“Cousin!” I hear her before I see her.

Whipping my head around, I spot her bright-blue hair across the bar and throw myself up into a standing position.

“Ella!”

We impact like two trucks, air rushing out of both our chests at the collision, but we don’t let go as we squeeze the life out of each other. We start to sway left and right gently before breaking out into a full-on dance, our arms still wrapped around each other.

“I missed your frizzy hair!” she shouts down my ear.

“And I missed your big feet!” I shout back before pulling away.

“Ugh, look at you, you look so… normal.” I scoff at her assessment. I may look normal but I’m far from it. I’m a weirdo, but I wear the badge with pride.

“And you look like Marge Simpson.” I raise a brow before we both burst out into laughter.

She pulls me in for another hug, this one not lasting as long before she pulls me back toward the bar where I was nursing my drink.

“I’ll have a Screaming Orgasm,” she tells the bartender before turning around and scrunching up her nose at my drink. “What the hell is that?”

“Beer.” I lift the bottle to my lips, taking a pull. “I have work tomorrow.”

She pouts as her drink is placed in front of her. “I’m so glad I can work whatever hours I want.”

I nod in acknowledgement. Ella is a graphic designer who works from her apartment. I know for a fact she pulls twenty-hour days sometimes, so the whole “setting your own hours” thing isn’t as great as she makes it sound.

“I can’t believe you’ve been here for four days and I’m only just seeing you.”

“I know.” I place my beer down. “Work is ridiculous, I actually have to do stuff.” I roll my eyes. “And my desk is right in front of the CEO’s office; it’s a nightmare.”

“Uh-huh.” She smirks at me and I know what’s coming before she— “How many disasters have you had so far?”

“Ugh, don’t even get me started.”

Four days I’ve been here and so far, I’ve ripped my skirt and had to walk around with safety pins holding it together; tore my feet to shreds from my new heels; my second day I managed to spill coffee all over the tablet I was given; then today I tripped over my own feet as I was walking into a stall in the bathroom. My head went right into the bowl, soaking not only my hair but my blouse which made it see-through to add to my embarrassment.

“Oh, God, I see nothing’s changed.”

“Nope.” I shake my head, swallowing another mouthful of beer before I tell her, “I can only stay for one, I have a shit ton of work to do before tomorrow.”

“What?” Her brown eyes widen, her blue curly hair batting back and forth as she shakes her head at me. “No way, you’re staying for at least another two beers and three shots.”

“El—”

“Don’t ‘Ella’ me,” she reprimands, pointing at my chest. “I haven’t seen you for eight years, it’s been way too long.”

She pushes her bottom lip out and bats her eyelashes. She knows I can’t say no to those puppy dog eyes. Goddamn traitor.

“Fine!” I throw my hands up in the air. “But we have to be sensible, not do a repeat of graduation night.”

Her lips spread into an evil smirk before she spins around, shouting, “Four shots of tequila!”

Shitballs—she brought out the big guns.

* * *

My neck moves back and forth of its own accord, my arms waving about beside me as “I’m Sexy and I Know it” blasts through the speakers of the bar. Ella is dancing like a maniac beside me, her head thrown back as she thrusts the air, slapping her hand on an invisible ass before she does a little jump and shuffles up behind me.

The room spins slightly after having a fourth shot of tequila. It’s fair to say the tipsy train came and went and I jumped head first onto the wasted platform.

The song switches, the start of the classic “Fire Burning” by Sean Kingston comes on and Ella squeals down my ear.

“I love this song!”

“Me too!”

I spin around and we both start to shout the lyrics, our tone completely off as sweat rolls down our faces from the exertion of jumping around like a couple of toddlers who just ate a giant tub of candy.

The makeshift dance floor we’re on is empty apart from us, and when I spin around in a circle with my hands over my head, I find us being watched. Any other time—like maybe when I’m sober—I’d be embarrassed, but right now I couldn’t give a flying fuck.

Nothing matters: not having to get up at six in the morning, not knowing I’m going to have a hangover—nothing, because I’m having the most fun I’ve had since… well, since I last saw Ella.

We’re plunged into silence as the song finishes and I stop to catch my breath before the next one comes on. Ella disappears and comes back with a shot.

“Last one,” I tell her.

I expect her to ignore me, but when she nods in reply, I take the shot after licking the salt off my hand, finishing off with the slice of lime and a shudder.

She takes the shot glass from me before she shouts, “I wuv you, you dnow dat? It’s been long time!”

I giggle at her slurred words. “Awww, I love you, zoo!”

We both widen our arms, hugging each other like long-lost lovers, swaying on the dance floor. We’re both barefoot and if we weren’t absolutely wasted we’d never do such a thing.

She pulls back before holding her cell up. “I’ll call Chad… ride.” She jabs her finger on the screen several times before finally holding it against her ear.

I nod as “Where Them Girls At” by David Guetta blasts out of the speakers. I do a little hop and jump. This is my favorite song right now!

I start body popping, throwing my limbs in every direction as I watch Ella talk on her cell. Her lips are pulled up into a giant smile, and for a second I’m jealous she’s found the love of her life—her words, not mine.

A flush mars her cheeks and it jars me for a second, causing my leg to slip from underneath me. Her gaze catches mine at that exact moment, her eyes widening at the same time as her hand comes up in the international stop sign.

“Vi!”

I move all of my weight to the left, trying to stop myself from landing like a sack of potatoes on my back, but that’s the biggest mistake I could’ve made.

I can see it happening before it does and I go down like a two-hundred-eighty-pound fighter who’s just been knocked out. My neck and shoulder hit off the edge of the thick wooden table with so much force it makes my breath catch.

My right hand comes out, trying to lessen the impact but it doesn’t help because when I finally hit the dirty bar floor, all of my breath is completely knocked out of me.

Closing my eyes as I lie spread eagle on the floor, I concentrate on my breathing. I try to take stock of my injuries as I open my eyes, seeing Ella standing above me, her eyes wide and shocked but her lips pulled up into a grin that’s sure to turn into laughter at any second.

“Oh, God, Vi!” Yep, here it comes.

She throws her head back, her laughter louder than the music playing through the speakers, and when I turn my head to the left, I see three guys sitting around the table that just attacked me, various expressions on their faces.

“Don’t say it,” I warn El as she slams her hand on the table, her laughter taking over her whole body as she gasps.

“Three hours! That’s all it took!” She wipes away the tears rolling down her cheeks as she stumbles, the tequila obviously taking effect.

I’m about to push myself up when the table above me wobbles as she leans all her weight on it, alcohol splashing me in the face as a glass tips, soaking through my top and making me smell even worse than I already did.

Fuck my life and my stupid limbs.