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“Come on.” I laughed. “It’s not that bad.”
“It’s a tiny-ass town,” Josh argued.
“We have a great bar right in the square,” I said.
“Whatever,” Josh said. “What time?”
“Seven,” I said.
“I’ll meet you there.”
We said goodbye after I gave him the name of the bar, and I placed the phone back down. With a sigh, I leaned back in my chair and stared up at the ceiling.
I spent the entire morning fighting the urge to text Julie. My meetings were a helpful distraction, but after a while, even they failed me. I found myself playing with my phone, typing out a message and then deleting it seconds later. I’d never felt more pathetic in my life.
Drinks with Josh was exactly what I needed to screw my head back on straight. If nothing else, it would keep me from calling Julie in a desperate haze that night. As much as I wanted to see her again, I knew I should distance myself before I got in too deep.
***
“Have a good night, Marcy,” I said as I pulled my office door closed behind me.
“You, too,” Marcy said.
It was a quarter after six, and I still had to go home before meeting Josh. I knew it didn’t matter if I showed up to the bar in my work clothes, but I hated the idea of drinking in a suit. It felt too uppity.
Just after seven, I stepped inside the only bar in Ennis. Josh was already there waiting for me, sitting at the bar when I walked inside. He fiddled with his pint glass as I slid onto the barstool next to him.
“You’re late,” Josh said.
“Five minutes,” I said. “Lighten up, man.”
“I’m just pissy about this weekend,” Josh said with a sigh. “That fucking conference.”
“It couldn’t have been that bad,” I said.
“It was worse,” he snapped. “You have no idea how cocky those doctors can be. Most of them have no idea what the hell they’re talking about half the time. And yet, they all think they’re geniuses.”
“Never would have guessed.”
I tried to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. Josh had just described himself, and he didn’t even realize it. Luckily, he was too deep in his own complaints to notice my tone.
“Anyway,” he said after he had finished ranting about the conference. “What’s new with you? Work’s been insane, huh?”
“You have no idea.” I sighed. “I finally closed the Harrington account, though.”
“No shit?” Josh asked. “That’s awesome!”
“Thanks.” I grinned and took a sip of my drink. “It’s been a long time coming.”
“I know,” Josh said. “You’ve been talking about the Harringtons for like two years now.”
“Longer than that,” I said. “I’m just glad it’s finally for real. Marcy got the signed contracts late on Friday night, so everything’s in place now.”
“Then this is a celebration!” Josh said. He waved down the bartender and ordered us another round.
I smiled and happily accepted the drink. Josh could grate on my last nerve, but he really was a decent brother. He wasn’t always the best at reading my moods, but he was supportive when it mattered.
We talked for a few more hours and continued drinking. Josh didn’t have to be back in Dallas until the next day, so he decided to just crash at my place. We took a cab home, leaving both our cars at the bar.
