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If I couldn’t be with Zoe tonight, getting drunk with Lucas seemed like a decent alternative. With any luck, I wasn’t going to regret this decision in the morning. I could still text her. Meet her. Tonight.
Not like this.
We’d waited for weeks. What was one more night?
“Before we order, are you absolutely sure?”
I made decisions. Stuck to them. It was what I did. Wavering never did anyone any good.
“I’m sure.”
Feeling Lucas’s stare, I looked up from the menu at him. He just shook his head. “And you call me the mean bastard. You are one stubborn motherfucker, Nate Collins.”
I lifted my glass and clinked it with his.
“Takes one to know one.”
“That it does.”
Not my ideal night. Certainly not the one I’d expected.
But it was good to be home.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
zoe
“What should I do?
“Maybe take a deep breath first.” Mazzie, the owner of Boots and Brews, squeezed my shoulder.
She and Lucas had struck up a close friendship with her being new to town and a new business owner just next door to his shop. From there, he and Charlee and Mazzie and her fiancé Gian had gotten close. So of course, by extension, Natalie and I were also getting to know Mazzie pretty well.
In short, she was becoming the fourth musketeer. To someone like me, that was great news. Mazzie was a lot of fun and even shared a little bit of my anxious nature.
“Okay, deep breath,” I repeated.
First, Charlee had come. With wine. Not that I didn’t have plenty of it already. Then Natalie arrived and now it was a certified wine party, though Mazzie was heading back to her bar soon.
“Let’s think about this. Is there any chance in hell you’re not going to meet up with him?” the very practical Natalie asked.
Nate had texted not long ago, “Meet up tomorrow?”
“No,” I said. “Of course not.”
“So why not text him back, ‘Yes,’ or something of the sort?”
All four of us looked at each other.
“The question is,” Charlee asked, “does Zoe want to immediately capitulate after what Nate did tonight?”
“Exactly,” I said.
“You mean like wait to text him back?” Natalie asked.
“Or stall him for tomorrow?” Mazzie added.
Natalie was already shaking her head. “No way. From what you told us, Nate’s not the kind of guy who will appreciate that. Just be straight up. You’re going to meet him, so tell him so.”
