Page 6 of Bourbon Bliss
To the surprise of everyone but me, Jameson and Devlin weren’t far behind Bowie. Scarlett laughed and gave Devlin a playful smack on the chest for crashing girls’ night—but then grabbed him by the front of his shirt and gave him a rather inappropriate kiss. Leah Mae didn’t even pretend she wasn’t happy to see Jameson, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him.
I found myself smiling as I watched my sister and her friends—our friends. I liked seeing them happy. It reminded me of the way I felt around my parents. They were happy, so I was happy for them.
“Hey Juney.” Jameson took a seat across from me. “Good book?”
“It’s an analytical look at the history of statistics in American professional sports.”
“Sounds right up your alley,” he said.
“Can I get you another drink?” Bowie asked me. “I’m buying.”
I gestured to my half-finished bourbon. “No thank you. I already calculated the ratio of time to bourbon consumption to ensure I’m in the proper frame of mind to drive myself home.”
He smiled. “Well, I wouldn’t want to mess with math.”
Drinks were passed around and my sister and friends all engaged in lively conversation. I watched, feeling detached. It wasn’t their fault. They’d always done their best to include me. It wasn’t even the fact that they were all coupled-off, and I was the lone single person at our table. I usually felt this sort of social detachment. It was as if I was a scientist in a lab, observing, but apart.
The vast majority of the time, this state of affairs didn’t bother me in the least. It was just the way things were.
But tonight, the separateness I felt did bother me. I wasn’t certain as to why.
Finally, I decided I could slip out without eliciting any unnecessary attention. Instead of heading for the solace of home, I found myself driving in the other direction—toward my parents’ house.
My mother and father still lived in the same house where Cassidy and I had grown up. It hadn’t changed much since I’d moved out. A little more worn, perhaps, although they kept it in pristine condition. And it still smelled the same—a mixture of cinnamon and vanilla that always reminded me of the cookies my mom loved to bake.
I went in without knocking, like I always did, and found my dad dozing on the couch. The TV was on, casting flickers of light across the dim room.
Dad’s crossed arms rose and fell as he breathed, his white mustache twitching. I clicked the door closed and he startled, his deep intake of breath vibrating in his throat like a loud snore.
“Oh, June Bug,” he said with a smile. “You caught me napping.”
“Did you have a particularly tiring day?” I asked as I sat on the couch next to him. “You should be careful not to overexert yourself.”
“I’m all right. What brings you here tonight?”
I looked away, the light of the muted TV drawing my gaze. I wasn’t sure how to answer his question. I could have gone straight home. Home was comfortable. I liked it there. Had Cassidy not asked me to meet them at the Lookout, I’d have been perfectly content to spend my evening at home.
However, Ihadgone to the Lookout, and something about that had left me feeling unsettled in ways I didn’t know how to articulate.
“Cassidy’s having a girls’ night, so I was at the Lookout. The men appeared to be unsatisfied with their significant others spending the evening without their company.”
“So the men crashed your girls’ night, and it turned into a double date?”
“Triple. Leah Mae and Jameson were also there.”
“Ah yes, of course they were.” He paused and appraised me through slightly narrowed eyes. “You feeling a little bit left out?”
“No,” I said, and it wasn’t a lie, exactly. “They took care to make sure I was included.”
Dad smiled. He had the kindest, gentlest smile. “I’m sure they did. But that doesn’t mean you didn’t feel a bit on the outside.”
“I suppose I did. But it’s all right. Considering I was the lone single female in the group, it’s not surprising.”
He picked up the remote. “Should we see if there’s a game on?”
This was why I’d come. Dad understood me. I settled back into the couch and folded my hands in my lap. “Yes, I think we should.”
Dad patted me on the knee and turned the channel.
