“More guests,” Willa said, heading that direction as Adrienne turned her attention to one of the couples at the cheeseboard.
“Do you want to—?” Whit asked with a nod in the direction of the living room.
Merritt nodded back, following him from the kitchen, which was getting steamy, into a well-appointed space that combined the same English-country-house style of furniture with splashy modern paintings and unusual light fixtures.
“Hi,” Whit said, turning to look at her near the piano. She had never seen him grin like this before.
“Hi. Did you pre-party?”
“Did I what?”
Merritt gave him a look. “You’re very smiley.”
Whit put a hand on his chest. “I’m allowed to smile.”
She waited.
The smile grew.
“But yes, we stopped at Annie’s friend Liza’s house before we came so they could put on their matching costumes. And the stepdad made me an old-fashioned. And then another. It’s my first party in a while.”
“And then youdrovehere?”
“The dad drove my car,” he said, with a cheerful shrug, as if this fact was somehow delightful.
“You’re tipsy.”
“You’re Stevie Nicks.”
She bit her lip, pleased. “I am. Should you slow down on the mulled wine?”
“Shouldyouslow down on the judgmental tone?”
They laughed. What was this? What were they doing?
Whit looked around the room for a moment. Merritt searched for a new topic. When she could no longer pretend to be taking a record-breakingly long sip of wine, she said, “Willa seems great. And Adrienne, too.”
“They’re the best. Truly. I think I would have died without them last year.”
Merritt didn’t know what to say to that.
“Do you know other people here?”
Whit looked at the current population of the living room, then back to her.
“Liza’s parents are here somewhere. And there will be a few other parents from Annie’s school—their son Albie goes there—but other than that...”
The front door opened again, and a man’s voice said “Willa,hello.” Whit’s eyebrows rocketed so far up his forehead that it must have been painful.
“What?”
“She couldn’t have,” he said to himself, peeking around Merritt’s shoulder, presumably trying to catch a glimpse of the entryway. Merritt looked, too, in time to see Willa hurrying toward them.
“So,” she said, “I meant to tell you that—”
“Willa, you didn’t.”
She winced. “I did.”
