it away. “On New Year’s Eve, the wine girls and I decided to make some resolutions. Mine was to get my groove back.”
“Who are the wine girls?”
Laura grinned. Zoey’s Rob had started calling them that and they’d embraced the name. “I do a Thursday night happy hour with five girlfriends. We meet at my place, consume a few bottles of wine, unwind, relax, gossip, bitch. You know, girl stuff.”
Bryan nodded. “I see. So you and the wine girls set goals for the year and that’s why you were clubbing at Blue Moon?”
“Yep. That was just a small part of my grand scheme to get my shit together. It seems I was interpreting forty-three as being the equivalent of sixty-three with one foot in the grave.”
Bryan lifted the wine bottle and topped up both of their glasses. “It makes sense, though lately I feel like I’m regressing. I used to feel so much older, but nowadays, it’s like I’m in my early thirties again. I give Trina credit for that. She’s been really sweet about visiting or inviting me along to watch the band perform. I’m surrounded by college kids these days. I’m learning new lingo and listening to popular music. And as much as it pains me to admit this, I never miss an episode of Project Runway . Trina and I watch it together. She and two of her band mates actually helped me dress for this date tonight.”
Laura laughed. “Really? Because they did a great job. You look totally hot.” He was wearing a white dress shirt with a royal blue silk tie that pulled out the blue in his eyes and accented his muscular shoulders.
“I’ll let Trina know you approved.”
“Actually, that regression you mentioned is what I’m aiming for.”
Bryan leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. “So what else does this master plan of yours include along with the clubbing?”
Laura flipped her hair playfully. “New hairstyle.”
He winked. “I like the hair.”
“And more fashionable clothes.”
Bryan teasingly ogled her breasts, displayed by her low-cut top. “Definitely approve of the clothing.”
“Dirty bastard. Let’s see. In addition to the dancing and staying out late, I’m supposed to go to a concert, throw some theme dinner parties and smoke pot. Oh, and I already joined Facebook.”
“Not bad. It’s only mid-March and you’ve made some decent progress. By the way, I’m down on the getting-high-at-a-concert deal if you’re serious about that.” Bryan laughed.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“That’s quite a resolution.”
She shrugged. “I’m sure it probably all sounds silly.”
“Not at all. I understand wanting to find yourself, Laura.”
“You do?”
Bryan nodded. “After Corinne died, I went into autopilot. Spent two years going to work, taking care of Trina. I made breakfast, packed lunches, cooked dinners. I drove her to piano and voice lessons, helped her with her homework and figured out a way to explain sex and PMS to her without both of us dying of embarrassment.”
Laura grinned. “Oh to be a fly on that wall.”
“Then I woke up one day and thought, Christ, there’s gotta be more to life than this.”
Laura understood that feeling too well. “What did you do?”
“Little things. I don’t think anyone can change his or her life overnight, but I started taking more time for myself. Started reading, watched a ton of porn on the Internet, engaged in a tumultuous, but enlightening, affair with a woman from work, and I took a cooking class.”
Laura leaned back, impressed by his list. It reminded her of the one her friends had helped her generate on New Year’s Eve. “So our lists are similar.”
Bryan chuckled. “Really? You’re into porn?”
She laughed. “No. My computer time is typically limited to Facebook and Pinterest, though I’ll keep porn in mind in case I ever get bored with those time sucks.”
“I’ll hook you up with some good links.”
Laura rolled her eyes. “Thanks. Instead of a cooking class, I’m
“Who are the wine girls?”
Laura grinned. Zoey’s Rob had started calling them that and they’d embraced the name. “I do a Thursday night happy hour with five girlfriends. We meet at my place, consume a few bottles of wine, unwind, relax, gossip, bitch. You know, girl stuff.”
Bryan nodded. “I see. So you and the wine girls set goals for the year and that’s why you were clubbing at Blue Moon?”
“Yep. That was just a small part of my grand scheme to get my shit together. It seems I was interpreting forty-three as being the equivalent of sixty-three with one foot in the grave.”
Bryan lifted the wine bottle and topped up both of their glasses. “It makes sense, though lately I feel like I’m regressing. I used to feel so much older, but nowadays, it’s like I’m in my early thirties again. I give Trina credit for that. She’s been really sweet about visiting or inviting me along to watch the band perform. I’m surrounded by college kids these days. I’m learning new lingo and listening to popular music. And as much as it pains me to admit this, I never miss an episode of Project Runway . Trina and I watch it together. She and two of her band mates actually helped me dress for this date tonight.”
Laura laughed. “Really? Because they did a great job. You look totally hot.” He was wearing a white dress shirt with a royal blue silk tie that pulled out the blue in his eyes and accented his muscular shoulders.
“I’ll let Trina know you approved.”
“Actually, that regression you mentioned is what I’m aiming for.”
Bryan leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. “So what else does this master plan of yours include along with the clubbing?”
Laura flipped her hair playfully. “New hairstyle.”
He winked. “I like the hair.”
“And more fashionable clothes.”
Bryan teasingly ogled her breasts, displayed by her low-cut top. “Definitely approve of the clothing.”
“Dirty bastard. Let’s see. In addition to the dancing and staying out late, I’m supposed to go to a concert, throw some theme dinner parties and smoke pot. Oh, and I already joined Facebook.”
“Not bad. It’s only mid-March and you’ve made some decent progress. By the way, I’m down on the getting-high-at-a-concert deal if you’re serious about that.” Bryan laughed.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“That’s quite a resolution.”
She shrugged. “I’m sure it probably all sounds silly.”
“Not at all. I understand wanting to find yourself, Laura.”
“You do?”
Bryan nodded. “After Corinne died, I went into autopilot. Spent two years going to work, taking care of Trina. I made breakfast, packed lunches, cooked dinners. I drove her to piano and voice lessons, helped her with her homework and figured out a way to explain sex and PMS to her without both of us dying of embarrassment.”
Laura grinned. “Oh to be a fly on that wall.”
“Then I woke up one day and thought, Christ, there’s gotta be more to life than this.”
Laura understood that feeling too well. “What did you do?”
“Little things. I don’t think anyone can change his or her life overnight, but I started taking more time for myself. Started reading, watched a ton of porn on the Internet, engaged in a tumultuous, but enlightening, affair with a woman from work, and I took a cooking class.”
Laura leaned back, impressed by his list. It reminded her of the one her friends had helped her generate on New Year’s Eve. “So our lists are similar.”
Bryan chuckled. “Really? You’re into porn?”
She laughed. “No. My computer time is typically limited to Facebook and Pinterest, though I’ll keep porn in mind in case I ever get bored with those time sucks.”
“I’ll hook you up with some good links.”
Laura rolled her eyes. “Thanks. Instead of a cooking class, I’m
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