“She’s probably just worried about you. She knows you moved back here for her—she doesn’t want you to hate it.”
“But I don’t. Yeah, it’s not D.C., but…it’s not terrible, either.”
“You’re not lonely?”
“Sometimes. But it’s not like I live alone, and I don’t miss being in a relationship.”
“Not even the sex?”
Eva hesitated, and Kate’s eyes lit up.
“I knew it! Okay, give me your phone.”
“What?”
“If you’re going to refuse to let me take you to a bar tonight, then I’m going to find you someone another way. There’s this new dating app doing the rounds. I’m signing you up for it.”
“No way in hell.”
“Come on. It’ll be fun. We can spend the night swiping through profiles.”
“That sounds like hell on earth.”
“What if your perfect woman is on there, waiting for you?”
“I told you—I don’t want a relationship.”
“But you do want a hook-up, and apps are the easiest way to do that right now. Step into the twenty-first century, Eva.”
“I’m thirty-five, not a hundred-and-five,” Eva said, staring resentfully at her empty glass—she would need way more alcohol to get through this night alive.
“So live like one.”
Kate reached for something under the table, and Eva realized too late she’d grabbed Eva’s bag. Kate plucked her phone from its depths. “Don’t you dare.”
“Let me sign you up,” Kate said, leaning back when Eva tried to lunge for her. “Where’s the harm in that?”
“There’s a lot of harm in that.” Eva got to her feet, but so did Kate, keeping the table between them like a buffer as she typed something in.
Eva regretted her decision to keep her passcode as her birthday.
If she’d changed it, she wouldn’t be in this mess right now.
Circling the table, they looked ridiculous, and the only reason Eva wasn’t breaking into a run was because she didn’t want to be thrown out. Already, they were garnering curious glances from patrons at nearby tables.
“Kate, please.”
“Let me be in charge of it for one night,” Kate said, holding up a finger. “Give it a try. And then once I’ve gone tomorrow you can delete it.”
Eva didn’t want to accept the offer, but she knew if she refused they’d only argue for another few hours, and she wanted to enjoy the night. Besides, if Eva played nice now—and got Kate drunk enough—she might be able to swipe the phone from her and delete it without her noticing.
“Fine.” Eva sighed as she dropped back into her seat. “One night.”
“Yay!” Kate threw her arms around Eva’s neck. “This is going to be so fun.”
* * *
Eva woke with a groan.
