“Tell. Me. Everything.”
Beth picked the food up off the floor, moved it to the coffee table, and went to grab glasses with ice for their soda. Kim just watched. Stunned. Waiting.
“You’re the first person I’ve told who didn’t think I was joking,” Beth realized.
“What happened, Beth?”
Pizza forgotten, they sat on the floor, huddled around the coffee table, as Beth poured her heart out to her best friend. Forthe first time, she could tell her story in her own way—not just state the facts, not justify her actions, not analyze where she went wrong. The story came out far from linear, but that didn’t matter. Kindred spirits, they understood each other effortlessly.
Kim had no judgment. Some shock. A lot of concern.
“I don’t know. Everything was going fine, if not a little boring, during the conference. I don’t even know why I was sent—most of the talks were less medical and more about hospital policy. Every night, the guys went out for dinner or to a show, but I never joined them. By the middle of the trip, I was tired of reading in my room or sitting by the pool. I wanted to see the Strip at night, but I didn’t want to go alone. Ya know how we’ve talked about how the little choices—the seemingly meaningless ones—can shape the rest of our lives?”
“I remember.”
Beth sat quietly for a moment.
“That’s what happened, Kim.”
“You wanted to let loose?” Kim’s question wasn’t accusatory, but Beth knew what she meant. They’d had this conversation before—the struggle to be Christ-like while wanting to try something reckless and carefree without overthinking every step.
“Not exactly, or at least, not consciously. It started more subtly than that. I just wanted to do something fun. To see the city. It looked so beautiful from my window. So, I went with the only people I knew.”
“Dr. Jensen and Dr. Sheppard.” Kim supplied.
“Exactly. We walked around the Strip, and I kind of felt like a kid sister tagging along. Eric talked non-stop, pointing out everything and telling me about the shows he’d been to. Bryce was quieter, just walking with us. It wasn’t awkward, and it wasn’t crude—it was fun. It felt safe. Like I had my own safety net, letting me enjoy the night without worrying.
There was no pressure. They didn’t try to get me drunk. They weren’t being obnoxious. We were just eating dinner, and it felt... normal. They each had a beer; I had a soda. Then the waitress asked if we wanted to try their tequila samples, and Eric said sure. They brought three sampler flights to the table, but before I could turn mine down, Eric slid it over in front of himself.
I honestly didn’t know people sipped from shot glasses. I’d only ever seen them knocked back in one go, like in the movies. I kept eyeing one of the glasses, wondering what it tasted like, and Eric noticed. He just nodded toward them and said, ‘Help yourself.’ Then he went back to eating. That was it.”
Beth paused, lost in thought, thinking about how subtly that night had unfolded.
“I didn’t know people sipped shots either,” Kim admitted. “Do you think it was some kind of reverse psychology to get you to drink?”
“No, I don’t. It was just them being them—enjoying their night. I know when people hear I got drunk and married in Vegas, they picture something like the movieWhat Happens in Vegas, but that wasn’t it at all.”
Kim’s hand shot into the air. “You know I love a good RomCom, so I’m guilty of being one of those people.” Her blue eyes gleamed with amusement.
Beth gave her a small smile.
“That’s not what it was like?”
Beth shook her head. “No. I even waited until I was done eating so the alcohol would hit me less. Then I took a sip from one of the samples. It was really good. I don’t think Eric even noticed at first. Bryce did, though. He leaned over and told me to be careful because it was strong. And that was it. They kept talking about the conference, and I slowly finished the shot. And you know what?”
“What?”
“I didn’t feel any different. But I did realize something—until that night, I had never just... hung out with two non-believers. Not in a ministry setting, not at a work event, not at some high school or college party where everything felt inappropriate. it was just a normal dinner, with normal conversation. Have you?”
Kim mulled over the thought. “No, I don’t think I ever have either. But why does that stand out to you?”
“Because it made me realize how naïve I am. We grew up in such a sheltered Christian bubble that I honestly thought nights out for non-believers were just drunken parties, like in the movies. I was taught to be on guard in those situations, to avoid them. I wasn’t prepared for how normal it felt.”
Pausing, she gathered her thoughts. She wasn’t nervous like she was talking to Bryce, so she knew she could express them clearly.
“I know it’s naïve, or maybe this is unique to just me, but I think I simply forgot how different our priorities and standards are. In some ways, I think the church has done a disservice by only teaching us to avoid secular settings instead of preparing us to stand firm in our faith in those settings.” Beth shrugged, glancing at Kim, hoping she understood.
Kim nodded slowly. “No, you’re not alone in that. What you’re saying makes a lot of sense.”
