AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Laurel took another and they knocked glasses again, drowning their sorrows in the strong liquor.
“The only thing missing from this table—”
“Don’t you even dare,” Laurel said, plunking down the shot glass. The slow burn in her stomach was spreading through her blood stream quickly. “I don’t want to be around any men tonight.”
“The best way to get over a man is to get under—”
“No.” Laurel glared at her friend. I don’t need to get under anyone, least of all another man. I just need a plan. Somewhere to go that no one will know me. Somewhere small enough that I can just start fresh and do what I love.”
“Match people up? You know that’s what grannies are for in small towns.”
“Shut up.” Laurel flashed her semi-drunk best friend a grin and took another shot from the tray. Getting sloppy tonight and forgetting that she was leaving everything behind would be nice for a change. It would hurt like hell in the morning, but it would be worth it in the moment. “Drink.”
Teri giggled and licked her lips. She had a look on her face that made Laurel’s insides tighten. It was the I’m-gonna-do-something-crazy-you-won’t-approve-of-but-you’ll-go-along-because-you-love-me look.
“Teri.”
Her friend held up a hand to silence her and stood from their booth in the corner of the bar. No one was on stage right now and everyone would hear whatever her friend was about to spout off about.
“Teri. Stop.”
“Shhhhh,” her friend drawled out. Teri patted her shoulder and turned to face the bar. “My friend is finally free of her lyin’ cheatin’ husband and wants to move to a small town at least two hundred miles away from Dallas. Tell her where she should go.”
Laurel hid her face in her hands, heat burning her neck and cheeks.
“In Texas?” A male voice called out from across the room.
“Of course,” Teri answered.
“The Woodlands is nice,” a female voice called out.
“That’s not a small town. That’s a shopping center surrounded by mansions.” The same male voice piped up again. “You should go to Somewhere.”
“Yes, she needs somewhere to go,” Teri said. “That’s the point of this question. Tell her where.”
“Somewhere,” he said again.
“Okay, you just shut up now, smart mouth.” Teri’s semi-drunkenness was taking hold.
Laurel gave an inner-eye-roll and tugged on her friend’s arm. “Teri, just stop.”
“The name of the townisSomewhere, lady. Look it up.”
Laurel glanced across the room and met the stranger’s gaze. “Really? Who names a town Somewhere?”
He smiled. “It’s a nice town. I grew up there. If you’re looking for a change of pace, I couldn’t recommend anywhere better.”
“Well, thank you Mr. Smart Mouth.” Teri plopped down in her seat opposite Laurel. “Now my friend is going to move to a town that no-one took the time to name properly.”
Laughter erupted from the booth where the man sat with several other guys. They went back to their beer and Teri went for one of the last shots of tequila on the small tray between them.
“You’re not moving to Somewhere.” Teri’s voice was loud enough for the whole bar to hear, but Laurel kept typing in the name on the map app on her cell phone.
As crazy as it sounded. Just because it had a strange name made Laurel all the more interested in it. “Found it.” She held up the map on the screen where the app had plotted out that the town was two hundred and three miles from Dallas. “Which means it’s outside Lance’s stupid non-compete area.”
“No,” Teri said, her voice turning into more of a whine. “You can’t move to a place called Somewhere.”
“Why not?” Laurel smiled, for the first time since signing the divorce papers she felt like she had a plan. It wasn’t much of one, but it was better than sitting in a bar with Teri every Friday night and complaining about whatcouldhappen if she stayed in Dallas. And she didn’t want to stay in Dallas. She needed to get as far away from her old neighborhood and news and the disdain that would come if she stayed. She didn’t come from money. Her parents had both worked for a living and she’d paid for her college with sweat and tears and scholarships. Nothing had come easy until she’d met Lance.
