“I’ll take the Texas Skinny margarita, please,” Liv tells the waiter and gently places the menu on the table.
I frown at her choice because she just had a baby and that shouldn’t mean that she needs to go on a diet. I don’t know her well enough to tell her that I think she looks fantastic after giving birth, so I offer her a small smile instead.
Emma takes forever to pick something, and it makes me roll my eyes. I want to cut in but mind my manners as the waiter ogles her, and she remains oblivious. I look over at Liv, and she suppresses a laugh with her hand, hiding her smile as she looks away. Emma bites her lip in concentration, and he licks his lips. I can only imagine what he is thinking at the moment, and I cock my head to the side, assessing to see if I need to intervene.
“I’ll take the Some Like it Hot margarita.” She places her menu down and doesn’t even look at the guy. She nods at me as if letting me know it’s my turn to order. She must feel his stare on her; this is her way of kindly turning him down.
So done with this, I roll my eyes and snap my menu down, startling the waiter and Liv, who snaps straight and makes a startled noise similar to a baby bird. The waiter faces me, seeing the smirk that forms on my lips, letting him know I saw him. Emma’s eyes twinkle with hidden laughter. I look at his name tag as if I am getting a hard look at it, squinting my eyes for the full effect.
“I’ll take the Smoky Mezcal, please, and if we could get a vat of guacamole with chips and salsa, please, Cole.”
He nods and leaves us without another word.
Emma scoffs. “I hope he comes back soon with our order. I think you might have scared him off.”
Liv watches the exchange between us and doesn’t comment.
I roll my eyes at her naivety. “Sorry, but I really didn’t want it to get back to Eduardo, and then I have to listen to it because we are all meeting tonight for dinner, and we have much more pressing issues to discuss.”
She nods her understanding. “Agreed.”
The waiter returns with our drinks and apps, and we give him the rest of our food order. I take a big scoop of guac and practically orgasm as the taste of spices and cilantro hits my mouth.
I sip my margarita and look up at Liv and Emma, who are curiously eyeing me. I dab the salt off the sides of my mouth and sip my margarita once more. I put it down and look at Liv, who is staring at me like I’m Uncle Eddie in my favorite Chevy Chase Christmas movie.
“Sorry, but that is the best guacamole ever.”
Liv gives me a genuine smile and loads up her tortilla chip before she bites into it, sending crumbs splattering over the table. She makes a similar noise of pleasure.
“Agreed.” She says this with a mouth full of food, mimicking Emma’s comment earlier.
Emma laughs, throwing her hands in the air. “Okay, now it’s my turn.” She holds her chip mid-flight as I scoop up more with my tortilla chip. “Don’t you dare try to stab me with your chip.” She snorts.
“I would never stab my own sister, Emma.” I wink at Liv as she snaps her attention over to me and then to Emma, as if she sees Emma in her truest form for the first time.
I grin widely. “She’s just kidding, Liv. I am usually the stabby one.”
Liv almost chokes on her drink as Emma moans loudly, licking the excess avocado from her lip. We all look up to see our waiter, Cole, standing there with a food tray in his hand and his mouth open as he stares at Emma.
“Oh, hey, Cole, just in time,” she comments as he distributes our food quickly and leaves without further comment.
Liv’s hand goes to her mouth as she laughs. This causes Emma to snort, and I watch them in amusement, thinking that I have not had a better day in what feels like forever.
As we finish up our food and drinks, Cole approaches us, asking if we need anything else.
“Then thank you, ladies. The bill and tip have been paid in full, and I thank you for your generosity. I hope to see you again soon.” He leaves us, and Emma throws her napkin on the table.
“I don’t know about you, but I need to be assisted out of here. I ate so much. I don’t think I can breathe, much less stand.”
We all get up to leave as Philip brings the car around the front of the restaurant to take us home. Liv gets into the back seat with Emma, and I sit in the front. As I buckle up my seatbelt, Liv touches my arm, startling me, and I fight the urge to pull back. Her touch is gentle and non-threatening. “Evie,” she says softly.
I turn back toward her. “Yes.”
She looks over to Emma and then to me. “I just want you to know that I had so much fun with you and Emma today, and I am thrilled to have another friend.”
I look over to Emma, who is smiling at me and Liv. I am not used to feeling this way, and the thought of having another friend catches me off guard. I haven’t had many close connections, and this feels like a huge step into living.
I touch her hand in return. “Thank you, Liv. That means more to me than you know. I really appreciate your friendship.”
