2. Prologue

I"m blasting some Latin music all over my apartment when I hear the buzzer. It must be Julie. I dance on my way to the door, shaking my bootie. I'm so freaking happy right now. Tini sings, "tu pides y pides y no das na," you ask and ask and don"t give anything in return, and the song continues with an infectious beat. I check the intercom to see who it is, and when Julie answers, I press the button to let her in.

I open the door wide for Julie, and my body just follows the rhythm of the song. When Julie popped in, she caught me with the biggest smile on my face.

"Hello, you look very happy for someone that"s moving away."

I hug her and close the door behind her.

"Are you kidding me? This is the best moment in my life. It"s a dream job, and I can"t thank Keith enough for giving me this opportunity. Are you up for some bubbly? I"ve got some cider to celebrate."

"What, no champagne?"

"I don"t like the taste. Cider is sweet and bubbly all at the same time."

"Okay, I"ll join in."

I lower the music volume and then open the bottle of cider. While I"m rummaging in the kitchen looking for wine glasses, Julie pokes her head in.

"What are you going to do with the furniture?"

"Oh, I told the landlord he could keep it. I want a fresh start in Miami. I"m just taking some clothes and a couple of my favorite jigsaw puzzles. I donated a bunch of clothes I haven"t worn in a long time, and sort of did a mini decluttering of my wardrobe."

"Was it hard?"

"Not too much. You know me, any excuse to go shopping."

I finally found the glasses and washed them in the sink. Then I handed the bottle and glasses to Julie and brought a plate of little sandwiches I made when she called earlier to say she was dropping by. We got comfortable on the couch, and I took a cautious sip of the cider.

"Julie. I think… I"m going to let loose in Miami. Finally, let go and be the wild child I know I can be."

"Oh my God, is this about your virginity again? It"ll happen when the time is right."

"I"m 28 freaking years old, Julie. I"ve been the good girl for too long. I need to let loose. I"m ready to have a fulfilling sexual life."

"Well, please be safe. Did you go to the doctor for birth control?"

"Yes, Mom." I roll my eyes.

"Hey, I"m just looking out for you. Two of my besties came back from Vegas pregnant. Trust me, your new life doesn"t need to have diapers and night feedings to be different from what it is now."

"Okay, I understand. I"ll be careful. But all the possibilities out there are so exciting. Now, I won"t have to solely depend on my B.O.B.s."

"Haha. Are you taking your collection with you even though you want to replace them with a hot stud?"

"Of course! They were the first thing I packed, along with my bikini. My rental is near the beach."

"That is so amazing. And no New York winters. No more freezing your ass off."

"This is what I"m saying. Will you come visit me?"

"I"m sure I can convince Keith to come down there soon," Julie says. "Besides, he"s part owner of the place."

I smile at Julie and know that she"ll convince that man of hers of anything. She"s got him wrapped around her little finger. As much as I want to play the field once I"m in Miami, a part of me wonders what it would be like to be loved like that. Julie hit the jackpot. Maybe I need to do some gambling of my own.

"Julie, I"m so happy, but I"m going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too." She sips her cider. "So, where are you planning to meet all these hot men that will give you tons of orgasms?"

"Well. I thought maybe online dating but scrapped that idea. Now I"m thinking I"ll just scope out some of the other nightclubs. I need to know what they are doing for their marketing so I can improve upon that for the club. If I meet a handsome fellow while I"m doing my research…"

"Are you going to go by yourself? Is that safe?"

"I forgot how much of a worrier you are. I"m hoping I can make a friend or two at work and use them as my wingwoman."

"I"m sure they are all going to love you and enjoy showing you around the hot spots in Miami. Let"s make a toast."

"Yes." I raise my glass. "To new beginnings?"

"No, to a wild ride."

"Oh, I"ll definitely drink to that. Thank you, Julie."

We clink our glasses together and go on to drink the whole bottle. In the back of my mind I wonder if I"m brave enough to go for what my heart wants. Or will I chicken out and continue living the sad, isolated life I"ve been living so far?