“Come on, Ames, time to go,” I said, planting my hands on the table and leaning directly into her sightline.
“What time is it?”
“Last call.”
“No it’s not,” Luke said, checking his phone.
“It is for us,” I said firmly. Alex stood and offered Amy his hand.
“I wasn’t doing anything wrong,” Amy said again, petulantly, but she took Alex’s hand and stood.
I put an arm around her waist. “You only say that when you are, in fact, doing something wrong. Don’t forget, I’ve known you since you were born.”
Amy pouted, then burst into tears. “I really wasn’t though. I love Tyler. I wouldn’t mess that up.”
Alex gave me a look and tilted his head toward the door. I nodded.
Madison and Ashlee were crowded at the entrance with the rest of the girls. Two were sitting on the floor, looking like they might throw up again. “I’ll see if I can grab a couple of trash bags from the bar,” Alex said, surveying the situation. “How many Ubers do we need?”
I counted the girls. “Two regulars and an XL. I’ll order the XL, you do one, and Madison, can you do the third?”
She nodded and pulled out her phone.
“Let’s get everyone outside to wait. The fresh air will help.”
Amy was crying onto Ashlee’s shoulder, and I counted the girls again. We had left no man behind.
Madison took the first batch of girls in her Uber, Alex took the second, and I brought up the rear with the last of us. No one threw up in mine at least, and I helped the four drunk girls into the elevator and up to our suite.
Alex opened the door for us, his eyes wide. “This sounds like it would be every guy’s dream. But get me out of here, please.”
I laughed. “Can you hang out a few more minutes?”
“Now that you’re here, yes.”
“Thank you.”
I helped the drunkest two girls into their pajamas, gave everyone a bottle of water, and told them to brush their teeth.
“Thanks, Mom,” Amy said, her tears completely forgotten.
I rolled my eyes. “Wash your makeup off too. The last thing you need is your skin breaking out before the wedding.”
I found Madison. “Do you think it’s okay if I bail? I’ve had enough for one night.”
“Definitely. I can handle it from here.”
“Thanks.” I kissed her on the cheek. “Sis.”
She smiled broadly, and I thought about her invitation to come visit her and Jake. It might be nice to get to know her. And she was far less of a mess than Amy.
I grabbed my bag and headed to the door, where Alex was standing, watching me in awe.
“Is this what all bachelorette parties are like?”
“God no. This is what happens when little kids get married.” I checked the time on my cell phone. “Do you think the hotel bar is still open?”
“Only one way to find out,” he said, taking my bag from me.
The bar was open, and nearly empty, except for a couple of midfifties guys in suits at a table. Alex and I sat at the bar.
“A Stella and a martini,” he ordered. “Extra olives.”
“At least they can probably actually make one here,” I said. “The martinis at that bar tonight were the worst I’ve ever had.”
“Anything beyond a shot is probably out of their wheelhouse.”
“And when you’re Amy’s age, you don’t know better anyway.”
Our drinks arrived. “What should we toast to?” Alex asked.
I thought briefly. “To Amy. The only bride to actually allow me to bring a date to her wedding.”
Alex smiled and clinked my glass. “Technically, I can be your unofficial date to Tim and Megan’s too.”
“Well you kind of have to be now, since you told everyone we’re together.”
“I can tell them we broke up and let Justin know you’re available?”
“Why? Do you hate me?”
He smiled again. “No. I definitely don’t hate you.”
“Then don’t tell Justin anything of the sort. I still can’t believe that sleazebag was going around saying that.”
“I swear I almost hit him.”
“I still might do it myself in a couple weeks. What does Tim see in him?”
“He’s—he’s fun in that bro way. Until he’s telling everyone he’s going to sleep with your best friend.”
I leaned back, surprised. “I’m your best friend?”
He looked at me carefully with an expression I hadn’t seen before. “Well. Yeah. I think you kind of are now.”
I didn’t respond immediately. Megan had been my official best friend since second grade, of course. Caryn, as much as I didn’t like her at the moment, had the title of “work best friend.” But Megan had been pretty MIA lately. And her requirement that I stay away from Tim’s friends romantically rankled me. No, I wasn’t demoting her, or Caryn for that matter, but maybe—maybe Alex had grown into a different type of best friend. I hadn’t even sent Megan a picture of my ridiculous bridesmaid getup. Or texted her all evening. And she wouldn’t have dropped everything to come help me with Amy.
I realized I hadn’t replied and needed to say something. “I—I hadn’t put a label on it. But yeah, I think you’re one of my best friends too.”
His shoulders loosened in relief. “Are we supposed to get those matching heart necklaces now? My sister always got those.”
“Tattoos,” I said sagely. “That’s how millennials say ‘I love you.’”
He started to say something, but stopped himself and took another sip of his beer. “I think they’re getting ready to close up.” He put some money down on the bar. “I’ll take you home.”
“Your place is closer. We can just share an Uber there, and I’ll take it the rest of the way.” He gave me a look. “Fine, I won’t argue.”
“That’s a first,” he said.
I nudged him with my shoulder. “You’re one to talk.”
“I’m a lawyer. I get paid to argue.”
“Calm down there, Atticus Finch. You get paid to help people copyright stuff.”
“Oh good, you are feeling okay.”
“Smart-ass.” He cocked his head toward the exit and I nodded. He held the door for me, and we waited under the hotel’s awning for the Uber to arrive as a cool mist began to dampen the pavement.
“Thank you for coming tonight,” I said as the Uber driver pulled up to my apartment building. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“Yes, you could have. You’re much less of a mess than you think.”
I huffed good-naturedly. “Who says I’m a mess?” He started to answer, but I cut him off. “Don’t. Even I can’t say that with a straight face.”
“I’ll walk you up.”
“You don’t need to, it’s right here. And I’m not drunk.”
“I know, but I want to.”
I shrugged, and he told the Uber driver he would be right back.
We walked the few feet to the door. “Safe and sound,” I said.
“I know. I just needed to work up my nerve.”
“Your nerve? To do what?”
“This,” he said, leaning in and kissing me.
Deep down, I think I had known how I felt ever since Megan’s housewarming party. Somewhere, buried beneath layers and layers of denial and scar tissue from the wound I had created with David and my own hardheaded sense of self-preservation, I knew that Alex was more than a friend. Because that feeling didn’t just magically appear when he kissed me. It was more like it had been there since the beginning and had finally broken free.
And because it had always been there, it didn’t take long for me to get over my surprise and kiss him back. Hungrily. Greedily. Like he was the oxygen I needed to survive, because right then, he was.