Page 97 of One Night Only
I catch Soraya’s eyes and she shrugs, looking relieved as she pours us glasses of prosecco.
“See?” she says brightly as the next song begins. “I told you this would be fun.”
* * *
“I have weak wrists,” Claudia says. “Would that be an issue?”
The stripper, whose real name is Amy, sits beside us in the booth. She’s been sitting for the last twenty minutes, as we interrogate her about every aspect of her life. She says it’s allowed so long as we keep buying drinks for the table.
“All my yoga instructors tell me to stretch out through the fingers and I’m like I’mtrying, you know?” Claudia continues. “But I do have freakishly strong biceps.”
“The real problem is the falls,” Amy says. She licks her thumb and rubs a bit of makeup off her knee, revealing a deep purple bruise. We all gasp appropriately.
“So badass,” Annie mutters.
“I take a lot of iron supplements.”
“Metoo!” Claudia says.
Beside me, Annie jumps as her phone starts to vibrate.
“It’s Paul!” She looks guilty. “I told him I’d check in. I completely forgot.”
“You should answer it,” Claudia says drunkenly and before Annie can stop her, she leans over to press the video button.
Paul’s confused face fills the screen. “Where are you guys?”
Annie glances at us. “At a strip club?”
He bursts out laughing and Annie smiles in relief.
“Everyone’s here,” she says, more confident now. She the tilts phone so I’m in the shot and I wave as I reach for my prosecco.
Paul gives me a mock sigh. “This your grand idea then?”
“I had nothing do with it,” I say. “Blame the other two.”
“Is that Sarah?”
I freeze as another voice sounds through the speaker but Annie’s already turning the screen toward Soraya.
“Who isthat?” Claudia shrieks, grabbing the phone and I almost fall over Annie’s lap to confirm.
Declan.
It’s been a few weeks since the singles brunch, although I talk to him almost daily. Quick, professionalHi Sarah, Hi Declanemails we send back and forth with updated plans and timelines and costs for his office. There’s been no more flirting, no more surprises. It’s like we’ve become two completely different people.
And I know that’s what I wanted. I know that’s what I asked for. But it’s still weird.
And now, several martinis in, the memory of our last kiss comes roaring back as Paul hands him the phone. With a start, I recognize the bar behind him. He’s at O’Shea’s.
“I’m the younger brother,” he grins and Claudia practically whimpers. “Hiya, Sarah.”
“Hello,” I squeak.
“Enjoying yourself?”
“Immensely.” I lean back, just out of shot as Soraya crowds Claudia’s other side trying to get a look.
