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“Let’s go to Wendover.” I didn’t know where the suggestion came from, but it sounded like a random, obtuse, and therefore wonderful idea.
Because fun wasn’t time wasted, it was time enjoyed, and damn it the world needed more of that.
Evie looked as surprised at the suggestion as I was. “What? When?”
“Now. We’ll drive up tonight and spend tomorrow living on comped drinks and buffet food, and celebrate our fortieth the way we should’ve celebrated our twenty-first.” But hadn’t, because she was doing MP duty at Fort Knox, and I was figuring out if I needed a third job to pay for Grace’s junior year and still make our rent.
“You’re an absolutely ludicrous man.” She made it sound like the best thing ever.
“That doesn’t sound like a no.” I stood and offered her my hand.
She accepted, and I pulled her to her feet. She came up to just below my shoulders. Perfect height for top of the head kisses, and hugs plus chin rests.
Not that those things were us.
“It’s a definite yes. Who’s driving?” Evie asked.
Tough question. “Not sure Lemmy is going to make it to Wendover.” I loved her truck, but she’d named it Lemmy because—according to her—it was ugly as sin, purred with the voice of an angel when it was in a good mood, and was only still running due to acts of God.
Logic that didn’t make sense to most, but it worked for her, so it worked for me.
Evie puffed out her cheeks and they deflated as she let out a long exhale. “Sounds like you just volunteered.”
It did, didn’t it? “Pick you up at your place in thirty minutes?”
“Don’t be late.”
This was going to be fun. Excitement bubbled inside while we walked side by side toward our houses. The trip wasn’t a big thing, the kind of drive people made on a whim all the time.
But the getting away, the impulsivity and the idea of spending the next day or so with Evie, no constant reminders of the past, and not giving a fuck… That sounded wonderful.
We went our separate ways at her place, and I had to force myself to not sprint back to mine. Twenty-five minutes after the decision was made, I’d thrown a change of clothes into a bag and pulled up in front of Evie’s house, to find her already waiting on the porch.
She tossed her bag in back next to mine, and we hit the road.
The next hour and a half was a lot of empty freeway, random tangents, and car karaoke. We reached Wendover at an ungodly hour, but there were still people in the casinos, playing the slots.
We picked a hotel that had fewer cars in the parking lot, and agreed there was no reason to waste money on two rooms. We did get two beds, though.
“Sonya would be both disappointed there’s more than one bed, and pleased we’re sharing,” Evie joked as I took the key from the woman at the front desk. Sonya was one of her best friends, and loved any real-life thing that had the flavor of an overdone book trope.
I steered us in the right direction. “Then Sonya needs to remember we’re the most boring, platonic friends ever.”
“Totally, yes.”
Totally, yes. Evie’s agreement echoed in my head. Just friends. Nothing more.
2
Evie
Green eyes stared back at me from my reflection in the hotel bathroom mirror, and wet strands of black and blond hung straight around my face, framing the accusation I cast at myself.
I should’ve turned down this trip. Gambling, even just slot machines, was the last thing I needed to be doing, given my money problems. But the small amount I’d spend here was a drop in the bucket of back taxes, overdue interest, and past due invoices.
Falling behind was never part of the plan, but I’d had to miss a couple of invoice payments here and there. I was honest with my suppliers and negotiated new terms each time.
Until they couldn’t—wouldn’t—give me any more breaks. Then I’d gone for a high interest loan. A big sort of debt consolidation thing. At the time, I thought it was my only choice, and I used the store as collateral. I was making enough that I could pay it back no problem.
