Page 74 of Wish Lists and Road Trips

“Please.” I wanted more tequila. More of Nick’s touching. More distracting.

But I really had to pee. “I’m going to the ladies’ room.”

“I’ll come with you.” Annie stood, her foot getting tangled in the chair before Jonathan steadied her.

Nick curled his fingers into my waistband, covering my mouth with his. He tasted like whiskey and the sex we’d been having all day, and for a moment I actually felt like I’d won a round despite coming out of this day in the negative. “I’ll be at the bar,” he said.

I gave him a thumbs up and followed Annie to the bathroom, my heart on a see-saw.

Annie and I each used the bathroom and I let her wash her hands first in the one sink that worked. She swayed, humming along to the music from outside.

“You think this place is always this busy?” I asked.

“I doubt it. I bet that little train wreck of ours is paying the bills tonight.”

I snorted. “I don’t think it should be referred to as my train wreck. I can only handle one at a time.”

She looked me up and down, taking in my tights under jean cutoffs, the gift-store T-shirt that said “Fueled by Coffee and Glitter.”

“What’s wrong, Brit? You’ve had a gorgeous man hanging off of you all evening but you look like your dog got run over.”

I guess I wasn’t doing as well as I thought. I blew out a heavy sigh. Keeping this from both Nick and Meri had me itching for a friendly face to spill my guts to.

“Almost everything,” I said.Everything except that gorgeous man. “I’ve made a mess of something, as usual.”

She leaned against the wall while I washed. “Of what?”

“I’m supposed to be at an auction right now, buying a house. But the tree, and some other things happened, and now I’ve lost everything I’ve had my heart set on.”

Her face fell. “I’m sorry.”

“Thanks. It’s just . . . sort of expected of me, these types of disasters. I thought this time was different. But my life continues to be a comedy of errors.”

Annie crossed her arms and gave me a once-over. “Don’t apologize for your circus, Brit. Besides, looks to me like that boyfriend of yours is the ringmaster.”

“Oh. He’s not really my boyfriend,” I confessed, hoping she would forgive my fib. “We just met a few days ago.”

She snorted, then fell into a fit of giggles.

“What’s funny?”

“Cutie-pie, do me a favor and don’t tell him he’s not your boyfriend until you leave here. We’re all having a good time and I couldn’t bear to watch you ruin that man.”

I watched the soap rinse from my fingers, trying to mask my goofy smile. “I think you’re exaggerating, Annie.”

She pulled a paper towel and handed it to me. “I’m serious. Look, all I’m saying is last night you were asking about fate, but I don’t think it’s all or nothing. One path or the other. It seems like maybe you found something to smile about in spite of it all. Enjoy that. Life is about finding the chewy center inside all the hard.”

I would have chalked that up to drunken bathroom wisdom, but Annie had already given me some solid advice on the train. I couldn’t ignore it.

“It’s going to be okay,” she said, squeezing my hand. “And as far as that man goes, I haven’t seen lovestruck like that in a long time. If you’re going to break his heart, don’t do it tonight.” She held out her pinky and her smile softened with sincerity.

I laughed, letting myself smile at the ideas she was putting in my head. I hooked her finger with mine. “I promise.”

“Good. I’m going to find Jonathan and try to match your cute. Maybe get myself some tonight.” She waved to me over her shoulder as she turned to leave.

I faced the mirror and fluffed my hair. My makeup was just a suggestion of what had once been and I wiped beneath my eyelid with the tip of my pinky, catching a smudge. I looked like a feral cat but my eyes were bright with Annie’s comment. Maybe there were some parts of this smile I didn’t have to fake.

When I came out, I spotted Nick talking to two guys at the bar, both dressed in Sean’s after-work uniform—dress shirts with loosened collars, rolled-up sleeves, flat-front chinos.

---