Everett:I want her to just send me some frosting even. But I can’t ask her for that b/c she’ll want to know why and I can’t tellher that I lick it off the cookies and think about her daughter’s nipples and jerk off.
My eyes widen and I look around to ensure no one is reading over my shoulder.
This is definitely not the usual Everett.
Ginny:Are you drunk?
Everett:Yes.
I giggle.
Everett:Will you call me and have phone sex with me? We have about fifty-one minutes until I’m your boss.
Everett:I won’t fire you if you say no.
Everett:Or if you say yes.
Oh my God.
He’s funny when he’s drunk.
And I’d kind of like totalkto him when he’s drunk. I bet he’s cute.
And I wouldn’t mind having phone sex with him at all.
Which is a problem.
Ginny:I can’t. I’m at the Come Again.
Everett:Don’t say ‘come’.
I laugh.
“That’s better!” Harlow climbs up on the stool at the table I’m occupying alone for the time being.
“What’s better?” I ask.
“You’re finally smiling! You’re supposed to behappyon New Year’s Eve!”
“I’m happy,” I assure her. I even pick up my half-full glass of New Year’s punch and lift it in a toast. “Here’s to a kick ass new year!”
She laughs and clicks her glass against mine. “You’ve been moping tonight.”
“I have?” Dammit. I don’t want to be mopey about Everett. I haven’t even started working at the job that’s going to have me interacting regularly with the guy I want but can’t have.
If I’m going to have a little crush on Everett—and I am determined to keep itlittle—then I need to enjoy the times he’s here but not think about him all the damned time he’s not.
“You have. You need to get on the dance floor, have another couple of drinks, and find someone to kiss at midnight,” she says.
I love Harlow. She’s been one of my best friends since I was a kid. I don’t even feelthatweird about her dating my brother, Jefferson. Okay, they’re more than dating. They’re going to get married, and she’s going to be my sister and give me nieces and nephews, and I love that.
So I decide to confide in her.
“I don’t want to kiss anyone. Or dance with anyone,” I say. “Well, not anyone who’shere.”
She looks at me for a couple of seconds, then asks, “Everett?”
I sigh and nod. “Yeah.”
