AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Lucy grinned and followed Malia through the now crowded terrace. The lights were low, and the music was pumping. Lucy had no idea what the song was, probably because she hadn't kept up with current trends while in college.
She and Malia bounced from dance partner to dance partner. Some were cute, some were not. Those that weren't, Malia would make a gagging face behind their back before spinning away.
It reminded her of some of the harmless fun she'd had over the years with Taylor. It definitely helped her relax and enjoy her buzz. She definitely wasn't worrying about Mason anymore.
She frowned, realizing that she'd thought the same phrase back to back. Too many definitelys meant she was more buzzed than she thought. Hm, how did one spell definitelys? Was it with an -ies?
She shook her head, trying to ditch the nerdy part of her and enjoy the vibe and atmosphere around her. But that was a bad choice too because it just made her dizzy.
Lucy swayed to her feet, holding onto Malia and patting her on the shoulder. "I need a break."
Malia nodded, leading them both over to the bar. "Fair enough. You ok?"
Lucy nodded and the bartender set a round of shots and cocktails in front of them.
Lucy waved her hand. "Oh no, thank you. I can't possibly—"
Malia wrapped an arm around her waist and pushed a shot into her hand. "Oh come on. We only live once, right? Let's enjoy it."
Malia grabbed the other shot and clinked Lucy's shot glass before tossing it back. Lucy looked at her shot and frowned. She didn't want to be rude.
She took the shot and chased it with half the fruity drink before she stopped to take a breath. Lucy checked her phone. Still no reply from him.
She was getting angry at herself. This was exactly what her dad would do with her mom. Mom would be worried about him not coming home when he should've. Dad would never call ahead or warn her he'd be out late, where he was going. Mom ended up pacing in the living room, waiting up until the wee hours of the morning...
Only for him to stumble onto the porch smelling of cheap booze with bloodshot eyes and a wobbly smile. Mom would rant at him, then he'd get frustrated and yell at her. It was a vicious cycle.
The memories threatened to bring her down, and her eyes teared up. She wiped her nose and refused to be sucked in. She had to sober up and focus, would watch the fireworks and then find Mason, if he still hadn't shown up.
She ordered a water and was guzzling it when a cute sandy haired boy came up beside her, pressing close to say over the music, "Let me buy you a drink."
Lucy leaned back and smiled tightly. He was cute but looked so young. Maybe that was because she couldn't get Mason out of her head. He was a real man, not some boy fresh out of college. Or high school, which this guy might be.
She nodded anyway because hey—free drink. Taylor had taught her to never turn down a free drink. The bartender set down another cocktail, and Malia tapped her on the shoulder. Lucy turned away from the boy to chat with her friend.
"They're about to do the fireworks! Come on, we need to get a spot at the railing."
Lucy laughed as Malia grabbed her hand and almost dragged her to the railing. They just reached it in time for the fireworks to start.
She sipped her drink and watched as the lights blurred and spun. One after the other, the lights danced and made her dizzy.
When the fireworks ended, everything was still spinning, so she leaned over to tell Malia, "Going to the bathroom. Be right back."
Malia nodded and continued talking to some cutie on her other side. Her brain was pleasantly fuzzy, but she wasn't so drunk that she couldn't handle going to the bathroom on her own.
As she walked, she questioned the validity of that statement. It was becoming harder and harder to walk straight. Everything kept dipping and swaying.
She pushed through the open hallway past the stairs to the ladies bathroom and stepped inside. She hit the stall and lurched into it, shutting the door behind her. She pulled her phone out of her pocket after she sat down and checked her messages.
This was bullshit. She called him, but it went to voicemail. She didn't bother leaving one as she knew she wasn't alone in the bathroom. She slipped her phone back into her pocket and finished doing her business. But when she tried to stand, she hit the door.
It swung open, and she landed hard on the floor of the bathroom. The room spun, and Malia and the waiter from earlier looked down at her.
At least, she thought it was Malia. She was pretty fuzzy and moving too much to tell. Lucy's eyes felt heavy.
Malia's arms were crossed. "Took her long enough. Come on, Reggie."
He looked down at her, not even offering a hand as Lucy struggled onto her knees and swayed. "Bridal style or over the shoulder?"
