Page 79 of You've Got Male

She looked at the men, over her shoulder at the exit, then back to Julie. “I’m not ashamed to flap my wings andbak bak bakall the way home.”

“And leave me here with all these straight people? I haven’t seen this many loafers since I walked into my accountant’s firm last April.”

“Who wants to be in a place that reminds them of taxes? Am Iright?” She turned to make a beeline for the exit when Julie slid her arm through Evie’s and locked Evie to her side.

“I take back what I said. This actually reminds me of the night I was drowning my sorrows in a pint of rocky road after I found out Zoe was engaged,” Julie said, referring to her ex-girlfriend who claimed she didn’t want to be a stepmom, then turned around and married a woman who had three kids. “You showed up to my house with an emergency Girls’ Night Out kit, which included a little black dress, enough makeup to cover up a zebra’s stripes, and those Doc Martens I’d had on my wish list for two Christmases.”

“The pink camo ones with the platform bottoms,” Evie remembered. Julie had worn those boots until the soles wore out. They were the perfect juxtaposition of her feminine side with a twist of bad-assery.

“You dragged me to Pandora’s Box,” Julie said, nostalgia lacing every word. “Do you remember what you told me?”

“That Vera Wang and Doc Martens are a bold fashion choice?”

“That my person was out there, and it wasn’t Zoe. But I’d never find my person if I kept metaphorically dragging Zoe with me everywhere I went. So you asked me to leave her in the car, for just the night, and see what happens.” She rested her head on Evie’s shoulder. “I did and I met my wife that night.” Julie lifted her head and looked Evie right in the eyes. “Leave all the baggage in the car. Just for tonight, and see what happens.”

Evie jerked back. “Well, I can tell you what’s not going to happen. I’m not going to find my person, because I’m not looking for one.”

“So you say.” Julie took Evie’s arm again. “Look, I told you I was sorry for posting that video of you and Jonah. I crossed the line there. Let me make it up to you by giving you an excellent Girls’ Night Out where we aren’t leaving until at least one of us is shit-faced.”

“Well,youdraggedmehere, so you might as well buy me a drink,” Evie reminded her.

“Oh. You’re right. I did. But only because I love you and you need to get out and have some fun.” Julie pulled them through the noisy bar.

Evie was relieved to see the You’ve Got Male-Mamas in a booth at the back, waving her over. Julie waved back, then took Evie’s hand and waved it like this was a scene fromWeekend at Bernie’s.

“Just a reminder, I’m a hilarious drunk.”

Julie snorted. “You’re an obnoxious drunk. But you’re cute when you’re obnoxious. Now, here we go.”

They waded through the busiest part of the bar toward the back, where all six of the ladies who’d made girls’ night stood and swarmed Evie. Before she knew what was happening, she and Julie were in the middle of a GNO huddle, with arms hugging her from every direction.

“We are so glad you made it,” Alex said. The young mom had her blond hair twisted up at the base of her neck and was wearing a cute red-and-white polka-dotted 1940s-style pinup dress. “The first round is on us.”

“Oh.” Evie waved a hand. “You don’t have to—”

“Thanks,” Julie said, shoving Evie into the nearest seat. “I’ll have a whiskey neat and Dr. Ruth here will have a vodka and tonic, heavy on the vodka.”

“Dr. Ruth?” Evie asked as one of the ladies headed to the bar.

“You didn’t think they invited you here to talk about cross-stitch, did you? They want to know about sex after single motherhood,” Julie said, sliding into the booth next to Evie and blocking her exit.

Evie looked around the table, all the women looking back with rapt attention. “Did you?”

All five heads nodded.

“Only if you want. There is no pressure,” Alex said.

“If you want, Evie.” Julie nudged Evie’s elbow gently.

Alex clapped. “It’s just this is the first time for all of us venturing out into the world of dating and sex. Who better to ask than the original You’ve Got Male girl?”

Evie looked over her shoulder and found the woman returning from the bar with a tray full of drinks. “I’m going to need this first.” Evie grabbed hers and downed it in one shot. She coughed at the cold liquid stinging her throat, then set the tumbler down on the table—hard.

While it tickled her nose and she enjoyed the bubbles stinging her throat, it was not nearly enough to get her comfortable talking about sex—especially since she hadn’t officially had sex. And it was her intention to keep it that way.

As the other women grabbed their own drinks, Evie leaned into Julie and whispered, “Dr. Ruth is like a million years old. There is no way she’d still be getting her tank filled regularly, if you know what I mean. But she still gives advice, right?”

Julie lifted a brow. “Have you and Jonah not had sex—”

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