“We can’t both text at the same time!” She shrieks when I pull my phone out. “I just sent one to the single’s table.”
“The what?”
“It’s a group text. The single’s table at your brother’s wedding. The other girls are both married now—rude—But it’s still the name of our thread.”
“Okayyy?”
“So, you have to wait to text anyone, a few hours at least.”
I nod. “Right. Got it.” I watch her tap a couple times and then tuck her phone away. “And now?”
“Now,” she straightens. “I answer the call of my people.”
“The singles table?” I ask.
“My sweatpants.”
I laugh and signal the waiter. She smirks, watching me.
She seems calm but I’m sure, like me, she’s buzzing under the surface. Because the wheels are in motion now. Even if she spooks, which I suspect she will, come bright light of morning, it’s too late. I’m dead set on this, which is unusual, since I’ve had a privileged, easy life. I tend to just take what comes.
But every once in a while I truly decide on something I want. And I always get it. And I want this. This harebrained adventure.
With her.
Her phone starts to buzz and she pulls it back up.
“Here we go,” she says.
Indeed.
8
JANIE
I brace myself before pulling out my phone again once I’m safely back in my hotel room. Although I don’t even feel safe here, I feel…crazed. Not even buzzed. This time I only had one drink.
This feels more unhinged than that.
Becausewhat the hell?!
Am I this desperate? To marry for money? To someone I don’t even like?
Okay, I like him okay. He’s a little funny and a lot easy on the eyes and we’ve had a surprising amount of fun. This is two nights in a row I haven’t been back in my room until after ten pm. Wild.
But marry? A cocky, billionaire playboy out of touch with the real world and its real problems? Another magnetic, clever,charmingguy.
Not that this is real, so it won’t matter. I won’t be fooled again.
Anyway.
I’m not really doing this. Even if I wanted to, they’ll never buy it. I shake my head and unlock my screen, ignoring the glaring text thread I leave as unread.
I tap on The Singles Table thread with Kat Canton and Sally Canton. Well, that was their maiden name before falling madly in love with a consultant and a bodyguard, respectively. They’re Skye’s cousin and sister and two of my favorite people even if things have been…weird between me and my former best friend and her famous family.
Why does no one warn you when you’re young about the agony of friendship break-ups? We’re shown how horrible romantic heartbreak is in books, movies, articles and memes. But what about platonic heartbreak?
The ripple effect to all your mutual friends?
