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“I don’t know, Sara…” I trailed off, reaching for the remaining cold coffee in the bottom of my cup. “Sleeping for a long time sounds pretty good to me.”
“Please?” She continued, dragging out the word. “Pretty please?”
Knowing I’d never hear the end of it, I gave in. “Fine. Pick me up at eight.”
Sara squealed from the other side, and I could picture how excited she looked. “You’re the best! I’ll let the girls know and see who else will be there.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“I’ll see you soon!”
While my plans of melting into the bed were axed before I could see to them, the work week came to a close, and my assignments were all wrapped up.
I ached to stay home longer as I got ready, contemplating coming up with some excuse to stay in before I collected myself. I reminded myself that I wouldn’t be this young again and that I should take advantage of my best friend wanting to see me.
The more I got ready and the more presentable I looked, the better I felt about accepting her invitation.
With my hair done and my features accentuated, I looked myself up and down in the mirror. I wasn’t always one to wear revealing dresses, but something about the occasion told me it was the perfect time to slip on a black dress with a plunging neckline. It hugged my curves, and I was happy with it.
Sara picked me up right on time, and she was quick to pick her favorite radio station as she drove us to the Roadbar.
“Thank god,” she murmured, looping her arm through mine as she led us inside the establishment. “It feels like a home away from home. It’s been so long!”
“This is your first time back here since having the baby, right?”
Sara took in a deep breath and nodded. “You bet. It even smells the same. I needed this.”
Laughing at her pure joy, I followed her over to the bar.
We both placed our orders with the bartender and waited, finding ourselves nodding along to the usual music.
I did a quick sweep of the place like I usually did, hoping for someone to catch my eye. It wasn't easy to sift through the sea of men who could end up being a potential friend for the night since Rose Valley was only so big.
Tourists were the safest bet since I didn’t spend my childhood with them. Being a known journalist around town made the prospect even more difficult, but when things looked bleak, I had the occasional past hookup to fall back on.
And yet, even the thought of that didn’t sit right with me. Not without a drink.
With our glasses in hand, me and Sara moved closer to the dance floor and sipped our booze. It didn’t take long for us to get into the groove of it, letting the warmth fill my system. We danced together, laughing the more buzzed we felt.
“Sara, Cora!”
A familiar voice made Sara turn around, and she brightened up at once.
The other girls were there, flooding in around us. They were full of smiles, happily greeting the two of us.
I hesitated somewhat but didn’t let it put my night on hold.
I wasn’t all that close with Sara’s friends. Not that I didn’t like them, but I didn’t feel like one of them.
They seemed nice enough, and since Sara trusted them, I didn’t doubt that I could too.
“You look amazing!” Yara said, eyes sparkling under the Roadbar lights.
“Thank you,” I returned with a smile, taking in the petite fae. “Your…everything is amazing!”
While it felt like a fumble, Yara only laughed and seemed to brighten the room. “That’s the best compliment I’ve ever received.”
Fortunately, the night got easier the more I relaxed, and I found myself mingling easier than usual. But as we stood by the bar and the girls talked about their husbands and kids, I started drifting off in thought.
