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I shook my head but Olivia just grinned. “Why do you think I drive over? It’s so I don’t get stuck being the DD.”
Ruth rolled her eyes. Then she looked at me and said quickly, “Not it.”
“It’s fine with me. I don’t mind.” And I didn’t. After my last experience with the weed, I wasn’t in a hurry to lower my inhibitions again anytime soon.
The door to the kitchen and Buck and Jeremiah came in.
“Ooo.” Ruth grinned. “Jeremiah can be the designated driver. Then Charlotte can get smashed with us.”
Jeremiah grimaced. “What am I getting volunteered for?”
Ruth looked appalled. “We’re going to the bar tonight! Don’t tell me you forgot.” Then she looked over at Buck. “You’re invited too, of course, Buck.”
Buck nodded, dipping his head as he took off his hat. A small river of water poured off the top of it onto the kitchen floor as he did. “Sounds like a good time.”
“Well, I’d be your DD,” Jeremiah said, “But I don’t think we’ll all fit in one vehicle. Gonna have to take two.”
“Seriously,” I put a hand on Ruth’s arm. “I don’t mind.”
“Okay well, still, take a sip.” She held out her margarita to me and obligingly, I took a sip. “Delicious.”
Their good moods were infectious and I was feeling a little more in the mood for whatever they had planned tonight. I hadn’t been out dancing in… well, ever. I mean, I’d been to exactly one party in college before being swallowed up by Jeff, and no one was exactly dancing at the sloppy kegger. Jeff himself hated dancing, so there’d been no opportunity after we were married, not even at our wedding.
Olivia beamed. “Okay, ladies, time to go put on our faces.”
Jeremiah rolled his eyes. “I’ll never understand women. You all look just fine right now.”
Ruth and Olivia exchanged glances and then, at the same time, said in exasperation, “Men.”
I laughed as the three of us headed upstairs.
An hour and a half later, we’d arrived at Landlubbers, a bar that was… eclectic to say the least. The largest décor items on the wall were a large, old wooden kayak and oars, not to be outdone by the multiple fully-stuffed deer heads with antlers, along with license plates from all over the country that covered the walls floor to ceiling.
But there was also a large dance floor that was filled with people on a Friday night, and a music system absolutely blasting music.
I could barely hear Ruth when she yelled, “All right, baby. Let’s get you on the dance floor.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” I said, standing by the bar. “I just ordered—”
But Ruth wasn’t having it. She took me by my wrists and pulled me, her walking backwards while she dragged me forwards onto the dance floor, a giant grin on her face.
With her curly hair blown out and wild around her face and makeup on, including loud red lipstick, she looked like a completely different person to the one I usually saw over the kitchen table.
I’d declined Olivia’s heavy-handed makeup and curling iron when she’d come my way, opting for just a light mascara and colored lip balm. I’d spent too much of my life buffed and shined to a perfect sheen to ever go back.
“BITCHES!” Olivia screeched, walking towards us with both arms raised up to the sky, a beer in one hand. She’d gone to the other end of the bar to order. We’d taken a divide and conquer approach. “Are you ready to par-tay?”
Ruth dropped my wrists only long enough to give Olivia a big hug, as if she hadn’t seen her only ten minutes before. Then again, Ruth had downed two margaritas before we’d left home, so she’d been giggling the entire ride over and had hugged me multiple times as soon as we got inside. She dragged Olivia over towards me.
I was still amazed by how easy these women were with each other. I’d only seen people like this in movies but here they were, in real life, right in front of me.
“Come on, we gotta give Charlie a good night,” Ruth said, snatching Olivia’s beer and dipping her head back as she chugged it.
“Hey!” Olivia said, grabbing for her bottle as soon as Ruth’s head righted.
Ruth handed it back over and then hooked an arm around my neck. “She’s been knee-deep in it all calving season.”
“Oh honey, then you’re the one who really needs this.” Olivia shoved the apparently communal beer bottle towards me but I laughed and waved her off. I knew I could have a beer and still be fine to drive, but I hated the taste of it. Jeff loved the stuff and the smell of it on his breath had turned me off it forever.
