“I guess that’s why I’ll be a bachelor for life,” he said agreeably.
Perry waved a bartender over.
“What can I get you guys? I have a tab open.”
Charlie ordered Guinness on draft, and I went with a vodka soda with extra ice.
Perry made the rounds introducing us.
“We always end up here because it’s right by Jen’s apartment,” Perry explained.
“Do you think you guys will class up this weekend when you’re in your thirties? Maybe splurge for an Airbnb?” Charlie asked.
“No,” she moaned, looking past us. All I could see was an oversized tray of shots.
“Okay seriously, guys, who ordered these?”
She looked at us sheepishly. “Guess we’re doing tequila shots.”
I wanted to say I’d done enough tequila shots my last year of law school to last two lifetimes, but I also didn’t want to be the girl who shows up at a dive bar in a gown and refuses to take a shot.
Charlie leaned over. “I think we should station ourselves behind this table so your dress has a chance of getting out of here alive. This crowd can get rowdy.”
“Fore!” someone shouted as I squeezed my eyes shut and quickly chased the shot with a lime.
Charlie pushed his shot glass across the table. “Our older, wiser selves are going to look back on this and wonder why we didn’t know these are disgusting.”
“I don’t need to wait until I’m older and wiser.”
I spotted the bartender coming back with our drinks and snatched the vodka soda, taking a long sip to mask the lingering taste of tequila.
“Which one is Kristen?” I whispered.
He looked around. “The short blond. Over there in the pink polo shirt.”
“Are you going to say hi?”
“If she comes to our neck of the woods.”
Perry ordered a platter of tater tots.
“I guess I’ll be doing a double at SoulCycle tomorrow,” I lamented.
“Just take the day off. Sunday’s a day of rest.”
“Not after pizza, vodka, and tater tots.”
He shrugged and took a sip of Guinness. “You really do look stunning in that dress.”
I tried tilting my face down so he couldn’t see me blush.
He laughed. “You’re sort of facing the wall now.”
I cringed. “I’m going to find the restroom. What are the chances it’s not all the way across the bar?”
He tapped Perry’s shoulder. “Do you know where the bathrooms are?”
She pointed at a sign hanging on the opposite side of the bar.
