Page 61 of In Your Wildest Dreams
“No?”
I shake my head.
“Their loss.”
18
OUT OF YOUR SYSTEM
ASH
The soundof feet coming down the stairs barely registers, but Bridget can’t get away from me fast enough when she glances up to see Everly and Grace at the bottom of the stairs looking at us.
“What do you think of your dance floor?” I ask Everly, pushing the last few minutes dancing with Bridget out of my mind for the moment and smoothing over the awkwardness that she’s obviously feeling. I don’t know why. We were just dancing, but the why isn’t important. I don’t ever want to be responsible for making her feel anything but good.
“This is incredible.” Everly walks out to join us. Grace is right behind her with three shot glasses in her hand. She gives one to Bridget, then Everly.
“What is it?” Bridget asks.
“Tequila.”
She scrunches up her face.
“If it’s the stuff Jack brought then don’t worry. It’s good tequila.”
“Good and tequila don’t belong in the same sentence.”
I lean over and whisper, “Can’t be worse than the concoction I made.”
“True,” she says with a little laugh.
“You’re not going to give me a lecture about underage drinking?” Everly asks as she brings the shot to her lips.
“Would it do any good?”
Her smile widens. “No.”
“To Everly. Happy birthday!” Grace lifts her glass.
“Happy birthday!” Bridget reluctantly pushes hers into the air.
Ev clinks her shot glass against the other two girls’ and then all three of them toss back the tequila.
Bridget only drinks about half of hers, grimacing as she holds the glass away from her. I take it from her and swallow the rest.
She watches me like she’s waiting for me to make a face. “I don’t know how you took that so easily.”
“Lots of practice,” I say as Grace and Everly start dancing together. Bridget sticks by me.
“What’s your favorite kind of shot?” I ask her.
“I don’t know…a lemon drop.”
“So sweet drinks?”
“Only in shots. I don’t like super sweet cocktails. You?”
“Tequila?”
