“Thank you. I’ll stop pestering you now. But let’s get a happy hour or a night out on the calendar soon.” Laura nudges her shoulder into mine. “We work for radio stations, so we should take advantage of that by snagging some free concert tickets.”
“Sold.” I may not be quite ready to date, but the idea of getting dressed up and having a night out with my best friend sounds great.
“Yay,” Laura grins. “I thought you’d need the hard sell before you’d agree.”
“I’m ready to rebuild my social life, but I may need a bit more time before committing to dating.” I take another sip of coffee. “Hey, youthink we could get Harry Styles tickets?” My inner fangirl is shrieking with excitement at the possibility.
“Anna, get caught up on current events. Harry isn’t even on tour right now,” Laura huffs. “And at some point, you need to listen to a little country. One of the radio stations you work for is the largest country music station in Nashville.” She loves country music and can’t understand why I don’t hear its allure.
Ignoring her, I suggest, “Promise to keep Harry in mind when he tours next? Because he’s my number one celebrity crush. I wouldn’t mind making him the third guy I sleep with.”
She smirks. After a sip of her boring black coffee, Laura asks, “Speaking of the guys you've slept with, you ever think about looking up Hayes?”
Oops.When I made that offhand comment, I didn’t think about Laura using it to bring the conversation around to my night with Hayes.
At the mention of Hayes, I surreptitiously lift my wrist to my nose and inhale the now familiar fragrance of his stolen body wash. Sandalwood, musk, and pure sex appeal. Nostalgia assaults me in the most bittersweet way.
I use the body wash sparingly, but today was one of the mornings I washed with it. I must be a glutton for punishment, because despite knowing that his aroma will torment me throughout the day, I still did it anyway. I loved our night together, and by wearing Hayes' scent on my skin, all those memories come back to me, stronger than ever.
Because the truth remains… as stupid and improbable as it is, I'm not ready to leave the memories of Hayes in the past yet.
“Yes, and no.” I shift on the couch. Toeing off my heels, I slide my left foot under my right thigh. “Yes, I’d love to tap that again.”
Laura rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “Don’t. Don’t say that again. That saying went out about the time Bush got elected.”
“First or second Bush?”
“Does it matter?”
“Noted,” I smile. I rely on my seven-year-old to keep me up to date on slang, so it's safe to say that I'm a little behind the times. “Anyway, I’d love to see Hayes again, but part of what made our night together so magical was that our time was finite. I was unencumbered and free because there wasn’t a future for us. I didn’t have to worry about expectations or what he might think of me in the daylight. We just had that one perfect night.”
“Jeez, somehow you just made a one-night stand sound romantic and classy.”
I chuckle. “Plus, it would be impossible to locate Hayes.”
I refuse to admit that I know this firsthand. Soon after meeting Hayes, I typed his first name into Instagram’s search bar in a moment of loneliness and boredom. Then I stayed up way too late scrolling through hundreds of profiles. TikTok and Facebook had even more search results than Instagram. It was a lost cause, so I gave up.
“We need to find him somehow. From what you described, it was more than a random hook-up.” Laura rubs her temple as she thinks. “There has to be some way to find him.”
“It’s pointless. You can’t locate someone when you only know their first name.” But even though I can’t see Hayes again, that night helped me in ways I couldn't even fathom at the time.
Our night together was a sexual revelation, reminding me of who I was as a person, as a woman. That night, for the first time since getting married, I felt like more than just a wife or a mother. I was Annabelle, a woman with needs that hadn't been met in a very long time. My night with Hayes made me realize I’d lost my way and left myself behind.Laura pushing me to date again and make time for myself is another reminder of that.
“I’ll stop talking about Hayes now.” Tapping her finger against her cheek, Laura grins. “You know what? There’s that holiday country music festival at the Ryman next month. Could be a fun way to get into the festive spirit before Christmas. I have to go for work, but I can snag you a backstage pass. We can eat and drink for free. Maybe mingle with some of the bands.”
“Wow. That sounds… like a lot of country music.” I try to hide the sarcasm, but I’m unsuccessful.
Swatting my arm, Laura says, “Shut up. It'll be fun! I’ll put together a playlist of all the artists. After you’ve listened to it a few times, you can pick the bands you like the best, and we’ll just stay for those performances.”
Not only does the crazy lady expect me to give up my weekend for a country music festival, but she also wants me to listen to a country playlist multiple times, so I can pick my favorites out of the lineup.
Good God, my ears are bleeding at the thought.
“That is so sweet of you to offer, but unnecessary.” I wave my hand in the air. “All the country artists sound the same to me. Pick your favorites, and we can listen to those. I’m going for the company, not the music, bestie.”
Grimacing, Laura shakes her head. “No. Can’t say that either. You’re not in junior high.”
“Okay, how about BFF? Or LYLAS? Girlypop?”
