I watched her take down at least four glasses of wine—courtesy of Lianna—without showing any sign of heat fatigue, probably because she drank a bottle of water after each one.
The wine Lianna kept sending over wasn’t just for Kaya.It was for me too.
Each time a new glass arrived, I wondered if it was drugged.A little arsenic would get rid of me, no problem.And I could tell by the way she watched me that she was thinking the same thing.
Kaya chuckled when we saw the drink cart approach for the fifth time.
“You won’t be laughing when your stomach needs to be pumped,” I said.
“Please, this is nothing.I worked in an Italian restaurant for a boss who loved his wine.Which is why I switched us to white.Red would have given us a headache even without the heat.Just keep up with the water between rounds.”
“Or we could skip the wine,” I said.
“Absolutely not.This is a test.An attempt to prove you don’t have what it takes to mingle with this circle.”She paused.“You’re not feeling sick, are you?”
“No.I need to pee again.”
We weren’t close to any of their rather posh portable bathrooms, and the clubhouse was still two holes away.The outing was feeling more like the Oregon Trail by electric cart.
My phone pinged.
Konni:How are you holding up?
Me:By my fingernails.I’m on my fifth glass of wine, we have two more holes, and I have to pee.
Kaya’s phone pinged.
“Ignore him,” I said as she read the message.“I was whining.”
“He wants me to bring you home now.”She typed something back.“I told him everyone is watching from the clubhouse, and if we quit now, you’ll never be able to hold your head high.”
I watched Nicky’s ball soar so high into the bright blue that I lost it.A few seconds later, it landed on the green.
“If you hitch a ride back with the drink cart, you can skip this hole and catch up with us on the last one,” Kaya said when Nicky turned toward us.
“Excellent suggestion.”
The man navigated the narrow strip of lawn between the tee off and the water feature with precision.Stopping beside us, he removed two plastic glasses of wine from his carrier.
“Would you mind giving me a ride back to the clubhouse?”I asked, accepting my glass.
“No problem.”
I sat next to him and waved to Kaya as he reversed for a Y turn.The cart lurched forward.He pulled the wheel sharply to avoid the water feature.
The cart went left.
I went right, catapulting into the pond.
Water engulfed me.But it thankfully wasn’t deep.I stood up, coughing and holding my wine glass, which was now filled with murky water.
“Sophia, are you okay?”Kaya called, sounding worried and amused.Mostly amused.
“Yep.Didn’t pee myself, but I think I need a new glass of wine.”
Nicky howled with laughter at the same time Kaya’s phone started to ring.I looked at the guy who was still in the cart.He was wearing a seatbelt.
“Could have used the warning that the seat was slippery,” I said.
