Leah scrunched up her face. “But you’re not together.That’s kind of anticlimactic.”
He huffed. “Tell me about it.”
“Well, do you want to be together?”
His shoulders drooped as he took on a sad puppy dog face. “Yeah.”
“Does she know that?”
“I told her.”
“And she doesn’t like you like that or something?”
“She doesn’t like the guy I used to be,” he clarified, gesturing with his glass. “It’s kind of complicated.”
The lights in the club suddenly came on.
“Well, I think that’s my cue,” she said, standing and glancing toward Chase, who was sucking face with Leah’s friend. “I think they’re going to make a night of it. Care to walk me to a cab?”
“Sure.”
Nick waited with her on the curb until a cab eased up next to them, and she turned to him.
“It was nice talking to you,” she told him. “Sort of makes me feel better about, you know.” She chuckled and he smiled.
“It was nice talking to you too.”
She leaned in to give him a little side hug and patted his back.
“Here’s my little bit of advice,” she offered. “I just thought of it so take it for what it’s worth.”
“Shoot.”
“That’s seriously one of the craziest things I’ve ever heard of in my life, and I think when things like that happen between two people, it’s either a warning to get as far away from them as possible, or a sign to never let them go. Like ever.”
She stepped off the curb and into the cab, then pointed a finger at him. “You have to figure out which one it is.”
He gave a half smile. “That’s pretty good advice.”
She grinned. “Yup. I’m a good sounding board. Take care, Nick.”
He waved as he closed the door. “You too.”
As the cab pulled away, he glanced back into the club, deciding it was useless to meet back up with Chase, so he waved an arm to hail a ride home. While he waited, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. It was a message from Sammie and one that indicated she was clearly drunk.
Rre yiu OJ?
He had to laugh and then debated replying as he slid into a cab. Before he made his decision, however, she called him.
“Hi,” he answered.
“Nnnick,” she stated. “How are you? Are you okay?”
He smiled. “I am. Are you okay? Are you out somewhere right now?”
“Nope! I am at my mutthheeerrs houssse,” she slurred. “I wassss watching the local newsss and I saw this report that talked about this ack-ssident at west sick-th and Annie sstreet.And I recalled you mentioned you and Chassse were going out. Ssooo I just wanted to make ssuuure you both were okay. Are you okay?”
He ignored the fact that she was totally intoxicated and focused on how happy he was to hear from her, and how pleased he was with the knowledge that she was thinking about him. “Yeah, we’re fine.”
