Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 72156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
“It was Ashley’s turn,” Gert says. “She wanted to choose something closer to your new place.”
Ashley’s turn. Now I get it.
I moved last week from Austin to the town of Summer Creek, Texas, near Del Rio on the border. It’s a ranching town for the most part—not my jam so much, but I was looking for a way out of my previous situation, so when the job offer came through, I couldn’t refuse. I don’t know the area very well yet, but surely there was a better place than this for our monthly outing.
I scan the old movie posters on the walls. “I told you all that I’ll happily drive up to Austin or San Antonio once a month. I just need a place to crash.”
“Absolutely.” Gert pushes a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “You know you can stay with me. But Ash wanted to do this for you, and Jordy and I agreed.”
Ashley wanted to do this for me. Right.
Ashley and Jordan excused themselves to go to the bathroom a few moments ago. I hope I don’t need to go anytime soon. I don’t want to touch anything in this place. The tabletop shines with grime. Decision made. I’m keeping myself to one drink tonight.
A middle-aged woman ambles to our table, her blond hair pulled up in a knot. “What can I get you ladies this evening?”
“I’ll have a glass of Chardonnay,” Gert says. “A nice oaky one.”
“Ernest and Julio okay?” the waitress asks in her low voice.
Gert’s cheek redden. “Uh…sure. Whatever you have is fine.”
She turns to me. “You?”
“Something red.”
“Wine? Or a vodka cranberry?”
I cock my head. “I was thinking wine, but you know? A vodka cran sounds good. Refreshing.”
“Got it.”
“Our friends are in the bathroom,” Gert says. “Wait, here they come now.”
Ashley and Jordan take their seats at our small table.
“Oh, good.” Ashley eyes the server. “I feel like tying one on tonight.”
“What’ll it be?” the woman asks them.
“A cosmo,” Ashley says.
She raises her eyebrows. “What’s that?”
Ashley drops her jaw. “A vodka martini sans the vermouth with cranberry, lime, and Cointreau.”
The server wrinkles her forehead. “Sans?”
“It’s French,” Ashley says. “It means without.”
“Then why don’t you just say ‘without?’”
“Could I just get my cosmo please?”
The server looks to me. “Isn’t she describing what you’re having with a few fancy words thrown in?”
Ashley rolls her eyes. “Just get me what she’s having, then.”
“Vodka cranberry,” I say.
Gert’s been telling Ashley that cosmopolitans are passé. Maybe this will convince her. Or maybe this lady truly doesn’t know what the cocktail is.
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
“And you?” The waitress nods to Jordan.
“The same.”
“Good enough.” She slides her pencil behind her ear and makes her way back to the bar.
“What kind of place is this?” Ashley shakes her head. “Who doesn’t know what a cosmo is?”
“You picked the place,” Gert reminds her.
“I just looked for a bar in Summer Creek,” Ashley says.
“And this is the best you could do?” Jordan raises her eyebrows.
“Let’s go, then.” Ashley rises. “We can find somewhere else.”
“We already ordered our drinks,” I say. “It would be rude to take off.”
“So?” Ashley never cares about being rude.
“So we’re staying.” I glance down at my phone.
“Sav, you’re such a goody two shoes.” Ashley rolls her eyes.
I’m far from a goody two shoes, but they don’t know that. No one outside my family knows that.
“One day, Ash, your eyes are going to get stuck in the back of your head.” Gert laughs.
Ashley ignores Gert. “When’s the last time you got laid?” she asks me.
I tighten my lips. “Around the fifth of none of your fucking business.”
Ash and I are ancillary friends, at best. I’m close to Gert and Jordan, and she’s close to Gert and Jordan, but the two of us? We don’t mesh, which explains why, out of what must be myriad bars between San Antonio and Summer Creek, she chose this dive. She’s no doubt thinking better of it now since our server didn’t know what a cosmo is.
“That long, huh?” Ashley giggles.
“Give it a rest,” Gert chides.
“Ladies, this is our mission tonight,” Ashley goes on, ignoring Gert as she did Jordan. “We’re going to find Savvy here—”
I hate it when she calls me Savvy.
“—a man. I mean, you’re new in town, right? You haven’t had the chance to meet anyone yet.”
“I don’t want to meet anyone in this place,” I say dryly.
“Don’t be silly. Those two aren’t bad.” She gestures toward a table by the wall.
One of the guys is blond and sort of handsome, but the other is balding with a beer belly.
“For you, maybe,” I say snidely.
“Fine.” She huffs. “How about that guy at the bar?”
I look toward the bar and frown. “His back is to us.”
“So? Go have a look. If you don’t like what you see, just ignore him and come back to the table.”