Page 1 of Whiskey and Regret

ONE

What, and I can’t stress this enough, the entirefuckdid I do to piss off the universe?

I came outside to my precious Audi getting hitched to a tow truck while some grungy asshole stood there watching for sport.

“Hey! That’s my car!” I shouted, rushing to the scene. My Stuart Weitzman heels were not built for running, and let’s be honest here, neither was I. I hauled my ass over there to the greasy gentleman in blue overalls though.

“It’s getting repossessed, sweetheart. You didn’t pay.”

“Um, okay? I’ll pay right now just don’t take my baby. Oh, you’re going to scratch the paint,” I pouted.

“You’ll pay whoever your car is financed through and then they’ll release your car and you come pay me.”

“This is bullshit!”

“Sign here.” He leaned forward, handing me a clipboard and a grimy pen that I was not putting my damn hands on. I turned my head to fend off the scent of old earring backs wafting from the man’s face and scrunched my nose up.

“No thanks.”

“Xari, what the hell is going on?” Thank god my big sister, Navy came out of the nail salon behind me. She was much better equipped to deal with shit like this.

I pressed my hand to my racing heart and shut my eyes for a moment to gather my thoughts. “This lovely hygiene-challenged man is towing my car.”

“You didn’t pay your car note? Are you serious?” She frowned.

“Serious as a heart attack, little lady.” The tow drunk driver smiled at Navy baring one mustard yellow tooth against a row of canary yellow teeth. What the hell did he do to that one tooth? I stared in awe before blinking and shaking the disgust from my face.

“Can you tell me where it’s being towed so I can pay the fee and we can get this taken care of?”

See? Navy was amazing. She knew how to act when I was clueless and ready to resort to either insults or tears.

I watched the driver hand her an oil-smudged business card that she tucked away in her bag before smiling at him. I spun to face her with a scowl pinching my face.

“You mean I have to watch my car get dragged away kicking and screaming?”

“The only thing that’s kicking and screaming is you, Xari and for the love of God, I wish you’d stop. This is your fault. Who doesn’t pay their car note?” Her top lip curled in disgust and my feathers ruffled in response. Heat pricked the tops of my ears. I cut my eyes at Navy and folded my arms.

“Mom and Dad are supposed to…”

“Mom and Dad cut you off, remember?”

“They say that every week and…”

“And this time they did it.” She pulled out the keys to her Benz and hit the unlock button. “You need a ride?” The question slipped out with a thread of laughter tied around it.

“Yes,” I huffed, tipping my nose in the air.

I couldn’t believe my mother and father cut me off. They’d been threatening me with it since I graduated from Julliard but I never expected them to follow through. I mean yes, I was a little irresponsible and I took things for granted but didn’t every child? I didn’t plan to live off their money forever, just until I secured a seat as a principal harpist.

Maybe I could convince them to let me off the hook.

“Xari, you have to get your shit together. We’re all tired of bailing you out of situations you put yourself in. I’m sure if you were doing what you were supposed to do, Mom and Dad would still be helping you out.”

“Spare me the lecture, please. I’m going to call them and grovel.”

“Or you could get a regular job like you said you would until you get a seat on an orchestra.” Navy’s hand flew up, irritation staining her words gray.

“I can’t find anything,” I shrugged. I pressed the phone to my ear and waited for my father to pick up. He was much easier to talk to than my mother. She was like Navy. She didn’t let me get away with shit. I had Daddy wrapped around my little finger though.