Staring into the flame, I wonder how I ended up on the road to divorce with a man who I thought was my best friend. Today, of all days, my lawyer informed me I’m officially and legally separated from my soon to be ex-husband.

“Liv.” I gaze up into the faces of my sisters Amelia and Ella. “Aren’t you going to make a wish?”

“It’s not exactly my birthday yet.” I muster a smile trying for humor.

Ella, my younger sister, glances at her watch. “You have less than an hour until b-day, and I’m hoping we’re all drunk by then.”

Amelia, my older sister, giggles. She’s already there. Then again, she doesn’t get out much. Married with three young kids, she’s a full-time mama. “Come on, Livvy. Make a wish. I bet you wish you could cut Corey’s balls off.”

There had been many times I’d wished for just that.

“Not anymore.” Soberly, I add, “He called me today.”

“For what?” Ella sneers, and I know she means well.

“He got the papers that officially separate us. I can legally date anyone I want now.”

“You could yesterday with no regrets after what that bastard did to you,” Ella says.

“I’m not even angry at him anymore.”

The truth is such a relief. I close my eyes and blow out the candle on my birthday cupcake they’d so thoughtfully brought.

Holding up my lemon drop shot, I say with the biggest smile I can manage, “Here’s to being thirty-five and single.”

My sisters toast with me, and we down the drinks. My life isn’t quite what I’d planned for myself. But here it is.

Amelia’s glazed eyes flit over to me before she speaks. “You say it like you’re dead. But you’re not. You’re hot, and you’ll find someone else.”

I’m not even sure I want to date anyone else.

Ella is much younger than Amelia and I are. You would think she’d be the fun one. But tonight she’s acting way more mature than Amelia.

“Let me ask you a question.” Ella holds up both hands. “No, wait. New tradition. Truth or dare?”

“Me first,” Amelia slurs.

“No, the game is only for the birthday girl,” Ella chimes with a sly grin.

“Fine.” Amelia turns to me, swaying some in her seat. “Truth or dare?” she animatedly asks me while pushing another of the shots they ordered in my direction.

As drunk as my sister is, I go with the safe option. “Truth.”

“Figures,” Ella says, looking disappointed in me.

Amelia, undeterred, asks, “Do you want to get back with Corey?”

When Ella’s smile ratchets up, Amelia and she high five each other before Ella blurts, “But remember, the birthday gods won’t answer your wish if you don’t answer truthfully.”

Not that I believe her, but the question is one I’ve asked myself a million times. Corey’s not a bad guy. I think he really loves me, despite his mistake. And I’m thirty-five. Do I really want to start over now?

“Truth?” I ask. They both nod like bobbleheads. I down a shot, and they reciprocate before I answer. “I don’t know.”

Ella rolls her eyes. “If you’re going to go back to him, at least have sex with someone else first.”

“Why?” I foolishly ask.

“Because.” The word comes out of Ella’s mouth like she’s put out for having to even say it. “A little payback is in order.”

“Don’t listen to her.” Amelia has always been a fan of Corey’s. “You don’t have to add to your number.”

“That’s the point,” Ella chides. “Her number is one.”

So had been his. As much as I’ve wondered, I’ve never asked Corey what his number is now.

“Fine,” Amelia says.

“Wait.” Ella cuts her off. “What’s your number, Miss High and Mighty?”

Amelia proudly holds up her hand making the okay gesture.

“Am I drunk, or did you mean okay or zero?” I ask.

“Can’t be zero.” Ella laughs. “She’s got three kids. She means three.”

Amelia nods while laughing at a joke Ella and I didn’t get. We trade a glance.

“No more drinks for her.” I wave a hand in her direction.

Amelia reaches out. “Hell no, you won’t stop me. I finally stopped breastfeeding. This is my first drink in over a year.”

“A year?” Ella arches a brow.

“Duh, nine months of hell, and then breastfeeding for more that I can add right now,” Amelia slurs, lifting a hand and staring at it like it’s the fifth wonder of the world.

All the shots I’ve downed start to catch up to me. The noise of the lounge sounds louder than it had moments before. My nose perks up, and the scents all around me come into sharper focus.

“You should screw your neighbor, Joel,” Amelia announces proudly. “Do him, and then go back to Corey. He wants you back, you know.”

My jaw drops. “You’ve been talking to Corey?” As outraged as I want to be about that, I’m really deflecting her mention of my neighbor.

She shrugs. “He wants you back. Says he’s sorry.”

Ella rolls her eyes. “Of course. He realizes the grass isn’t greener on the other side. The girl was what, twenty?”

“Twenty-one, if I had to guess,” I hate the reminder. “Not much older than you.” My words are directed at Ella.

“And isn’t Joel twenty-something?” Amelia asks, looking pleased with herself.

Inwardly, I groan. “Yes, and that’s the point. He’s ten years younger than I am. We’re friends. That’s it.”

“Uh huh.” Amelia lifts her head heavenward for a second. “You guys eat dinner together once a week, and he’s your personal trainer.”

As she spouts off his stats like a news reporter, I regret telling Amelia about him.

“He’s an artist who moonlights as a personal trainer. We run and go to the gym together on occasion. But I don’t pay him.”

“Even better. So now when you fuck him, it won’t feel like you’re paying him to do it.” Amelia laughs so hard she starts to tear up.

“Why have I not heard about him?” Amusement crinkles the corners of Ella’s eyes as they bore into me.

As much as I love her, Amelia and I have always been closer. We are two years apart, and we’re both married. It’s just been easier to talk about my life with her.

“Oh. My. God. He’s, like, so hot. Tall, about the same height as Corey, but sexier. Thick brown hair, with scruff on his face and beautiful blue eyes. And you should see his ink.”

How had Amelia noticed so much in the few seconds she met him that one time?

“He sounds delicious.” Ella might have been responding to Amelia, but her focus is squarely on me.

He’s all that and more, I muse. He’s starred in many of my fantasies that ended with my vibrator in my hand.

“He’s too young. Not happening. So don’t go there.”

“Fine,” Ella says. “Truth or dare?”

Shit. “I thought you gave up on that.” Ella shakes her head. “You cannot dare me to have sex with anyone.” I point my finger at her like a scolding schoolteacher.

“Agreed.” Ella sounds way more sober than Amelia and I do.

I don’t want to answer any more questions about Corey, or even Joel. Neither is here. So I boldly answer, “Dare.”

The grin my sister produces immediately tells me I’ve made the wrong choice.

“This guy has ink, right?” Ella asks, pinning me with her gaze.

“Did I mention he’s a tattoo artist too?” Amelia cuts in.

I groan.

“Don’t wimp out on us. You chose dare, and I’m daring you to get a tattoo. Do something different for once and stop being little miss perfect,” Ella chides.

Doesn’t that bite when your little sister basically calls you out for being boring? Ella has some ink, though it’s hidden.

“Fine.” I take two more shots. “You’re going to have to buy a bottle to get me sufficiently drunk. I hate pain. And Joel says it hurts getting ink sometimes.”

“And where does this gorgeous specimen work?”

My big mouthed, well-meaning sister Amelia fills her in. Now I know better than to share any secrets with her.

Ella makes the arrangements, getting us an Uber and talking the bartender into selling us a bottle of booze. And we are on our way.

“It’s late. How do you know they’re even open?” I complain.

“It’s Friday night. Drunk people do dumb things.” Ella shrugs.

“So this is dumb.” I simplify her statement in hopes of getting out of the dare.

“Of course it is. But it’s a rite of passage. You didn’t get to do all these wonderful things, as you played house with Corey since you guys where in diapers.”

I grumble to myself when the Uber stops in front of a tattoo parlor that’s lit up from the inside. We hop out and go to the door, but it’s locked. Ella commences to beat on it until a looming figure appears on the other side of the glass and says, “We’re closed.”

“But we’re friends of Joel, and it’s my sister’s birthday,” Ella pleads.

“It’s not.” My words go unheard as the guy gives my sister the once over.

Amelia wobbles on her heels over to me. “Yes, it’s after midnight. Happy birthday, Livvy.”

She pulls me into a hug while hopping as if she’s twelve and we haven’t seen each other in days.

“See? Can you do us a solid?” Ella asks.

Over Amelia’s shoulder, I spy the guy continuing to check out my baby sister. Either he’s decided she’s cute, or the lip poking thing she’s doing is really working.

“Is she drunk?”

“Of course not. Are you Livvy?” Ella glares at me.

“Nope, I’m cool.”

He eyes me for a second. “Okay. Come in. Joel’s not here.”

Disappointment clouds Ella’s face. “Great. Here is what I have in mind.”

Inside, as I listen to her explain my planned tattoo, I take the vodka from my sister’s hand. I seriously need to be a little more wasted to get through this.