The place pulses with life—steam rises from soup bowls, plates clatter against counters, and conversations weave together in a warm, chaotic symphony.
The hostess threads us past the crowded booths, sticky plastic menus balanced against her hip.
"Nice to have you all back, girls," she says, once she led us back to our old booth.
"Just like old times," Zaza grins, sliding into her corner like she's claiming a throne.
I sink into the cracked red leather booth, happy to surrounded by my friends' smiling faces once again.
I'm smiling too, but underneath, restlessness coils in my chest.
So much has happened since we were last here. But I can't stop thinking about Cameron. About Posey.
In our short time together, they've became the closest thing to family I'd ever known.
"So what's it like settling back into your old life? Excited about being a glassy again?" Zaza teases.
"Actually, I got promoted to Taboo Babe," I reveal. "I'll be serving pricey cocktails now, collecting the big tips."
Zaza's eyebrows shoot up.
"You? With your no-makeup mandate, your air-dried hairdo?"
"For a few hundred extra in tip money, I'll figure out eye shadow and blow-drying."
Zaza's attention shifts. "Oh, look." She nudges me, her glossy red nail pointing toward the entrance. "The Great Luna's here."
Zaza beckons to the fortune teller, who's now carrying a crystal ball that glitters under the fluorescent lights.
Luna glides over, setting her crystal ball on our table.
"Our friend won't give us the juicy details about the Prince Charming you promised her. We want to see him in that magic ball of yours," Zaza says.
Luna mumbles an incantation, hands sweeping over the glass like she's clearing away mist.
"Here he is. A man—tall, dark, handsome. I see an adorable child. And a dog. Big. Black. Loyal."
Zaza snorts loud enough to turn heads. "That's not a fortune, that's a Hallmark movie trailer. I need to see this with my own eyes."
Zaza bends to peer into Luna's crystal ball.
As she does, I sense a commotion in the room.
Cameron!
And Posey.
Edison trots by their side.
I watch in disbelief as Cameron's gaze sweeps the room with that rockstar confidence.
That slow, sexy smile spreads across his face as he approaches our table.
"Good evening, ladies."
Cameron's voice drops to that rough register that makes my pulse race.
Posey breaks free, launching herself into my arms.
