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“I’m not sure that’s the best idea. I don’t have the emotional capacity to deal with men right now. Especially not one that looks like him.”
“He is pretty handsome,” she agrees.
“That’s putting it mildly.” I snort, taking a long drink.
“I have an idea. Why don’t you come out with us on Saturday? We’re going downtown for dinner and drinks. You could finally get to see some of the city, and it would be a way for us to get to know each other better and get you out of the house. You did say something about your aunt and bingo earlier.” She reminds me with a smile.
“I did say that, didn’t I?”
I think over her invitation, honestly hesitant to agree to anything at this point.
While I’m excited about the prospect of building some new friendships, I’m not sure Remi should be one of them. I mean, yes, he’s ridiculously attractive, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t overwhelmingly curious. But at the same time, I meant what I said about not having the emotional capacity right now.
“Tell you what. Give me your number and I’ll text you the details. If you decide to come, great. If not, that’s okay too. Absolutely no pressure. I’m the designated driver for the evening, obviously...” She gestures to her chest. “So if you choose to come, you can ride with me and Sutton if you want.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“I hope you come. I’m almost always the only girl anytime we do anything, and it would be nice to have another female in the mix.”
“Where are you going again?” I ask, deciding maybe having all the details wouldn’t be such a bad thing... just in case.
It’s not like she’s trying to set me up. She just wants me to come out with her and maybe get to know Remi a little better in the process. Is that such a bad thing?
I’m not sure why I feel like I have to make excuses to myself why it’s okay for me to go. It shouldjustbe okay. I should be able to accept an invitation to go out and not feel guilty. But even though I broke things off with Blake long ago, I still feel a twinge in my stomach at the thought of potentially getting involved with another man in any capacity. I haven’t so much as flirted with a man since we ended things, and while I know we’re over, it weirdly still feels like a betrayal. Guess that’s what happens when you’re an extremely loyal person. Just because we’re not together, it doesn’t erase the five years that we were.
“It’s a really popular spot downtown called Happy’s. Very laid-back. Good music. Great food. Even better drinks.”
“So it’s like a bar and grill?”
“Kind of. There’s a bar and grill-type restaurant in the front of the building, and then in the back, they have a huge billiards room with arcade games, and they host live bands on Friday and Saturday nights. Trust me, if you want to experience D.C. nightlife, Happy’s is the place to start.”
“I thought for sure my first trip downtown would be to see museums or monuments, but I do love a good arcade.”
I went from being positive the answer was no to basically saying yes in less than a minute. I blame the small buzz of alcohol in my veins, but deep down I think I know I’m just ready. I’m ready to get back out there. To make friends and start living my life again.
People die. Relationships end. Things change. And yet, the world keeps on turning just the same.
“So you’ll come?” She’s smiling at me now; the kind of smile I don’t think I could say no to if I tried.
“Send me the details.”
“Yes!” she squeals, grabbing her cell phone out of her purse that’s sitting on the bar.
After giving her my number, she types out a quick message and hits send. I feel my own phone vibrate from inside my bag but don’t bother taking it out, figuring I’ll just look at it later.
“I sent you my address as well as the address where we will be going in case you decide you want to drive yourself. Where does your aunt live?”
“She lives over on Anderson.”
“What part?”
“Um, just past the market on 48.”
“Seriously? I live two streets over from there, on Dover. We’re practically neighbors. You could walk to my house if you wanted.”
“I’d probably get lost. I basically only know how to get to the office, the gas station, and the grocery store, and even then, I’ve gotten turned around a few times. Thank goodness for GPS.”
“You should have seen me when we first moved here. I could navigate the city no problem, but plop me down in the suburbs and it took me forever to learn my way around town.” She glances down at the phone still in her hand. “Crap, is that the time?”
