“It’s burping, not farting,” Trina said. “Are you worried our child is going to be gassy?” She rubbed the tiny baby bump on her belly.
“That’s a state law,” Sinclair said. “Hopefully, your child won’t be like you and you’ll be able to avoid jail time.”
Ryder laughed, but then something near the door distracted him. “Gotta go to work.”
He walked back to the bar to serve the group that took seats at the end. I frowned as I noted that Holly was there with her colleagues Becky and Karen.
“Don’t leave yet,” Brooke whispered next to me.
“I’m not leaving,” I said.
She glanced over at Holly and then at me. “You will though. How goes the wooing?”
“I’ve lost my touch.”
She laughed. “I don’t believe it.”
“Crashed and burned twice.”
Brooke put her arm around me. “Give her time. It took me four years to win over Mo.”
“Was it worth it?” I asked.
“Hey,” Mo said, feigning a frown. “I can hear you. And I’m still mayor. I can have you arrested.”
“For what?” Brooke asked him.
“I’ll think of something.”
I laughed, and worked to turn my attention to Brooke and my new group of friends. But I couldn’t help but feel the pull of Holly.
When I finished my beer, I stood. “I need a refill.”
Brooke gave me a knowing smile. “Go get ‘em slick.”
4
Holly
My plans for the night, after meeting with Meredith, were to do nothing but drink cheap wine, eat expensive ice cream, and watch a romcom, all to numb the feelings of loneliness I felt now that Rick was gone. And also to wallow in the worry of what Meredith would do when she learned I wasn’t married.
So it would have seemed like I’d jump at the chance to go out drinking with my gal pals, Becky and Karen since I surely wouldn’t be alone then. However, the truth was, I didn’t want to go out. I wanted to wallow in my loss and failure. It was pathetic, I know, but I just wasn’t ready to face the world knowing they’d wonder what was wrong with me that Rick, considered quite a catch at the time, would abandon me. My friends would be encouraging me to find a young buck and get laid. No, wine and ice cream sounded like a whole bunch more fun.
Of course, my friends wouldn’t take no for an answer, so that evening, Becky came by, with Karen already in the car, to pick me up.
When we walked in, I saw Ryder near the back of the bar with a group of people. It appeared to be the mayor and Sinclair and their families. I couldn’t see who Ryder was blocking, but It appeared to be a city hall group.
We took a seat at the bar, and Ryder hurried back to us. “What sort of drinks do you need to wash away the memories of the monsters you taught this week,” he asked.
“There ain’t enough booze in the world for that,” Karen said. “But I’ll start with a vodka and diet soda.”
“I’ll second that,” Becky said.
“The quip or the drink?” Ryder asked.
“Both,” Becky responded.
“I’ll have a vodka and cranberry juice,” I said.