Chapter 19

Nineteen

LUCY

It’s just after 9:00 p.m. when Ellie’s text buzzes on my phone. The Wednesday night before Thanksgiving is just as big of a holiday in my hometown. With everyone who previously moved out of town back to visit with family, the local bars are jam-packed with people looking to catch up with old friends.

Ellie

I’m outside! Get your butt out here!

I head down the stairs and grab my winter coat, a bright blue scarf, and a matching hat before stopping to say goodbye to Mom.

“Ellie and her dad are outside. Her brother is working tonight and will give us a ride home after his shift at the bar ends. Don’t stay up!” I say as I give her a quick hug before heading out the door.

“If anything happens and you need a ride, call me. I’ll come get you. Don’t get in a car with a stranger or, worse, a stranger that’s been drinking. ”

“We are thirty-seven, Mom. The time for us to make poor decisions has long passed. We can handle this. I love you.”

I hear her yell back, “I love you,” as I close the door behind me and run to get into the back seat of Ellie’s father’s car. “Hello, Mr. Burrell. Thank you for driving tonight.”

“Of course, Lucy. You know I look forward to driving you girls. Especially on a night like tonight. How long have we been doing this now?”

“Long enough, Dad, no need to remind us how old we are getting,” Ellie cuts her father off.

“I suppose, El.” I notice his eyes move to me in the rearview mirror briefly as he asks, “How are things in London, Lucy?”

“Very well, thanks. I’ve been begging Ellie to bring you and Mrs. Burrell to visit me soon!”

“Well, that would be a nice trip for us to go on. We’d love to visit you.” Both of Ellie’s parents are enjoying their first few years of retirement. So far they’ve spent their free time traveling to different ball fields following Ellie’s team on away games.

“Yes, Dad, we have to wait until I have a break from my job before spending a couple of weeks in another country. We can’t visit all of England in a weekend.”

“Good point. We will be ready when you are.” He smiles at his daughter. “Well, girls, we are just about here. Shawn is taking you home tonight, right, but if you decide you’d like to leave earlier, just call, I can always come back out and get you both.”

“Thanks!” We both say as we get out of the car and walk into the bar where Ellie’s brother, Shawn, is the lead bartender, Sliders .

The moment we walk in, we are greeted with a roar of welcome from our friends, people we went to high school and college with, and friends we’ve met along the way.

That’s the nice thing about having a hometown bar, but I’m reminded it can also be a curse when I make eye contact with John, who is currently showing a twenty-something how to hold a pool stick. This is not the first time I’ve witnessed such a scene, but it doesn’t sting like it once did. Quickly, I move my attention back to Ellie and follow her to our usual spot at the corner of the bar.

“Hey, Lucy. Long time no see. How’s the king?” Shawn asks as he leans over the bar to greet us.

“He’s very well, Shawn. Told me to let you know he’s sorry he couldn’t make it in to call upon you himself but looks forward to your appearance at his next state dinner.”

“You tell him I’ll be there!” We both laugh. There is something special about the connection you have with your best friend’s siblings, especially when they make you feel like you are a part of the family. “So what will we be having tonight, ladies? Pink wine or your signature cocktails?”

I look at Ellie, we pretend to be having a silent debate, then turn back to Shawn and agree it’s a holiday. We will go with cocktails this evening. Before we know it, Shawn places our drinks in front of us. I get my cranberry juice with mandarin orange flavored vodka and two limes—and lots of ice. Ellie gets something that resembles a screwdriver but adds cranberry juice to it. We also each get a large water to drink after every cocktail as a preventative for tomorrow morning.

“Lucy!” I know that yell anywhere—we started this obnoxious name-calling when we met in one of our dance classes during freshman year of college.

“ Luna ,” I answer in response. Standing to meet her, my arms engulf her in a tight hug as soon as she is close enough.

Our bond was formed from that very first ballet class, both pursuing minors in the dance program, but only because they didn’t allow us to take the program as a major at that time. Something we fought for each year we attended, and years after our graduation, the university finally expanded the program. Luna now runs the premier private dance school in southern New York State with her two older sisters. She also is the go-to choreographer for most local theater companies in the area. And unlike Ellie, she shares my deep passion for Jane Austen.

“We haven’t spoken much since you moved. I need to hear everything about London.” We texted a few times but spoke on the phone only once. She has a far busier schedule than I do these days. With everything going on with Henry, I’m guilty of letting this friendship fall to the side.

“I didn’t want to text about it, but you must tell me what you are doing with that sexy British movie director!” she shouts loud enough for the entire bar to hear. Which includes John, and as I look at Luna she gives me a wink. Like the rest of my friends, she no longer hides her dislike of him. I don’t bother to turn to see if he reacted.

Well, it’s obvious those pictures have circulated more here than I previously assumed. “Yes, Henry.” Oohs and Awws come from around us as others start to listen in. “We just started dating.”

“I need more details!”

“It’s still new—there’s not much to tell.” Telling them the generic answer I’ve prepared for this evening. I should have known Luna would never settle for that.

“Well, your British boyfriend’s social media account says there’s more to tell,” Marissa, another friend from college, yells from behind Luna.

“Thanks, Marissa,” I say and look to Ellie for help, but she’s not paying attention. She’s too focused on her phone. I wonder who she is texting. “Well, I hate to break it to you, but those photos are all you’re going to get. I like him, and we are keeping it mostly private for now. But thank you for your concern.” Trying to end this topic diplomatically.

Luna leans in, “You know I’m only concerned for your happiness, Lucy. But I’m also a romantic who is dying to hear every detail of this courtship. I need details,” she pauses, “when you’re ready.”

As the night goes on, talk of Henry quiets down, and I get to catch up on everyone’s lives and how their families are doing. We play some trivia games at the bar before it gets too crowded after midnight.

Ellie gets up to go to greet her cousin, Bex who just walked in. Rebecca, as she prefers to be called in just about every other setting, is only a couple months younger than Ellie. They were often mistaken for sisters when they were younger, but as they grew up, their personalities came out more in their appearances. Bex, as Ellie insists on calling her, is a corporate queen who is working her way up the ladder within a major hotel company. They both wave at me before being bombarded by more locals.

I grab my phone, but before I can check it, I feel a once familiar arm around my back.

“It’s good to finally see you here and in one piece,” John says.

Before turning around, I flip my phone over onto the counter with the screen down and turn to him. “Yep, I’m perfectly fine.”

“It’s not like you to ignore me for so long. I was beginning to get worried.” The rehearsed concern in his voice makes my skin crawl. Or maybe it wasn’t rehearsed—maybe he is starting to get concerned that I’m finally moving on from him.

“I’m better than ever. Thanks for your concern.” Trying to cut this conversation short, I purposely don’t ask how he’s doing.

Thankfully, Ellie quickly comes to my rescue. “Keep moving, Parasite, it’s girls night!”

Before I can say much, he pulls his arm away and lifts his hands to show he means no trouble. He turns back to me and winks, “I’ll be around—we’ll talk later.” I ignore it.

Our steady drink rotation of cocktail, water, cocktail, and water continues with a variety of appetizers Shawn makes for us throughout the night. It’s a little after 12:30 a.m. when my phone buzzes on the bar top.

Henry

How are the festivities going?

Lucy

It’s nearly 6 a.m. for you. Why are you awake?

Henry

Couldn’t sleep.

It may be the drinks, or it may be that I am excited to hear from him and selfishly want to keep him up if it means I get to talk to him a little more. Moving Ellie’s drink next to mine, I angle my phone just right and take the photo, then hit send.

“Who are you sending that to?” Her eyes squint with the question.

“Henry. He just texted—he can’t sleep and asked how our night is going.” She rolls her eyes but maintains a sly smile on her face.

“Well, let’s entertain Henry a little more.” She takes my phone from me, and my heart stops. What if she texts him?

She opens the camera app and flips it before pulling me close and taking a selfie of us. I reach for the phone, but she pulls away and announces, “Attaching photo and texting ‘You’re welcome. Ellie’”

Once I wrangle the phone back from her, she winks, “And you’re welcome too.”

Getting a better look at the photo, we both look great in it. I don’t hate the idea of sending it to him. “Thank you,” I mutter quietly under my breath.

Henry

Thank you, Ellie.

Looks like an entertaining evening for you both.

As I am smiling at my phone, deciding what to text next, when that frustratingly familiar voice comes behind me again. “So that’s really happening?”

Yes, John. This is what’s happening. I’m no longer the lovesick girl who you’ve kept at arm’s length since breaking my heart all those years ago. I’m finally showing interest in another man. That’s what’s happening.

With more liquid courage than I usually have and after noticing he was waiting until Ellie left her guard position next to me to sneak up behind me, I lose my restraint with him, “Excuse me, but it’s none of your business who I’m texting, John! Should I ask you to look at your phone? I wonder how many women you have texted tonight?”

I’ve never mentioned the other girls to him before, never caring enough to bring it up. I’ve encouraged him to date again for years, but he’s always shrugged it off. I’m not dumb—just because I haven’t witnessed him with anyone else, there’s plenty of rumors about him with other women.

He just smiles at me. I know better than to give him a grand reaction—he loves it when I do that. He always interprets my “passion,” as he calls it, for the connection between us. “You know you are the only one I love.” Deny, deny, deny is the method he’s going to stick with. That’s fine, but I don’t need to listen to it.

I get up from my seat and grab my cocktail and Ellie’s—we can get water refills later. Luckily, there are two empty seats at the table with Luna and Marissa. I don’t want it to appear as if I need protection from my friends—I can stand up to him. I just did. It’s his persistence that I don’t have the patience for any longer. Shawn will let Ellie know where I went.

Once safe in my new location, I reopen the texts from Henry and look back over the conversation I was enjoying before that annoying interruption.

Starting to feel the effects of the cocktails, I decide to call it a night after I finish my current drink and move strictly to water. I also decide this is a safe time to cut off my texts with Henry. I don’t need to keep drinking and then send him drunk texts that I can’t take back.

Lucy

Very entertaining. I hope you can get some sleep.