Page 38 of Best Served Cold

She shoves his arm fondly.

“One drop-off or multiple?” I ask as we approach Sophie’s place.

“One,” Hannah says. Glancing at Otis, she says, “Don’t worry, Otis, I don’t have designs on you, but if this isn’t an occasion to stay up all night watching rom-coms and drinking, I don’t know what is.”

She leans forward in her seat. “Hey, did you guys catch what the bouncer dude said before everything went to hell? He said Jonah isn’t welcome around there anymore. Do you think it’s because of GingerBeerBabe?”

“Huh, probably,” I say. “Or he just pissed them off by being himself.”

“I think it does have something to do with her,” Sophie contributes with a sigh. “But we may never know what.”

“We should have thrown a handful of flyers through the door on our way out.”

“But thenweprobably wouldn’t be welcomed back,” I say, “and Sophie and I like wishing on stars in the back, don’t we, Soph?”

She gives me an exasperated look that’s at least partially fond. I’ll take it.

I park in the driveway, feeling a pulse of regret that the night’s over. Mind, I don’t want to sit in front of rom-coms all night and watch these guys get drunk, but I was a part of something, and now I’m on the outside. That feeling of exclusion is an old one, baked into my bones.

Before they pile out, I say, “That was fun. We should do it again sometime.”

Hannah laughs and starts to leave the car, but I ask her for some of the Jonah flyers first, and she comes through, bless her. Otis follows her out, mumbling to himself, but Sophie turns in her seat and grins at me. “Thank you, Rob. I’m sorry about earlier. I…you bring it out in me.”

I don’t know what possesses me, but I say, “I’m glad. And thank you for letting me stay. Dottie’s right, I’ll always remember it.”

She smiles and then leans forward and presses her lips to my cheek. Shock roils through me at the press of her warm mouth to my face, her lips soft and giving. Generous. I’m hit with a whiff of the scent she always wears, gardenias. I used to think it smelled like old ladies, and it was something I’d smile to myself about after my visits with the happy couple, but now it fills me with warm affection.

I watch, still in shock, as she walks away, then look in the mirror and see the red imprint of her mouth on my cheek. It’s like she branded me. The weight of the penny is still there in my pocket—almost nothing but not quite.

My hands grip the wheel, but I can’t squeeze it hard enough to shake the feeling that what just happened will change my life.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

SOPHIE

Hannah and I decide it’s a fantastic idea to drink some peach schnapps for “old times’ sake.” We also watch my absolute favorite rom-com—10 Things I Hate About You, followed by a delightfully terrible one. We each claim one side of the worn, plaid sectional couch in my great-aunt’s living room, the floor of which is still covered in red satin. It’s crazy late by the time we turn the TV off, considering that Hannah has to show up to work at noon, but she loudly proclaims it’s Future Hannah’s problem—right before she finishes the schnapps.

“Good God, that was awful,” she says with a shudder.

I grin at her, feeling awash with pure fondness. “I’m sorry to say that’s Present Hannah’s problem.”

“Hey, what happened with you and Rob, by the way? You were outside with him for a long time.”

This is accompanied by a suggestive wagging of her eyebrows.

I snort-laugh. Hannah is delightfully ridiculous. “Nothing. He lectured me.”

“Like in a sexy, stern daddy kind of way?”

More laughter. “Like in a he-thinks-he-knows-best kind of way.” I feel guilty even as I’m saying it, because that wasn’t really what had happened. Our conversation made an impact on me.

Because he was right.

Who would I be if my life had all been smooth sailing?

I certainly wouldn’t be the person I am, the person who’d stood up before Dottie, Rob, my cousin, and my new friend and pledged to love myself as I am. Doesn’t that entail accepting what happened in my past? Maybe being grateful for it in some absurd way?

I’m definitely not there yet, but I can’t deny he planted the seed of something inside of me. A new perspective.

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