Page 44 of Confessions of a Smutty Romance Author

They were so happy and completely in their own world. Cohen had given Birdie everything she’d dreamed of—a good home for her and her bird, Ralphie, a stepson she loved just as dearly as if he were her own flesh and blood, and plenty of romance she could count on.

I could feel my belief start to crumble, if only a little. If Cohen was a good guy... maybe there were more out there like him.

And yet again, he could be a unicorn, giving false hope to girls like me.

I followed Jonas toward the two of them, and they smiled at us. Cohen already had a beer for Jonas and a mojito for me to match Birdie’s signature happy drink.

She’d been drinking less and less of her sad drinks ever since she met him.

I took a sip, and my eyes widened. “Cohen, you have to keep the bartender. This drink is so good!”

“Right?” Birdie said excitedly.

Cohen rolled his eyes and hit Jonas’s chest. “They just want me to keep him because he’s hot.”

I looked around to see what Cohen was talking about anddamn. This guy had to be newly twenty-one with that fresh face and biceps that showed his extra enthusiasm at the gym.

Birdie giggled and said, “Mara didn’t even know what he looked like!”

“Oh, so it’s just you,” Cohen said dryly.

She smiled and kissed him.

Jonas and I exchanged an awkward smile. Even though there were four of us, I still felt like a third wheel sometimes after having Birdie to myself for so many years.

“Hey!” Henrietta cried, and we turned to see her coming toward us. She looked adorable in a flowy green dress.

I kissed her cheek. “Working late?”

She gestured at her dress. “Meeting with the big boss to discuss my future with the company.” She held up crossed fingers. “Hoping for a promotion sometime soon!”

“That’s awesome!” Birdie said. We turned toward her, one big group again. “Have you seen the new bartender yet?” Birdie asked Henrietta, pointing down the bar.

“Damn,” Henrietta said, fanning herself. “Is he available?”

Steve, Cohen’s bar manager who was more like a best friend, came over and said, “What do you ladies think of the drinks? I’m trying to decide if Jackson’s actually a good bartender or if all the girls are flocking to the bar because he’s hot.”

I laughed. “Who cares if he’s bringing in business?”

Steve shook his head and was about to say something when Birdie’s favorite group dance song, “Wobble,” came on. She squealed, and I squealed right along with her.

“Watch our drinks?” she asked Cohen and, without waiting for an answer, took my hand, along with Henrietta’s, and practically dragged us onto the dance floor.

I laughed the entire way, loving this for us. No matter how old we got, I couldn’t imagine not getting on the dance floor for “Wobble” with my best friends.

People all around us were shimmying to the music, and I let the sound waves roll over my body, easily moving with them. Dancing was something that came naturally to me. I loved that I could let go of the day or my worries and get lost in rhythm. I loved the way guys responded when they saw my body move. It was freeing and empowering all at the same time.

Birdie, on the other hand, was adorable when she danced. She was all big toothy smiles and moves from awkward teenage dances. Going out with her had always been so muchfun.

Henrietta made it even better, the perfect mix between our two extremes. She was like a slow-moving river, constant and steady and always there when you needed her, in good times and bad.

We danced through the song, and when we hit the end, Birdie was grinning ear to ear. That song always made her day. The three of us stayed on the dance floor for the next song, rocking back and forth to the music.

In our tight little dancing circle, Henrietta asked, “What’s going on with you and Jonas? Is that chemistry I’m seeing?”

“Only if you consider oil and water not mixing chemistry,” I replied, dancing alongside her.

Birdie moved her arm like a sprinkler and danced in a circle. “That’s the literal definition of chemistry! But it looked like you two were mixing just fine.”

---