“Yeah, dude! You made ahugemistake!”
“Mia!” Chloe chides her.
“What? We’re all thinking it!”
I bury my face in my hands. “Oh my god, what have I done? I need to talk to him.” I yank my phone out of my purse and click on my home screen. Just then, a panicky realization pops into the forefront of my mind.
“Shit,I deleted his number. And he’s leaving tomorrow for his tour!” I stare down at my phone helplessly as I try to work out what to do next. But only one solution comes to mind. I stare at my two best friends imploringly.
“You guys… we have to go over there.”
Chloe arches an expertly penciled eyebrow. “Overwhere? I know you don’t mean over to Times Square.”
When I stare back at her in silent confirmation, she shakes her head resolutely. “No, absolutely not. There is no way in hell I’m going to Times Square on New Year’s Eve.”
“Please. I can’t do this by myself.” I flick my eyes back and forth between Ali and Chloe, knowing perfectly well which one of them will crack first. And I’m not disappointed.
“You heard her; let’s do this!” Ali claps her hands together as Chloe groans. Ali laughs, nudging Chloe with her elbow. “Come on, Chlo: You really want to be the person who stands in the way of true love?”
“Fine,” she concedes. “But we need a plan. How exactly are we going to get there? The trains are a mess and there’s no way in hell we’ll be able to get a cab this close to midnight.”
“We need someone to drive us,” Mia says. She wrinkles her forehead. “Do you guys know anyone in the city who has a car?”
A beat passes and then Chloe lets out a low groan. “As a matter of fact,” she says, “I do.”
28
TWENTY MINUTES LATER, THEfour of us are huddled together beneath the awning outside of my apartment, our breath clumping together to form a white mist in the cold night air. I’m beyond jittery, my earlier drunkenness now replaced by restless energy as I bounce up and down on the balls of my feet. I’m about to ask Chloe about her mysterious ride for a third time in under five minutes when I hear a cacophonous rumble approaching. A moment later, a neon-yellow Hummer H2 barrels up the street toward us.
“Jesus Christ,” Mia mumbles under her breath. “What kind of asshat drives a Hummer in New York City?”
Chloe lets out a resigned sigh. “That,” she replies, “would be our asshat.”
The truck slows to a stop. The window rolls down and the overwhelming stench of AXE body spray seeps out. The spiky blond hair that follows confirms the worst-case scenario has come to fruition. Briefly, I consider how dangerous it would be to hop into a complete stranger’s car and ask for a ride instead. Sure, the evening might end with my dismembered body parts scattered across the Hudson River. But on the other hand…
“Hey, ladies,” Chad says, and then he literallywinksat us. “Heard there were three damsels seeking a knight in shining armor.”
Chloe groans. “If that were the case, I definitely called the wrong number.”
Chad flashes his irritatingly attractive dimples and jerks back his thumb, gesturing for us to climb in.
“Who’s the Lifetime movie villain?” Mia asks as she slides into the back seat beside me.
Chad reaches into the back seat and extends a hand. “Chad Campbell. Part-time bachelor, part-time DJ, and full-time engineer of the female orgasm.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Chloe asks him as she clips her seat belt. “You’re on a probationary license, and you’re cruising around New York City in the world’s most ostentatious automobile? Is your masculinity really that fragile?”
Chad opens his mouth, but she holds up a hand before he can respond.
“You know what? I don’t have time to unpack this with you right now. We need to get to Times Square.”
Ali pokes her head into the front seat. “For what it’s worth, Chad, I think it was completely unfair for Distractify to rank you the third worst bachelor of all time. Clayton Marsh was number five and he literallyvomitedon Emily H. during the final rose ceremony.”
“Thank you!” Chad punches a fist through the air and grins at Chloe victoriously.
She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, you’re basically our generation’s Clark Gable. Can we go now?”
“How about some driving music? You ladies want to hear my new set list?”
