“Cheers to becoming vice president,”my best friend, Torryn, said as she held her glass up to mine.
“Cheers. I wish I could have been there with y’all.” Hannah pouted as she looked at us through my phone’s screen.
It was the day after I was promoted to vice president of human resources, and my friends wanted to celebrate me. Unfortunately, Hannah’s husband had a last-minute work trip that he wanted her to go on, so she couldn’t join us.
“Aww, I know. We’ll have time when you come back,” I told her as I picked up another shot glass.
“Okay. I’ll let y’all go. Dean is on his way back to the truck. Love y’all.”
We returned the sentiments, and I hung up the phone before putting it back in my purse.
“I didn’t expect that many people to be here tonight,” Torryn said as she looked around.
Neither of us wanted to go to a club, especially since Hannah couldn’t go with us, so we decided on going to a restaurant to have dinner and drinks.
It had been a long week, so I wasn’t in the mood to do too much anyway. I was just glad the weekend had finally come, and I had time to rest before I stepped into my new role.
I had been in the human resources department at Sunrise Valley Hospital since I’d graduated high school. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do. I applied at the hospital and got in right away. I figured maybe it helped that my grandmother was a nurse there before she retired, and my mom worked in the X-ray department before she retired. I guess it was destined for me to work there as well, but I knew I didn’t want to do patient care.
“At least it’s not as bad as it would have been in a club,” I told Torryn right before we clinked glasses again.
Torryn, Hannah, and I had been friends since middle school. I met Hannah first in our homeroom, then later the same day, I met Torryn when we had the same science class. The three of us had been inseparable since. We even attended the same college.
Hannah was the only one of us that was married, but Torryn had just recently met a guy that she started dating, so I was the only single one. I wouldn’t say I was lonely, but sometimes I didn’t like being alone. Sex had been off the table for the last couple of months, and at times, I felt the effects of it. The last guy I dealt with, Marshall, moved away to another state, and I hadn’t met anyone worth talking to since.
“Let’s take one more shot, then it’s fruity drinks and water for the rest of the night,” Torryn suggested.
“Sounds good to me.”
Torryn waved the waitress down and ordered another round of shots, as well as a strawberry daiquiri for the both of us, and a pitcher of water. We’d already placed our food orders, and I hoped it would come before I ended up drunk.
A couple of minutes later, the waitress returned with our drinks.
“I just want to say that I’m so proud of you, London. I couldn’t have asked for better friends in you and Hannah.” Torryn’s eyes watered as she spoke.
“Aw, hell. You are drunk already,” I teased.
Torryn patted her eyes with a napkin, then held up her thumb and pointer finger close together. “Maybe a little, but I’m still so proud of you. To you.” She held her glass up to mine.
We toasted, then took our shots back.
I had just slammed my glass onto the table when I heard, “What are we celebrating?”
The deep voice that came from behind me made the hair on my arms rise.
When his muscular frame came into view, my tongue got stuck to the roof of my mouth. Heat crept up my spine when our eyes met. Since I was sitting, he had to look down at me. My temperature rose even higher as his dark brown eyes drank in my appearance. I was in a trance as his tongue slowly trailed his heart-shaped lips, which caused me to lick my own lips.
Damn, he is fine.
“Well, since she isn’t going to answer, I will. We are celebrating her getting a promotion at work,” Torryn informed him since I had yet to find my voice.
He hadn’t taken his eyes off me, even when Torryn spoke to him.
“Congratulations. Let me get you another drink.”
“No, it’s okay. I probably shouldn’t,” I said after I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“Come on. Just one more. It doesn’t even have to be liquor. Hell, it could be water, if you want. I just want to share a celebratory drink with you. No pressure, though.” He held up his hands in surrender.
