They continued the defamation of Nik Peterson for two more
rounds of drinks.
“Scumbag,” Eli shouted out.
“Hey, we already called him that.” TC studied her beer
bottle, then slowly eyed Eli. “Murphy would like a new name for the douchebag.”
She laughed. “Hey, I just gave him a new name.”
As the name calling slowed, the giggling increased. “It
seems our work is done here,” Murphy said as they ran out of names. “I need to
go home.” She stood, got dizzy and sat back down. “Whoa. This room is spinning
pretty badly—or would that be goodly?” She put her hands on her head.
“No, it isn’t.” Eli stood, and tottered. “Oh, oh, yes, it
is.”
“We’ve got to make it home.” TC pulled the car keys out of
her purse. “Let’s go. I think I’m going to be sick.”
TC stood, pulled Eli up, and then the two of them pulled
Murphy up. “Thank you both for a wonderful night.” She hiccupped. “It was very
cath-cathartic.” She giggled.
They hung onto each other as they stumbled toward the exit.
Murphy hoped at least one of the two doors she saw was an exit.
“Murphy!” The voice was familiar. Nik? No, not that jerk.
She stopped or tried to. TC and Eli were still headed toward those double
doors.
“Wait up. Eli. TC.” Now the familiar voice was calling them
all.
TC and Eli stopped too. Murphy looked in the direction the
voice was coming from. Noah. Well, two Noahs. Both looking extremely concerned.
His dimples weren’t showing. Why?
“Where are you three going?” The few lights in the place
highlighted his golden hair.
“Home.” TC gripped Murphy a bit harder. “We’ve done our
duty.” She nodded. “Yes, we’ve stood up for our sister and friend Murphy.”
“Yeah,” Eli echoed. “We made sure she came through a
harrowing”—she squinted— “hey, you’re Noah. Our yoga instructor.”
Noah smiled. Both Noahs. And they both had those adorable
dimples. Murphy couldn’t figure out exactly why there were two of him. One of
him tempted her enough. Now she’d have to avoid both of them. Does the
second one smell of sandalwood too?
“Yes, I am. And your neighbor. And the neighborly thing to
do is to get the three of you home safely.” His gaze moved from Eli to TC, and
then to Murphy. Her body tingled. Yup, the second Noah elicited the same
response from her.
“What a gigantic coincidence,” Eli blurted out. “That’s
exactly where we’re going. Home. Right, ladies?”
“Yeah, it is a coincidence.” TC stepped closer to him.
“Wanna come with us?”
Noah took TC’s arm by the elbow. Murphy whimpered.
“Yes, yes I do,” he said. “I’ll drive. Sound good?”
“You don’t have to.” Eli patted his arm. “We have Sky. Sky
hasn’t been drinking tonight. She’ll drive us home. She’ll be our disgusting
driver? No, no that’s not right.”
“Designated driver.” Noah said. His dimples were nowhere to
be seen. Murphy sighed.
“Yeah, yeah, that’s it. I’ll go find Sky.” She took two
steps and wobbled dangerously. Noah took one long stride and caught her.
“Who is Sky and where is she?” He glanced at TC and Murphy
as if he were interrogating them.
TC hiccupped. “Murph, you tell him.”
“Me? Really?” She sighed.
“What do you have to tell me?” Noah sighed.
Murphy took several steps toward Noah, both Noahs, and tried
to decide which one to talk to. Did it matter?
She stood on tiptoed and whispered—okay, it probably wasn’t
a whisper considering how noisy Reef’s was. “Sky isn’t here. She’s only in
Eli’s mind.”
“What?” He rubbed a temple.
“Sky is Eli’s imaginary friend.”
“Did you tell him?” TC tugged at Murphy’s arm. “Does he
know?”
“Kind of.” She tried to focus on her two sisters. Damn,
where did the second one come from?
“I’ll explain everything tomorrow if you’d just help us get
home. Please.”
“Yeah.” Noah’s tone softened. “No problem. I’ve got you.”
“Are you”—TC hiccupped— “sure? Do you know where we live?”
“He’s our neighbor,” Eli said and grabbed his free arm.
“We’ll follow you.” She giggled. “Anywhere.”
Murphy whimpered again.
“Noah’s going to take us home.” TC sighed. She looked to her
right. “Aren’t you?”
As Murphy followed everyone out of the bar, the North
Carolina humidity hit her. Both Noahs led them to a car she was unfamiliar
with.
“No, my car is over there,” TC said as she tried to pull the
man in the opposite direction they were headed.
“We’re taking my car.” His husky voice sent shivers down
Murphy’s spine.
Terry
Newman is an award-winning author who writes romantic comedy with a splash of
fantasy.
Fueled by
coffee, peanut butter, and popcorn, she writes stories set in fictional towns
in northeast Ohio. Terry loves to place her characters in improbably
situations, then allows them to take over…uhm…guide the story.
She lives
in a small apartment with overflowing bookshelves, her muse, Moose, and all her
characters, in North Lima, a real town in northeast Ohio. And, yes, it does get
crowded at times.
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