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“You’re welcome!” She bounces inside when I open the door to let us back into the bar.
My eyes scan the room, making sure everything is exactly how I want it. Maci must sense I’m not following her anymore because she turns around.
“It’s perfect. She’s going to love it.”
“It’s not too sentimental? She’s not going to freak out, right?”
“Oh, she’s totally going to be shocked and thrown off. This isn’t on her radar at all. But she’s not going to freak out. You make everything better for her, Troy.”
“Thanks. I feel the same about her.”
“I know you do. It’s so great. And crazy, huh? How life worked out this way.”
“Who would have thought the one time I felt like the biggest asshole would ultimately lead to the best thing that ever happened to me.” I laugh. I can’t even feel bad about the time I ghosted my girlfriend’s best friend a year before I even met her. If I hadn’t done that, my life would be totally different now–all of ours would be.
She grins. “I guess it goes to show that everything happens for a reason. We are all exactly where we should be and with who we should be. It’s like somehow we knew life had something bigger in store for us. I never could have imagined then what that was.”
I take a step forward until I’m close enough to pull her into a hug. “Seriously, Maci. Thank you. Lexy is everything to me, and I wouldn’t have her if it wasn’t for you,” I whisper into her hair before I release her.
She smiles at me before pulling out her phone. “Okay, you ready?”
“Everyone else is coming in an hour right?”
“I texted everyone this morning to make sure. Except I gave you two hours.”
I look at her confused. That wasn’t the original plan.
“In case you want to celebrate on your own first.” She attempts a wink, but it doesn’t quite land.
I laugh. “Perfect. Thank you.”
“You already said that. Are you nervous?”
“I’ve never been less nervous about anything.” I mean it. I know my girl.
She smiles at me again as she pulls her phone to her ear.
“Hey, Lex, I had to come to the bar to give something to Jess. Can you just meet me here instead?”
Maci chews on her lip waiting for her best friend to respond to her lie.
“Okay, cool. Just come in when you get here.”
Another pause.
“See you soon.”
LEXY
I check my makeup in the visor mirror of Troy’s car. Since we work together, between this and his bike, we haven’t found a need for another vehicle. I feel like over the past year I’ve been in Oregon, I’ve changed, but in a way that’s more me than I’ve ever been. I’m never anxious. I’m never worried about impressing anyone. Even bartending doesn’t feel like the show it was in Hollywood. That being said, I’m excited about my night planned with Maci. We are going to a winery on a girls date like I used to force Maci to do when we went to bars in California. Yesterday, we got our nails and hair done and decided to dress up more than normal tonight. Usually I’m the one talking her into making a statement, so I’m taking full advantage of her being in the mood this week. I’ve got on my favorite red dress that I haven’t worn since Troy and I went wedding crashing, and I’m having the best hair day. My blonde curls fall perfectly down my back and across my skin where my dress dips low. I swipe my light pink gloss over my lips and rub them together as I fold the visor up and get out of the car.
As I walk up to the bar I see a “Closed for private party” sign on the door. Weird, Troy didn’t tell me they had an event tonight. Maybe because he knew I’d be busy anyway. I wonder what it is. As I reach for the handle, I see a smaller note stuck right above it with tape. It’s a torn off piece of receipt paper.
Lexy, while you’re here, check out the new beer on tap.
It’s Troy’s handwriting. It’s strange he didn’t text me. I walk in, hesitantly, not knowing what to expect inside. I don’t see Maci, or anyone else for that matter. I’m still not used to the new hardwood floor Troy and Marcus got installed last month to replace the ugly brown and green carpet that had probably been here since the 70s. The new flooring is still retro style to stay in line with the vibe of everything else they kept. I love how worn and warm it feels here. This entire town feels that way compared to LA.
My eyes roam the room, but I don’t see anyone. There are twinkle lights strung from the ceiling and smaller cocktail tables set up with candles flickering in the middle of them. It must be for the event. Soft music comes through the speakers, and by the time I make it behind the bar to the beer taps, I realize it's “Kiss Me Slowly,” except an acoustic cover of the Parachute version. I’ve considered this mine and Troy’s song since we danced to it at the wedding we crashed–not that I’ve told him or anyone else that.
