My stomach tightens. I switch to my banking app—a habit I’ve developed over the past six months—and check the balance. There is still enough to send money home this month, but it’s getting tight. Sorrentino’s Restaurant in Reno is bleeding cash, and nobody except my brother knows how bad it’s gotten. Mom and Dad think I’m living my dream life in the mountains with the perfect job. Even though Grandma feeds me well, they don’t know that I’m shaving corners to the bare bones to cover expenses at the restaurant.
Me: It’s fine. I’ll handle it.
Another fib. I’m full of them today.
“Winnie!” Mindy pokes her head into my office, still working on her Crush Cake. “You’ll never guess what happened?”
I tap my chin. “Hmm. You tripped over a unicorn and fell into Austin’s arms?”
She bounces on her toes. “Close. I asked him to Tacos & Trivia night.”
My eyes widen. She’s been talking about him nonstop for nine days, which, for one of Mindy’s infatuations, is a long time. She hops from one guy to another like a snowshoe hare before setting her sights on the next guy.
Mindy chatters excitedly about the town’s weekly tradition at Huck’s Lake View Diner. How it’ll also be great for me to network, make more connections, and get to know people outside of work.
I blink slowly, possibly having missed something she said. “I wasn’t planning to go out tonight?—”
“Well, Austin said he’ll bring a friend, so I told him I will too. You, of course. After he gave me a Crush Cake, I said I’d love to be on a team with him tonight. He said yes, and the rest is happily ever after.” Hands in little balls under her chin, she shakes her arms and bounces.
Sounds like someone is getting ahead of her skis. “Mindy, is this a double date?”
“What? No! Well,” she pauses. “I mean, it’s not officially a date. I’d like it to be. But it’s very casual!”
“I already have plans?” The sentence ends like a question rather than the declarative form of speech I’d intended.
“Plans like sitting on the couch next to your grandmother while she quilts and you ask her for crossword puzzle clues from the last century?”
I like our routine. “It’s Tuesday.”
“Taco Tuesday.”
“No, I’m afraid I can’t do it.”
“Winnie,” she says with a plea in her voice.
“I’m focusing on work right now.” And helping my family. “I don’t have time for dating.” Even if I do want romance. Even if I lie awake at night in Grandma’s guest room, imagining what it would be like to find someone who sees me as more than just the helpful, capable girl who solves everyone else’s problems.
“It’s tacosandtrivia,” Mindy says as if that sweetens the deal. When I don’t agree, she adds, “It’s not a marriage proposal or even anything endorsed by the super-secret society of true love matches.”
“Is that a thing?”
“No, but we should start it! Anyway, I wouldn’t mind something serious with Austin?—”
“What about Josh?”
“That was ages ago.”
“Ten days.”
She pouts. “Come on. When’s the last time you did something fun?”
I open my mouth to argue, but she says, “See you there,” before hurrying down the hall.
2
WINNIE
Four hours later,I’m standing outside Huck’s Lake View Diner making a mental U-turn before I very well make a physical one.
