The bartender returns with two margaritas, each of which is served in a glass as big as a fishbowl.
“Talk about liquid courage.” I have to use two hands to lift my glass, clinking it against May’s before taking a long sip.
Before I forget, I pull out my phone and snap a selfie, posting it to theAlways Take FountainInstagram account with the caption “Out on the town to complete my next task ”
While I’m there, I scroll through some of our more recent posts, the majority of which feature Seth or me or the both of us. The pictures from our tourist day are some of the account’s most liked ever, the comments full of followers telling us how cute we look together.
And they’re not wrong. In each of the shots, we look happy and comfortable and content.
I swipe out of the app and tuck my phone back into my cross-body purse so I’m not tempted to spend the night Instagram-stalking myself. When I turn my attention back to May, she’s already chatting up a trio of very good-looking men.
“This is my best friend in the world, Lana.” She throws her arm around me once I join the conversation, apparently all her earlier anger erased by one giant margarita.
“You look really familiar,” one of the hotties says, leaning in very close as he shakes my hand. “I’m Ben.”
“Hi, Ben!” I let him press his cheek to mine in a sort of air kiss. Wow, he smells good. “I’m pretty sure I’d remember your gorgeous face.”
He grins and gives me a little wink before gesturing to his companions. “This is my boyfriend Justin and our best friend Tom.”
I wave to the others, all while slurping down a quarter of my drink in one go.
May and I chat with the guys for the duration of our first round of drinks, after which May switches to water since she’s driving, and I have another margarita because I have a death wish. Our new friends are wonderful and, honestly, the perfect answer to my task at hand, but I still can’t bring myself to ask one of them if they wouldn’t mind kissing me simply for posterity.
We’ve been at the bar for maybe forty-five minutes when May nudges me in the ribs. Hard.
“What the fuck, lady?” I rub my side and drink more alcohol all at the same time. “Duke really rubbed off on you, and not in a good way.”
“Shit fuck fuckety fuck. Do not turn around,” she hisses under her breath.
In my inebriated state, nothing could get me to turn around faster than trying to catch a glimpse of whatever it is she doesn’t want me to see. And with my spinning motion, I quite literally fall off my stool.
Ben catches my elbow before I hit the ground. “You okay?”
I straighten my dress with a flustered smile. “Good. Thanks.”
May slips her arm through my elbow, attempting to steer me away from the bar.
I plant my feet and refuse to move. “What is the problem?”
“We need to leave.” Her eyes dart back and forth through the crowded space.
“Why?” My buzz is buzzing, and while I don’t know much, I know I haven’t accomplished what I came here to do. “I still need to make out with someone!”
“Forget about that, LP. You’re just going to have to trust me.” She yanks on my arm again, but I don’t budge.
Stomping my foot like Veruca Salt, I cross my arms over my chest, just sober enough to know that the move doesn’t look as good on me as it did on May. “I got all dressed up for this bullshit and I’m not leaving without kissing someone!”
“Would anyone care to explain what’s going on?” Justin’s eyes dart between May and me like we’ve completely lost it. Which we have.
May ducks into the circle of guys and gives them the basic rundown of tonight’s mission.
“So does anyone want to help me out and kiss me?” I bat my eyes at the guys, quite proud of both my patience and my commitment to this assignment.
“Hey, Parker.”
Well, fuck.
I really should’ve trusted my best friend.
