“Sorry, Ivy. I’m just so tempted to text Ethan, right now,” I confessed, giggling. “But I’m pretty drunk, so it’s probably a bad idea. Right?”
“Oh, do it! But knowing him, he’s probably either asleep or buried in a book.” She paused, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “Do you think he reads spicy books?”
I burst out laughing. “I have no idea! But now I’m curious.”
“You should ask him. If he does, I have some great titles that will make his reading list a lot more interesting.” Ivy leaned back, grinning. “Go on, text him. Just keep it light and fun.”
I pulled out my phone, my heart racing with excitement. The wine had made me bold and I embraced it as Icontemplated what to write.
I squinted at the screen, feeling less confident about my spelling abilities. “Ivy, can you check this? I don’t trust myself right now.”
Ivy giggled, took the phone from me, barely glanced at the message, and hit send.
I groaned, reaching to check the text, and my eyes widened as I noticed the typo. “It says ‘burped’ instead of ‘buried!’ Ivy, I thought you checked it!”
“Whoops, my bad” Ivy said, laughing. “Maybe he’ll find it endearing.”
I noticed the read receipt on the message.
“Oh my god, he’s read it,” I said, my eyes widening further. I watched the screen anxiously as the three ‘typing’ dots appeared.
“I need to calm down,” I said, dropping the phone on the couch. “Why am I freaking out this much?”
“Maybe because you’ve got it bad for him?” Ivy smirked, raising an eyebrow. “And I bet Ethan could definitely help you . . . unwind.”
I blushed even deeper, the warmth spreading from my cheeks down my neck. “Stop, Ivy! You’re making it worse!” I said between giggles, my stomach aching from laughing so hard.
Ivy wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, still chuckling as my phone buzzed on the table. Our laughter halted abruptly, and we both stared at it, the anticipation hanging thick in the air.
“Go on, read it!” Ivy urged, nudging me with her elbow.
My heart skipped a beat, a giddy smile spreading across my face as Ivy peeked over my shoulder and grinned. “Looks like he’s intoyou, typo and all.”
“What should I text back?” I asked, my mind racing.
Ivy, clearly enjoying her role as my tipsy advisor, put on a mock-serious face. “Lay it on thick, girl. This is the perfect night for some flirtatious fun!”
I hesitated for a moment, then quickly typed out a second message and hit send.
I showed Ivy the message and she burst into laughter. “That’s perfect!”
Both our stomachs growled in unison, sending us into another fit of giggles, and Salem, who had been lounging nearby, flicked his tail and sauntered out of the room, done with our antics.
“Wine and snacks seemed like a great idea,” I said, still chuckling. “But now I’m craving something more substantial. Like a greasy pizza.”
Ivy noddedand stood, making her way to the kitchen. “Yes! There’s this awesome pizza place called Cheesy Delights. Caleb works there late on weekends and always makes the best food. I’ll grab the menu,” she called over her shoulder.
My phone pinged again with a text from Ethan, and I glanced at it, my heart fluttering.
I couldn’t help but giggle, imagining Ethan with strawberry clips in his hair. When Ivy returned, she found me grinning at my phone.
“What’s got you smiling like that?” she asked, jumping onto the sofa next to me.
“Listen to this,” I said, reading Ethan’s message to her.
She giggled, shaking her head. “That’s adorable!”
Before I could reply, another message came through.
