As if I’d miss any chance to hang out with him.
“Joy to the world.” I tapped my drink to his. “Should we offer to break this guy’s kneecaps for her?”
“Which one? Ex-boss or ex-boyfriend?”
“Both?”
He smirked. “Let’s consider it over drinks.”
He headed into the living room, so I followed.
“Whoa,” Xander was saying, as he took in Taylor’s face, “you have pink eye or something?” And Courteney gushed, “Ohmygosh. What happened?”
“I have my-boss-and-my-boyfriend-are-both-collosal-assholes eye,” Taylor informed them.
“Ex-boyfriend,” Danica stressed.
“Oh, no,” Courteney said.
“It’s nothing,” Taylor insisted. “I’m just having a shitty day.”
“Well, this is where shitty days go to die.” Xander sloshed spiked eggnog into a mug and handed it Taylor’s way.
“Thank God.” She slugged some back. “I didn’t wanna be the only one drunk before nine-thirty.”
“You’re not alone,” I assured her.
“Good.” She held her mug up belatedly. “Happy holidays and stuff.”
“Are you gonna be okay?” Courteney asked her gently.
“I’ll be fine. I just need a reset button on my life.”
“Cheers to that.” Ash lifted his beer into the air.
We all did a cheer and took a drink, and I wondered vaguely when we were leaving for Brody’s Christmas party… and if wewerestill going to the party. I wouldn’t blame Taylor if she ditched the party, or if Danica ditched with her. And if that happened, pretty sure Ash was staying right here.
Which meant I was, too.
Also meant any flirting around the idea of a hookup was probably off the menu, at least for tonight, given the general aura of secondhand heartbreak in the air right now. But hey, I’d hang out with Ash all night no matter what the circumstances.
“Oh, fuck me. Have I turned into that person?” Taylor looked around at everyone’s concerned faces. “That annoying, pathetic person who dumps their troubles on you at a party? If so, cut me off, stat.” She meant it, and I handed her a sympathy shot.
She tossed it back without even asking what it was, cringing a little as the whiskey went down.
“Thanks,” she sighed. “Shit, you guys, just forget about me. You all have your news.” She gestured vaguely at Ash and Danica, and we all looked at them.
“What news?” Courteney asked.
“Well…” Danica’s face lit up. She glanced at Ash, who grinned and draped his arm around her. Then she held up her left hand. “We got married yesterday!”
“What?”
That fell out of my mouth, but no one even heard it.
Courteney and Xander made a bunch of noise and attacked the happy couple, smothering them in hugs—you know, an appropriate response to that kind of announcement. While I just stood frozen, completely glazing over in a weird, out-of-body experience as my brain struggled to comprehend what I’d just heard.
Ash and I had just gotten back from South America yesterday, with Dirty. I’d barely had time to sleep, eat, get drunk and wrap their Christmas gift.
