Page 86 of Drive Me Wild
Blake lets out a sharp laugh. “You really want to go this route? Because I’ll?—”
The palm of my hand connects with Blake’s cheek, and a resoundingsmackvibrates through the room.Oh fuck.I glance at Blake, wondering if I can slip past him and down the hall before his fist dislocates my jaws. I’ve held him back from many bar fights over the years, but I’ve never been the victim of his right hook or left jab.
“Did… did you just bitch slap me?” he asks with wide eyes.
I take a step back. “Um… yeah?”
His shoulders shake as his laugh rumbles through his chest. He leans against the doorframe, using it to hold himself up. I’ll take this reaction over a broken nose any day of the week.
Blake wipes tears from his eyes. “Didn’t want to punch me instead, mate?”
“And risk breaking my fingers before the end of the season? Hell no, Blakey Blake.” I shake my head as my anger makes way for exhaustion. “I am sorry about that, though. Don’t know what came over me.”
He gingerly touches the bright red mark covering his cheek. “I’m quite proud of you, mate. It was a long time coming, although I usually know what I did to deserve it. This time, I’m not so sure. So why don’t you tell me what the hell is going on with you?”
I fall back onto the couch and rest my elbows on my thighs.Where the fuck to even begin?“Everything.”
THIRTY-TWO
JOSIE
I pastea smile on my face despite the urge I have to crawl under the nearest table. While some girls—and Theo—have a birthday month or a birthday week, one day ismorethan enough for me. As much as I absolutely love celebrating other people’s birthdays, I tend to dislike my own. There’s too much pressure. Coordinating friends for a dinner, opening gifts in front of people, coming up with a half-assed answer to someone asking if all my wishes have come true.No, Linda, my wish to become a stay-at-home dog mum millionaire did not come true. The only thing I ever do is dinner with my parents and that’s more for them than it is for me.
The hostess leads me to the table with a bundle of nylon balloons that say, “Happy Birthday!” and “Birthday Girl” in a bright, bold font.Apparently, nothing says Michelin-star dining more than matching polka-dotted hats.
The balloon-buyer greets me with an ear-to-ear smile. “Happy birthday, darling!”
Of course, the one time a year my mum’s on time is my birthday, and that’s only so she can set up the table to look like a decoration store had a buy-one-get-one sale.
I lean down and kiss her cheek before giving my dad a quick side hug. Pushing away some balloons, I slide into the open chair. “I thought you promised we could keep things under the radar this year.”
“This is your mother’s version of low-key.” My dad chuckles. “Not a single “Birthday Girl” sash in sight. Do you feel any older? Any wiser?”
I laugh and shake my head. He asks me the same question every year, and every year I give him the same answer in response. “I feel the same as I do the other three hundred and sixty-four days of the year.”
A server swings by our table to take our drink orders and waves to the empty seat across from me. “Waiting on one more?”
I pick up my menu to give my hands something to do so they don’t tug at my necklace. The fourth seat, which was originally meant for Theo, is painfully empty. He’s staying true to his word and respecting my space. Yet every time my phone buzzes, a part of me wishes it’s a text from him asking if it’s normal to spend five hundred pounds for extra lives inWorld of Warcraft. And every time I discover a new artist on Spotify or find a new restaurant I want to try, my fingers itch to dial his number so I can tell him. I didn’t realize how loud the silence of space could be.
“Just the three of us,” my mum informs him. “We’re celebrating our daughter’s birthday.”
As if he can’t tell.
I hum “We Are Family” under my breath as my mum orders a bottle of wine and some appetizers. I wait until our glasses are filled to share my news. Unlike my birthday, this is something I’m eager to celebrate, despite its bittersweet nature.
“Before Mum makes her annual ‘Cheers to staying positive and testing negative’ toast,” I say with a pointed look, “I have arather exciting announcement to make. I accepted Kelsey’s job offer and gave McAllister my two-weeks’ notice.”
“That’s lovely, dear.” My dad’s brows lift just enough to raise alarm bells in my head. “And this is what you want, yes?”
I narrow my eyes at what he’s insinuating. McAllister will always hold a special place in my heart, but leaving is the right decision for me. It wasn’t until taking a step back from them—and Theo—that I realized I was letting my comfort undermine my desire to challenge myself. Now Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now” plays in a constant loop in my head like a theme song. “This has nothing to do with Theo or our breakup. You know I would never let?—"
“He’s being protective, sweetie,” my mum intervenes before I can launch into defensive mode. “We know this decision didn’t come lightly, and we’re very proud of you.”
“Right-o.” My dad taps his wineglass against mine. “Have you gotten the contract from Kelsey yet?”
I sigh. “I know the drill. I’ll send it over to you before signing anything.”
He grins his approval. “Well, then congratulations, Josephine. What a lovely announcement. A great way to start the first day of a new age.”
