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“Can I get you a drink?” Cooper asked, twosongs later.

“Nah, my friend has mine. She’s watching outfor it. I’m good.” And before she knew it, the song changed to something bluesyand sultry, and they were dancing extra close. A pair of lips pressed to hers.Instinctually, she sank into the kiss, absorbing the contact at first, and thenmoving her own lips against Cooper’s. Autumn grabbed the front of her shirt andpulled her in closer. Cooper’s lips weren’t very warm, though. Chilly, in fact,from the ice in her drink. It felt like kissing a wet fish, flopping aroundagainst her mouth, and she wanted it to stop. She pulled back and stared at thefloor.

“You’re a knockout, you know that?” Cooperasked, just millimeters from Autumn’s face. Why was she so close? And why waskissing her such a monumental disappointment? And why did the lights resemblealien spaceships set to land on their heads? The colors no longer seemed ascaptivating. Cooper leaned in again, intent on another kiss, but Autumn dodgedher, feeling sick to her stomach and needing air.

She held up a finger, feeling herself sway.“No more of that, Madame Automobile. Finding my friends now.” She pointed at arandom woman across the dance floor. “Go kiss her now. Or somebody else. Youchoose.” Autumn had stopped drinking twenty minutes ago, but it seemed like thealcohol was still seeping into her system, making her drunker by the second.With a final pat on Cooper’s shoulder, she stumbled back to their table, whereIsabel offered her a hand.

“Have a seat,” Isabel said and slid a tallglass toward her. “Drink some water. All of it. That’s an order. And if youfinish that, we’ll get you another one. I have an Uber on its way.”

“Hey, you okay?” Gia asked from the chairnext to hers. “You look upset.”

Autumn nodded, acknowledging the sadness thathad zapped her like a lightning bolt out of nowhere. Happy one minute, desolatethe next. And it was the weepy overwhelming kind of sadness, too, where itfeels like the world is ending and there’s no point in going on. “I don’t knowwhy I let myself get attached, you know?” she said to Gia and Isabel, whosquinted, probably trying to keep up with her ever-shifting emotions.

“Which thing are we talking about?” Isabelasked.

“I knew from the beginning she wasn’t herepermanently. Just a short time.”

“Kate. Gotcha now.”

Tears flowed. Autumn gestured wildly. “Andnow I’ll be alone forever because no one kisses like her. Not even Car-Womanover there.”

“Car-Woman?” Gia asked, rubbing Autumn’s backlike a good friend.

“Doesn’t matter now. I need to blow my nose.”Gia handed her a napkin, and Autumn went to town, then handed it back to her.“Sorry.”

“Oh. Okay,” Gia said, looking around for atrash can.

“I lost my shoe,” Hadley said happily,appearing at their table from another turn around the dance floor. “I’m likeCinderella.”

“A drunk one,” Isabel said, and sighed. “Comeon. I’ll help you find it. Gia, can you meet the Uber, and take this one withyou.” She pointed at Autumn.

Gia balked. “The crying one? I get thecryingone?” But Isabelwas already gone, tugged away by Drunk-Hadley.

“No, I’m the dancey one,” Autumn corrected,standing and shaking her hips. She was beginning to feel better already.Emotions were flying in and out on a dime. “I want to stay right here.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Gia said.“You were bawling two seconds ago.”

“I’m dancing now, Gia Pet.” Autumn held upher hands in surrender. “I won’t go anywhere. Promise. Just gonna dance righthere and watch the ceiling turn.”

“Fine. Right there,” Gia said, and headed forthe door.

Once she was alone, Autumn got the best idea,and knew exactly what she had to do. She took out her cell phone and dialed,because there were things that she had to say. Important things, and this wasthe best time to say them, when she had such clarity. When the call rolled tovoice mail, Autumn sank into the chair at the rich sound of Kate’s voicetelling her to leave a message.Kate.It felt like forever since she’d heard that voice. She’d have to call back fiveor six more times just to listen to it after she left her very pressingmessage. She waited patiently for the beep, closing her eyes and bracingherself against the spins. She gripped the table with one hand as she spoke.

“Kate. It’s Autumn.” Kate probably knew whichAutumn, but just for good measure, she added, “Primm. Listen to me, okay? Don’tsay anything. You do not in any way kiss like a fish, and I needed you to knowthat. You kiss like a goddess. Like a Greek goddess skilled in the ways of,like, love and passion and Scrabble. Thank God you were not named after anymachinery. I miss you. You don’t have to call me back or anything. I justneeded you to know all of these things. About the fish and car and the passion.Well, maybe you could call me back.”

“Whoa. What are you doing?” Isabel asked,holding Hadley’s wrist with one hand and reaching across the table for Autumn’sphone with the other. “Are you drunk dialing right now? Freeze. Drop thephone.”

As Isabel moved toward her, Autumn headedaround the other side of the table, knocking into the tall chairs as she went.“Isabel’s coming!” she yelled into the phone. “Help! Help me!”

“Give me the phone,” Isabel said, advancing.“Hand it over, Primm. Friends do not let friends drunk dial.” She raced aroundthe table after Autumn, dragging Hadley with her.

Autumn screamed and continued her message,shouting and speaking as quickly as she could. “Kate, I just wish you’d neverleft and hope that you miss me and that you still drive that really sexytruck.”

“Uber’s here,” Gia called from the front ofthe bar. When Autumn glanced in her direction, Isabel snatched the phone.

“Hey!” Autumn yelled. “I wasn’t finishedyet.”

“Well, you are now,” Isabel said infrustration, and clicked off the call. “Sober-Autumn will thank me tomorrow.”