“What? No!” She frowned. “Oh, my god. I didn’t even think about that. People must do that all the time, huh?”
“More than you know.” I led her out the front door and locked it.
“Ugh. People suck.” She helped me maneuver into her car, then climbed in herself.
“Yes, people do suck.”
She wrinkled her nose and started the car. “Well, I’m sorry people use you to get to your sister. The women you’ll meet tonight don’t give a rat’s ass about your sister, no offense. They’ll get to know you based on you and like you or not like you because of who you are. There’s no bullshit.”
“Well, that sounds refreshing.”
She grinned. “It really is. Being with Michael all those years was a nightmare, and I wasted so much time, but now that I’m finally with Knox, life is finally right and I’m part of a world where I fit.”
I smiled. “That’s all you could ever ask for, right?”
“Exactly.”
The restaurant-slash-bar where we were meeting everyone wasn’t far from my house and since I had my handicap placard, we were able to park right in front.
“Ooh, I might need to take you shopping while you have that thing on,” Quin said.
I chuckled. “Name the day and time and I’m yours.”
Quin grabbed my crutches from the backseat while I slid out of the car, then I got myself situated and followed her inside.
“Girl, get your ass over here,” Jasmine Slater called. “You’re late!”
Quin laughed. “By four minutes.”
“Liv’s already three Lemon Drops in—”
“Four,” the brunette woman to her left corrected.
“Really, honey?” Jasmine asked gently. “Do you think you might want to slow down?”
“Barkeep, I’d like another!” Liv called.
Jasmine gave Quin some kind of look and Quin nodded. “Lyric, have a seat. I’ll be right back.”
I nodded and took a seat while Quin made her way to the bar, returning with what looked like a lemon drop and handing it to Liv. “Here you go, honey.”
“I love you, thank you.”
She smiled, and leaned over to me. “Majorly watered down.”
“Ah.”
“Lyric, that’s Willow, she’s Dash’s wife, you met Jasmine at the benefit, and drinking the lemon drop is Olivia. She’s… well, she’s Doc’s… um…”
“Friend,” Olivia provided.
“Sure, we’ll go with that,” Quin said.
“And I’m Parker. I’m Jasmine’s secret lover.”
“She wishes,” Jasmine retorted.
I laughed. “Well, hi, Parker, it’s nice to meet you.”
