"Nope," I murmur, forcing a polite smile as I sidestep, clutching my bag tighter. "Excuse me."
I slip away before the scene can get messier, bee-lining for my girls' table like my life depends on it.
"Hi, girls. What are we having?" I ask as I slide into the space Tammy scoots open for me.
The table looks like a diner exploded on it—greasy fries spilling out of the basket, half-eaten burgers stacked with extra cheese, a plate of fish with tartar dip, and more empty beer bottles and glasses than I want to count.
"Hey, Care. Finally," Lucy says, throwing her arm over my shoulders in a quick squeeze before leaning back with a smirk.
Katie pushes her chair back, stretching like she's been sitting too long. "What do you want to drink, Care? I'm hitting the bar for another mojito."
"Uh..." I hesitate. Beer's a no. Mojito's a no. "Dry wine. White, if they have it."
Katie nods and disappears toward the bar.
A waitress passes and I catch her before she's gone. "Hi, can I get an order of satay skewers? And, uh, celery with dip too."
She scribbles it down, and I hand her a polite smile.
Tammy stares at me like I just ordered boiled cardboard. "That's it? That's all you're eating?"
I chuckle, lifting one shoulder. "Yeah. Unfortunately. Can't have anything else on this menu."
Her brows shoot up. "Wait—what, you on some kind of diet or something?"
I nod, letting out a sigh.
"For real? Babe, you've already got the perfect figure. Straight-up supermodel body. You don't need to lose another ounce."
I smile at her, shaking my head. "I'm not trying to lose weight. Not anymore. I just want to keep what I worked for. You know... maintain it."
Tammy whistles low, leaning back. "Damn. Bet that's hard."
It's really freaking hard.
God, I miss it though. Fries drowning in cheese. Greasy pizza dripping oil. A big, sloppy burger with extra bacon. Donuts, milkshakes, brownies. And ice cream—oh, ice cream. And whipped cream...
Shit. Shouldn't have gone there. My stomach twists like it's trying to protest. No. Nope. Not happening. If I want to stay fit, I gotta stick to the rules. No pain, no gain—or in my case, no carbs, no backsliding.
Katie returns just in time to save me from staring too long at Tammy's onion rings. She sets a glass of white wine in front of me, then plunks her mojito down with a grin.
Katie leans in, eyes bright, voice dipping into a conspiratorial giggle. "Guess who I just saw..."
All three of us whip toward her at once. "Who?"
"Rourke and Reese," she says, chin tipping toward the bar where two tall guys are posted up, drinks in hand, both laughing with a pair of girls who look like they dressed specifically to get noticed.
Tammy slaps both hands over her mouth, eyes huge, her whole body vibrating like she just mainlined espresso. "Oh my God! Oh my God!" she squeals into her palms. "If they're here, then the others are probably here too."
She cranes her neck, practically snapping it as she tries to scan the crowded bar.
Lucy joins her, both of them leaning, squinting like human laser beams. And then—bam. They spot whoever they were hunting for.
Their jaws drop in unison. Mouths open. Breathless gasps. Like teenagers who just saw their K-pop bias live for the first time.
I bite the inside of my cheek to hold back a grin. Lucy, who's been Miss Introvert since the day I met her a month ago, is actually clutching the edge of the table like she needs support.
"They're here," Tammy breathes, like she's just spotted celebrities.
