this point because there’s no way I can drive.

A little after midnight, my phone buzzes in my back pocket with a text. I fumble around for it and slide open the notification.

Stone:I’m outside whenever you’re ready. No rush.

Me:Huh?

I know I’m past buzzed and heading pretty rapidly toward drunk, but I’m positive that’s not why his message confused me.

Stone:To give you a ride.

My drunk ass bursts into a fit of giggles, sending curious glances my way. “Stone just said he’s ready to give me a ride.”

“I’ll bet he is,” Rachael says suggestively.

The flush I feel on my cheeks has nothing to do with the wine I just consumed. “How do I respond to that? What should I say?”

Against my better judgement, I accept Jenna’s offer to reply for me. She plops down on the couch next to me and grabs my phone, with me leaning over her shoulder to see what she’s saying.

Me:What if I want to give you a ride instead?

Stone:Maybe next time. Tonight I want to take care of you.

I gasp. “Oh my gosh! He wants to take care of me! Isn’t that sweet?”

I stand up and do a little shimmy, girating my hips and bumping butts with Rachael.

Gone are the nerves from an hour ago when I was talking with Carissa and feeling self-conscious. The alcohol has warmed my belly enough that I’m giddy and excited. And a little bit horny, too, since Stone is super sexy and just told me he wants to give me a ride and take care of me. Plus, I haven’t even kissed a guy aside from Brett in over two decades and haven’t had sex — my vibrator doesn’t count — since the night before he asked me for a divorce. Nervous, maybe, but ready to move on. At least I am right now. Moscato-brain is ready to rock and roll.

A collective group of awws are cooed from my friends and I smile before jumping down on my knees next to Jenna.

“Live a little, Leah,” Jess encourages. “He’s so clearly into you and you’re a beautiful woman with a lot of life left to live.”

I wrinkle my nose and lift a shoulder. She’s right, but I don’t take compliments well. Brett moved on before he even asked me for a divorce, so why can’t I? It’s not as if I’m waiting for him to walk back through the door. I cringe at the thought, actually.

“He’s cute, right?”

Jess starts laughing hysterically. “Cute? Cute? Stone isnotcute. He’s sexy as heck.”

Yeah, she’s drunk but she still doesn’t curse. It’s one of the reasons we all love her so much. She’s hysterically proper.

I read the text again and nudge Jenna. “What are you going to say next?”

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