neck and pinned it up. Then she met Melinda by the front door. Melinda wore a mustard yellow tunic paired with skinny jeans and matching mustard boots.
The bar they went to was one of the only places open on Christmas night besides the 7-11 and a couple of Chinese restaurants. They caught the end of Christmas karaoke. By the time they had ordered drinks and staked out a table, the DJ came out and started playing ‘90s hits—the warm-up songs.
Melinda told her about school—Melinda was getting her Masters of Social Work—and Whitney told her about life at the firm.
“How’s Ulrich?” Melinda asked once they were seated with their drinks. Ulrich was another fifth year associate at Gibson and Grey. Melinda and Ulrich had met one weekend when Melinda had come down to D.C. from New York to visit Whitney.
“He’s good. Still hasn’t settled down yet.”
“I hope that’s not a hint. ’Cause you know how I feel about long-distance relationships,” Melinda said.
Whitney sipped her drink. “Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t.”
“You’re such an instigator.”
She grinned. “I know.”
Whitney was shouting over the music to her cousin when she saw him. Her heart dropped. She’d never thought she’d see him again. Chace was propped up against a wall nearby, talking to some girl. The girl gave Chace an exasperated look and then walked away.
“Somebody needs to be cut off,” Melinda said after following her gaze.
“I know him,” Whitney said, squinting at Chace in the darkened bar. She knew it was him. She’d all but memorized his face in the 7-11 parking lot.
“Huh?” Melinda’s eyebrows knitted together and she frowned slightly.
“Long story.” Whitney didn’t want to get into explaining that one.
Chace spotted her. He gave her a shaky wave and then pushed himself off the wall. He stumbled toward them. She couldn’t believe her heart was actually beating faster. What was this effect this weird, drunken stranger was having on her?
“Beautiful Whitney. We meet. Again.” Chace lurched forward and this time, she put her hands on his shoulders to steady him instead of the other way around as it had been at 7-11.
She smiled. He was charming in an obnoxious kind of way. “So we do.”
“You know, fate might be trying to tell us something,” he said, holding her gaze with his.
“Like what?”
“Ask me again when the world isn’t spinning.” He gave her a lazy grin that almost made her knees buckle. Then he closed his eyes, swaying gently back and forth with the music. He hummed so loudly that the noise could barely be called a hum.
Whitney asked, “You have a way home?”
“My car’s…somewhere around here. It’s back at the 7-11 I think. Only a couple blocks away.”
“Oh, no. You’re not driving. We’ll take you home.”
“We will?” Melinda raised her eyebrows.
“We will,” Whitney said.
“Can’t he just take a cab?” Melinda murmured, moving her head close to Whitney’s so that Chace wouldn’t overhear.
“He could, but he seems like a nice guy who’s had a bad day or week or something. I just think we should help him out,” Whitney murmured back.
“Oh, really?” Melinda’s voice was full of suspicion.
Whitney shrugged, pretending not to catch the meaning behind Melinda’s tone. “Really.”
“And just how much help do you want to give him?” Melinda raised her eyebrows.
Whitney rolled her eyes. “Shut up, Melinda.” She turned back to Chace. “You ready to go?”
“I’ll go anywhere with you, Beautiful Whitney,” Chace grinned, leaning against her arm as they headed for the exit. “Whoa. I am really, really drunk.” He said the last word as if amazed at just how true it was.
“Looks like he wants any ‘help’ you want to give him,” Melinda murmured close to Whitney’s ear before moving to Chace’s other side. It seemed he was going to need help from both of them to make it much further.
Whitney smirked, but said nothing. They
The bar they went to was one of the only places open on Christmas night besides the 7-11 and a couple of Chinese restaurants. They caught the end of Christmas karaoke. By the time they had ordered drinks and staked out a table, the DJ came out and started playing ‘90s hits—the warm-up songs.
Melinda told her about school—Melinda was getting her Masters of Social Work—and Whitney told her about life at the firm.
“How’s Ulrich?” Melinda asked once they were seated with their drinks. Ulrich was another fifth year associate at Gibson and Grey. Melinda and Ulrich had met one weekend when Melinda had come down to D.C. from New York to visit Whitney.
“He’s good. Still hasn’t settled down yet.”
“I hope that’s not a hint. ’Cause you know how I feel about long-distance relationships,” Melinda said.
Whitney sipped her drink. “Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t.”
“You’re such an instigator.”
She grinned. “I know.”
Whitney was shouting over the music to her cousin when she saw him. Her heart dropped. She’d never thought she’d see him again. Chace was propped up against a wall nearby, talking to some girl. The girl gave Chace an exasperated look and then walked away.
“Somebody needs to be cut off,” Melinda said after following her gaze.
“I know him,” Whitney said, squinting at Chace in the darkened bar. She knew it was him. She’d all but memorized his face in the 7-11 parking lot.
“Huh?” Melinda’s eyebrows knitted together and she frowned slightly.
“Long story.” Whitney didn’t want to get into explaining that one.
Chace spotted her. He gave her a shaky wave and then pushed himself off the wall. He stumbled toward them. She couldn’t believe her heart was actually beating faster. What was this effect this weird, drunken stranger was having on her?
“Beautiful Whitney. We meet. Again.” Chace lurched forward and this time, she put her hands on his shoulders to steady him instead of the other way around as it had been at 7-11.
She smiled. He was charming in an obnoxious kind of way. “So we do.”
“You know, fate might be trying to tell us something,” he said, holding her gaze with his.
“Like what?”
“Ask me again when the world isn’t spinning.” He gave her a lazy grin that almost made her knees buckle. Then he closed his eyes, swaying gently back and forth with the music. He hummed so loudly that the noise could barely be called a hum.
Whitney asked, “You have a way home?”
“My car’s…somewhere around here. It’s back at the 7-11 I think. Only a couple blocks away.”
“Oh, no. You’re not driving. We’ll take you home.”
“We will?” Melinda raised her eyebrows.
“We will,” Whitney said.
“Can’t he just take a cab?” Melinda murmured, moving her head close to Whitney’s so that Chace wouldn’t overhear.
“He could, but he seems like a nice guy who’s had a bad day or week or something. I just think we should help him out,” Whitney murmured back.
“Oh, really?” Melinda’s voice was full of suspicion.
Whitney shrugged, pretending not to catch the meaning behind Melinda’s tone. “Really.”
“And just how much help do you want to give him?” Melinda raised her eyebrows.
Whitney rolled her eyes. “Shut up, Melinda.” She turned back to Chace. “You ready to go?”
“I’ll go anywhere with you, Beautiful Whitney,” Chace grinned, leaning against her arm as they headed for the exit. “Whoa. I am really, really drunk.” He said the last word as if amazed at just how true it was.
“Looks like he wants any ‘help’ you want to give him,” Melinda murmured close to Whitney’s ear before moving to Chace’s other side. It seemed he was going to need help from both of them to make it much further.
Whitney smirked, but said nothing. They
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