From Friday morning to mid-afternoon, Sasha and I were locked up in my apartment, drafting, designing, and getting everything ready to send out the invitations. I was typing up the addresses for the envelopes on my laptop, while Sasha was distracted by watching soap operas. We never really had the chance to watch it regularly, since we both had your usual nine to five, weekday jobs.

"I swear, The Bold and the Beautiful is always creating such twisted stories! Thank goodness your life is nowhere near as complicated as theirs!" Sasha laughed at her own sarcastic joke, scooping her spoon into the carton of mint chocolate chip ice-cream she held in her lap.

I had to laugh too, as she wasn't far from the truth. I still couldn't believe Eric was so supportive of my career advancement opportunity. Even if it made me beyond happy, all night while I was trying to sleep, Ryan entered into my dreams again. Instead of him pinning me to the bathroom wall on the airplane, I was the one pinning him. I woke up overly aroused the next morning. I had to grab my favorite, very simple, pink vibrator from my bedside table drawer to try to satisfy myself. Eric had left for work early, so I was alone and able to take my time.

Though my vibrator worked for the moment, it didn't stop my mind wandering off through the rest of the day. While working on wedding stuff, I kept seeing scenes of Ryan in my hotel room or in his office or in the winery, fucking me in ways I only ever could do in my imagination. I knew I was nowhere near as limber in reality.

When we were done with the day's tasks, I wanted to go get a drink. Eric was working late again, and probably through the weekend since his trial was beginning that following Monday. "Want to go to the Grand Point Lounge?"

"That uppity place we went to when you first started working at your job?" Sasha or I hadn't been back there since then. I nodded. "Sure. Are you hoping lover boy will show up?" Sasha looked away from the television as the soap opera went to commercial again, even though it had just come back from one prior.

I puffed my breath at a hair that had fallen in my eye. "What? No. I just liked it there and could really use a drink after all this work. I swear, I've worked harder on this task than I do typing reports and filling out forms at work."

"Whatever! Just remember, it's going to be a bitch uninviting everyone once these go out to all one-hundred and fifty guests." She replaced the lid on the ice-cream and walked it back to my freezer. "I'll text Becca and see if she wants to join us after work."

"Okay." I rolled my eyes at her first comment, snapped my laptop shut and placed it on the coffee table in front of me. "I'll text Eric while I go get changed." I was still in my pajama pants and a long sleeve white t-shirt. I figured since we weren't going anywhere, I allowed myself to wear some lazy clothing.

I came back out fifteen minutes later, dressed cute, yet casual. I selected a pair of my favorite, navy-blue skinny jeans, with a long-sleeved, red and black plaid, button-up top. I had brushed my hair up into a high ponytail, leaving a few loose strands at the front. Sasha looked at me, and her jaw fell at the sight of me.

"Vicky, I don't know how you do it. But only you can make the casual, lumberjack-look look sexy." She bit her lower lip at me.

I couldn't help but blush. Even though she and I only hooked up once, maybe twice in college, Sasha knew I was just testing the waters and could never feel anything more than pure, friendship kind of love for her. "Thank you. Now let's go. I hear a martini calling my name."

**********

We got to Grand Point Lounge before the after-work crowd. It was a lot less packed than the first time, with plenty of seating available. Sasha wanted a window seat so she could keep an eye out for Becca, who agreed to join us after work.

Since it wasn't busy, the bartender came around to our table to take our drink order. I ordered the same Manhattan Sunset as I did last time. As always, it was my cocktail of choice. Sasha said she'd take one too. She also placed an order for some mozzarella sticks and nachos from their appetizer menu. "Who knew ritzy lounge bars still sold the same greasy bar food the regular bars do?"

"Maybe they present theirs in a more classy way?" I suggested, checking my phone to see if Eric had responded to my text yet.

He did. I read the message and responded before putting my phone away in my purse. I turned my focus back to Sasha as the bartender returned with our drink order.

"Is Eric joining us?" She asked casually, sipping her drink.

"No. He's still at work. He said he'd be there for at least a few more hours, then he's heading straight home to crash." I sipped my drink too. It was stronger than I remembered but still tasty.

Sasha and I clinked our drinks together and cheered at the work we accomplished today.

Soon after, the appetizers arrived, and I was right. They were presented in a much fancier way then you'd see in any other bar.

The mozzarella sticks were more like mini pancakes and were decorated with sprinkles of parsley. The marinara sauce wasn't just in a basic ramekin either, it was in a shot glass, which I thought was pretty creative.

The nachos were also presented differently. Instead of just having the chips and melted cheese piled up, the chips looked like they were placed strategically around the plate to give it a symmetrical look. The cheese was melted perfectly all over and on top sat perfect scoops of sour cream, pico de gallo, and guacamole. Again the whole thing was sprinkled with parsley.

"Wow!" We both were pretty impressed. And we echoed the same reaction when we dug in and devoured one cheese pancake, followed by a fully loaded cheesy nacho chip. We almost didn't talk about anything else, but how good the food was.

When Becca arrived, forty minutes later, it was all gone. Of course, since Becca was vegan, she wouldn't have had any, but I still apologized for not leaving her some. Becca ordered beer and requested we all go play darts. It as her favorite game.

I loved Becca. She was the best thing that could have ever happened to Sasha. They had met the last semester of senior year, and since then, Sasha stopped looking at any other girl. She even didn't want to stay friends with me for a while because she wanted to be sensitive to Becca. Thankfully Becca threatened to end things with Sasha if she ended her friendship with me because of her.

We were in the middle of playing a game of 301 with the darts when Eric called me. I excused myself. "Hey, babe. Are you home?" I moved the phone away from my ear and looked to see the time. It was just half-past seven. Which I should have guessed, as the bar was packed now with all the after-work yuppies.

"Yeah. I just walked in the door. I'm going to hop in the shower and then crash. It looks like I'll be going into the office tomorrow, too." He sounded exhausted.

"Oh, wow. Well, would you be able to meet for lunch? I could bring it to you, if you can't leave the office," I suggested, taking a seat back at our table by the window.

"I would love that. Thanks, babe."

I smiled at his words. "Of course. Alright, well, you go relax. You deserve it."

"You too." He made a kissing sound into the phone, added an "I love you," and disconnected.

I sat at the table for a moment to quickly finish my second drink. I really wanted another one, but I didn't want to get too wasted. I made my way through the crowd to the bar and ordered a small half-pint of beer instead. As I waited for my drink, I looked back towards the dartboard area to see Becca throwing a dart right into the bullseye. I smiled, impressed at how good she was.

The bartender finally came over with my drink. She was clearly flustered with having to wait on so many people at once, but she still smiled as she told me the cost. "That'll be three dollars."

"Actually, you can just put it on our tab. I'm sitting over at that table." I pointed to our spot by the window.

"Oh, right! Sorry, it's been a crazy night. I'll add it to your tab now." She turned and went tapping on the screen. I didn't move to leave until she confirmed it was added by giving me a thumbs up and then moving to the next, impatiently waiting patron.

I grabbed my full glass of beer and made my way back to Becca and Sasha. They had already started a new classic darts game, so I just stood to the side and watched, while I also scanned the crowds to see if anyone from work was there. I hadn't messaged or called anyone to let them know I was going, but I was hoping that maybe they'd show up. By they, I did mean Ryan. I was hoping the universe would work its magic and show what my fate should be. I guess the lack of Ryan's presence should have been the sign I needed, but it wasn't the sign I wanted.

I decided to do a stupid thing then. I excused myself again from Sasha and Becca. Stating that I had to go use the bathroom. Instead, I went back to our table, grabbed my coat and scarf, threw them on, and stepped outside. I looked down at the screen of my phone. My breath became vapors in the air and fogged up the screen a little. I finally tapped the call button and went through my contacts. My finger hovered over Ryan's name.

I was debating with myself to slide his icon to the right, to call him. But why would I be calling him? I could blame it on a butt-dial or being drunk. He'd believe that I'm sure.

A group of men walked up to the bar's entrance. One of them was not paying any attention to me or where they were going and bumped right into my arm. My phone fell out of my hands and landed on the damp pavement. I let out a minor scream at the frustration and hoped that I didn't just crack my screen.

"Oh, my God! I'm so sorry!" The man who bumped me said. But he didn't stay to see if I was okay or if knocking into me damaged my phone. He just continued making his way inside.

I cursed at him, even though he wasn't there to hear me, as I picked it up. I turned it around to see that it miraculously was still intact. "Hello!" The sound came from my phone, though the screen was dark and wouldn't come back on for me to see who it was.

"Hello?" I put it to my ear. "Who's this?" 

"Ms. Ashcroft, you called me." Ryan's voice rang into my ear. Instantly I got goosebumps at his voice.

"Oh no, sorry I didn't. Someone bumped into me outside the bar, and it fell. It must have called you by accident." I told him a partial truth.

"What bar are you at?" he asked simply, with a calm and collected tone.

"The Grand Point Lounge." I turned my head around to look at the bar's sign hanging just above the entrance, with the name illuminated by a soft white light projecting onto it.

"Is Eric there?"

Why would it matter who was with me? "No. It's just me, Sasha, and her wife."

Just then, Becca and Sasha came piling out of the bar. "There you are!" Sasha didn't realize I was on the phone at first. "You forgot your purse inside by the dartboard." She handed me my clutch. "We're heading out, Becca wants to do unspeakable things to me when we get home. So there's no time to waste."

I pulled the phone away from my ear, to hug Sasha, as she was coming in for one whether I was prepared for it or not. "Oh, okay. Well, thank you for all your help today."

"Anything for my bestie!" Sasha roared. She had obviously had more to drink than she intended. Though her personality didn't change when she got drunk, it was just heightened.

"Have a good night, Vicky." Becca gave me a light hug before moving back to grabbing Sasha's hand and guiding her to the end of the sidewalk to hail a taxi.

"Thanks! You too!" I waved as they climbed into a cab as soon as it pulled over.

As Becca turned to give the driver the address, Sasha rolled down her window and shouted, "We closed the tab already! Oh and tell lover boy I said hey!" She laughed as she drove away.

I turned beet red and realized Ryan was still on the phone. I quickly snapped it back to my ear. "Sorry about that. Are you still there?"

"Come over," he demanded more than requested.

"I...Okay." I hung up the phone.