“Positive.”
“Well… see you bright and early. We want the full report on the competition.”
Oh. Right. The “mission.”
“Love you, Momma.” I hang up and head back inside.
If I’m going to be a terrible daughter tonight, I might as well be one with salt on the rim of her glass and good company.
“All good?” Daphne asks. “If you’re in a pinch, my cousin Becca can drive you home.”
“No, it’s late, it’s fine. What is it, midnight?”
“Half past,” Mary Ann says. “This is when the wolves come out.” She cackles and sips her drink.
“Let’s not tell Faithallmy secrets,” Daphne says, giving her sister a look before turning back to me. “Okay, fine—I’ve been hooking up with Sheldon at work.”
“Ah,” I say with a knowing grin. “That explains the vibe.”
“Yeah,” she shrugs, half-smiling. “It’s casual. Fun. Sometimes he comes by after a shift.”
“Oh, it’s fun all right,” Mary Ann cuts in. “You should hear them trying to keep it down.”
We all burst out laughing. The buzz is working its magic, and I feel looser than I have in a long time.
“Y’all are good people,” I say, hand over my heart. “For real.”
“So…” Daphne leans in, voice dipping just a notch. “What about you?” Her eyes flick toward my hand. “That’s a big ring. You getting married?”
“It’s still two and a half years out,” I say, then add, “We’re planning way ahead.”
“Who’s the lucky guy?”
I hesitate, then look at the two of them. Maybe it’s the tequila, or maybe it’s the fact that they’re not part of my usual world, but I trust them.
Plus… no one knows who Thor is. Not even me.
“Well,” I say, setting my glass down, “we’re sort of on a break.”
“A break?Butyou’re still wearing the ring?”
“I know. It’s confusing.” I sigh and launch into the story—how Keith justtoldme, not asked, that he was going to D.C. for the summer. Called it his ‘Rumspringa,’ like we were Amish or something.
“Aw, hell no,” Mary Ann says, already refilling my glass.
Daphne holds up a hand to cover her own. “No more for me. June’s gonna be up at six on the dot.”
Mary Ann waves her off. “This is some bullshit,” she declares. “Your families are friends—so what? This isyourlife. You’re young, hot, smart. Take that ring off and go live a little.”
Daphne leans in with a mischievous grin. “Let me give you a little ‘off the book’ advice that’s not in the trainee handbook: take the ring off, flirt just a little—nothing crazy—and your tips go up, five to ten percent, easy.”
I laugh. “Y’all are terrible influences.”
“It’s not cheating to live your life,” Mary Ann says.
I swirl the drink in my glass. “It’s my family, though. And I know it’s probably crazy but… I don’t know. I think we’ll get back together. Maybe.”
Daphne raises an eyebrow. “So who were you texting with a giant grin on your face earlier?”
