Page 63 of The No Try Zone
It still sounds like a dream. Girl meets guy, girl and guy drink and run around Las Vegas and keep upping the ante on each other, until girl and guy are surrounded by Elvis impersonators and guy flips a coin fifteen times and it lands on heads every time, so they get married by one of the impersonators. Then girl bets guy won’t doff his pants and underwear for a picture, and he does, and girl still has said picture. Because yeah, I remember that tidbit now.
How did any of that really happen? That stuff happens in books. Not real life.
But here I am. Very much married in my very real life.
Mum would bepissedif she knew. And Ollie? God, I can’t fathom trying to explain any of this to them. I’ve spent my entire life being careful. Literally every time I’ve been reckless, things have gone off the rails. It’s why I don’t have more than one drink. There was the time a mate dared me to climb on top of someone’s roof in Fitzroy because they swore it was the best way to watch the sunset. And it was absolutely stunning. Except the owners arrived so we had to scramble down, and I nearly broke my wrist when I fell. Or the time I played chicken with a tram and Ollie had to yank me out of the way. That was the one where I knew I had to stop drinking so much.
But I did it again. Only now, the consequences are so much more than a hangover and a story to tell. It’s proof that I can’t trust myself.
“So, it’s real.” Kari says, deep resignation lacing her tone.
“It’s real.”
“It’s fate,” Elodie coos, a dreamy smile on her face.
“It’s fucking hilarious,” Allyson cackles.
“It’s a nightmare,” Kari corrects. “A PR nightmare.” She pulls her iPad out of her tote and opens it up.
“Am I…are you literally typing this up?” I ask incredulously.
Kari jerks her head up, her black tresses skimming her chin. “Yes, Sam. As much as this sucks, I need to run scenarios if the story breaks.”
“You’re not telling your boss.”
She scoffs. “That asshole? Absolutely not. But I have to be ready. Because thiswillget out. It’s only a matter of time, Sam.”
I wave the server down without another word.
“Kari,” Elodie chides.
“I’m not trying to be a bitch,” Kari says. “I swear. And I’m not going to say anything – I promised that already. But I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t have different approaches ready to go.”
“I understand, Kari. I really do. But I’mright here.And right now, I need my friend,” I remind her.
She returns the iPad to her tote with a chagrined look and wraps an arm around me, squeezing me tight. “You’re right. It’s hard to turn it off. And, fuck, I’m so sorry, Sam. This is horrible. What do want us to do? I mean, Icanstill find a way to make him pay. Even if it’s just signing him up for a bunch of inappropriate mailing lists that send brochures to the office. And emails. So many emails.” She releases me as an evil grin grows on her face. “Let me at him.”
I can’t help but laugh at her antics. “No, nothing like that.”
Elodie turns puppy-dog eyes on Allyson. “Can’t you make it all disappear for her? To be clear, I think this is all very romantic and that they’re destined to be together –”
I groan.
“But my feelings on this aren’t what’s important,” Elodie finishes, looking pointedly at Kari, who blushes.
Allyson holds her hands up. “This isn’t some old episode ofScandal.I may be fucking fabulous, but I’m no Olivia Pope. I’m not going to hack into a state database and mess with the records.”
Kari narrows her gaze. “You say youcan’t, but you’re not saying youhaven’t.”
Allyson stares back without a word.
“You’re terrifying, you know that?” I tell her.
She winks. “Thanks.”
Conversation shifts and continues around me as I pay the bill. Giving each girl a kiss – including Kari, because I love her black cat self – I head out and walk the few blocks to my apartment. I’d invited them all out because even after a week, I couldn’t bring myself to believe it. Telling them made it real.
The problem is that I keep circling back to the way Colin felt above me on that couch. How he looked at me. The brief seconds of tenderness he gave me before the realization of what we’d done crashed into us.
