Page 45 of Just the Tipsy
Jada knows the next two questions, and Waylon knows the third. Finally, we’re on the last question.
“Last question of the night! What band is responsible for the longest charting album of all time?” Greta asks.
“Wouldn’t it be like, the Beatles or something?” Jada asks, looking at me. “They’ve probably charted for years.”
“No, I think it’s a band that isn’t super obvious. Not like the Beatles,” I say. I drum my nails on the table. “I think it’s Pink Floyd. Dark Side of the Moon.”
“You sure?” Jeremiah asks.
“Yes,” I say. Or at least I’m most of the way sure. I don’t listen to a lot of them, but I’ve absorbed enough about them from my dad to feel somewhat sure about my answer.
Jada writes it down and hands the slip off to Greta when she comes around. She takes a while to score the cards and grabs the mic again, clearing her throat into it to get everyone’s attention.
“I’ve tabulated the scores. It’s a super close one, but BFN Squad wins by two points. Yet again,” Greta says, pointing at us. “Y’all’s tab is covered for the night. Congrats.”
“Free drinks again!” Jada raises her hand and gives terribly-aimed high-fives to everyone.
We linger for a little longer at the table until Jeremiah says he has to get home and go to bed.
“Are we on for next week?” Jeremiah asks, looking at us both.
“Yeah, if you are,” Waylon says to me.
In any other circumstance, I’d feel a bit hesitant making more plans with new people, but for once, I don’t. As long as I can shove down my guilt about the fake relationship, I know I’ll have a good time.
“Yeah, I’m in,” I say.
“We’ll be at the family reunion the week after that, though,” Waylon says.
“Oof, good luck.” Jada slings her enormous purse over her shoulder. “Before I forget, I was going to get my nails done later this week. Want to come, Bianca? The spot in town is tiny but they do a good job.”
“Sure, yeah,” I say, my chest warming in a way that it hasn’t in a while. “I’d like that.”
We exchange numbers and finally part ways. When Waylon and I get into his car, I feel light and genuinely happy until that pit of guilt comes back with a vengeance.
THIRTEEN
WAYLON
“Here’ssomething else for the bucket list — a little road trip with another person,” Bianca says, looking at the GPS map to the resort where the family reunion will be.
“It’s a pretty drive too, so it’s perfect,” I say, starting up the car. Duke lays down and puts his head on the console between us. “Too short for good snacks, though.”
“It’s never too short for good snacks.” Bianca snorts. “You’d deny me road trip snacks because it’s only a two-hour drive?”
She pouts, and even though she’s joking, my gut says I couldn’t deny her anything. But my gut can sometimes lead me a little sideways — just because we had a great time at trivia and we have a shit ton of physical chemistry doesn’t mean I should get anything twisted. We’re friends who hook up and pretend to be dating. Which is completely normal.
“Fine, we can stop for snacks.” I pull out of the driveway. “We can always have them on the way back too.”
“Awesome.” She starts messing with the music until she turns on a playlist. “This place we’re going to is a resort?”
“Yeah. It’s not what you’re thinking of, though,” I say. “It’s more like a bunch of cabins and some unsafe water slides that are super fun to go down.”
“You have a lot of vaguely unsafe memories of childhood.” She reaches between her feet and pets Sadie’s head. “The rides at Jepsen Festival. These water slides.”
“You don’t?”
“Nope. My childhood was wrapped in bubble wrap. Though now that I think back on it, I was in a lot of sketch situations as hard as my parents tried to shield me from them.” She winces. “Maybe we can do something to help me relive the part of my childhood that I missed.”
