the group with no clue about Pterons. Hailey had warned me to be quiet about it.
“It’s just that I never expected to be down in New Orleans.” That didn’t cover half of it, but everyone else would know what I meant.
“Oh, cool.” Jess glanced at her phone. “I’m going to use the restroom real quick.”
“Don’t you mean you’re going to call Emmett?” Allie raised an eyebrow.
Jess laughed. “Maybe.” She walked away.
“Have you talked to Jared?” Tiffany asked quietly.
“Oh. You heard about that?” I wanted to hide my face.
“I’m sorry. I was just on a tirade about how much I wanted to kick him in the nuts and it slipped out.” Allie gave me an apologetic smile.
“It’s fine. I just wish I had better judgment.” I looked into my glass. My tryst with Jared wasn’t something I was particularly proud of.
“Your judgment is just fine.” Hailey patted my arm. “And you did well facing him. I’m proud.”
I laughed. “If I made you proud, then nothing else matters.”
That got everyone laughing just as Jess walked back.
“I know where our next stop should be.” She grinned.
“Oh no.” Panic was clear on Allie’s face.
“Wait. Where are we going?” If Allie was nervous about it, it couldn’t be good.
“The Cat’s Meow. It’s where Allie and Levi first met. Well, unless you count them checking each other out at the hotel.” Jess was so bubbly. I guess being newly engaged herself, she liked talking about people falling in love.
“I didn’t check him out!” Allie glared at her.
“Oh, come on. You don’t have to defend your ogling now. You’re marrying the guy.” Anne laughed.
Allie took the final sip of her drink. “Good point.”
“We’ll have to sing Girl’s Just Want to Have Fun , like we did last time.” Jess beamed.
Allie groaned. “No way. Once was enough to last a lifetime.”
“Wait. It’s a karaoke bar?” There wasn’t a chance I was getting in on that activity.
“A tourist’s dream.” Hailey laughed. “But it’s on our list. It’s an important place in Allie and Levi’s history.”
“I’m totally fine with us going, I’m just not singing.” Allie set aside her glass. “Is everyone ready?”
“Sure.” I stood up. “Let’s continue this adventure.”
Allie suddenly teared up.
“Did I say something wrong?” I could have sworn the tears started right after my joke.
“No.” She wiped her eyes. “I’m just ridiculously emotional right now. Levi said something kind of like that the night he really let me in.”
Hailey put a hand on her arm. “I’m pretty sure that’s normal. You’re getting married. That messes with your emotions big time.”
I gave Allie an encouraging smile. “Hailey’s right. It’s okay to feel that way.” I assumed Allie was referring to the night she found out he was a Pteron. I wondered why her college friends knew the truth, but Jess didn’t. I figured Allie’s bachelorette party wasn’t the place to ask.
We moved the car and headed over to Bourbon Street. The crowd was heavy, and we stuck close together as we made our way down the middle of the street.
We made a quick stop at Tropical Isle. The claim to fame of the bar was hand grenade drinks that were sweet and served in tall green plastic glasses that looked like their namesake. We probably would have stayed there awhile if Jess hadn’t pulled us out. She was really into the whole karaoke thing. Slightly buzzed, we made our way down to the Cat’s Meow.
Jess rushed up to put our name on the list to sing while the rest of us took a seat at a table. When the other girls went to get drinks, I was left alone at the table with Allie. She seemed upset again, and although I’d have normally left it alone, I felt like I had to say something. “Are you crying?”
She smiled sheepishly. “Maybe a little.”
“Is it nerves, nostalgia?”
“Both. Neither.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I know what that feels like.”
“How are you
“It’s just that I never expected to be down in New Orleans.” That didn’t cover half of it, but everyone else would know what I meant.
“Oh, cool.” Jess glanced at her phone. “I’m going to use the restroom real quick.”
“Don’t you mean you’re going to call Emmett?” Allie raised an eyebrow.
Jess laughed. “Maybe.” She walked away.
“Have you talked to Jared?” Tiffany asked quietly.
“Oh. You heard about that?” I wanted to hide my face.
“I’m sorry. I was just on a tirade about how much I wanted to kick him in the nuts and it slipped out.” Allie gave me an apologetic smile.
“It’s fine. I just wish I had better judgment.” I looked into my glass. My tryst with Jared wasn’t something I was particularly proud of.
“Your judgment is just fine.” Hailey patted my arm. “And you did well facing him. I’m proud.”
I laughed. “If I made you proud, then nothing else matters.”
That got everyone laughing just as Jess walked back.
“I know where our next stop should be.” She grinned.
“Oh no.” Panic was clear on Allie’s face.
“Wait. Where are we going?” If Allie was nervous about it, it couldn’t be good.
“The Cat’s Meow. It’s where Allie and Levi first met. Well, unless you count them checking each other out at the hotel.” Jess was so bubbly. I guess being newly engaged herself, she liked talking about people falling in love.
“I didn’t check him out!” Allie glared at her.
“Oh, come on. You don’t have to defend your ogling now. You’re marrying the guy.” Anne laughed.
Allie took the final sip of her drink. “Good point.”
“We’ll have to sing Girl’s Just Want to Have Fun , like we did last time.” Jess beamed.
Allie groaned. “No way. Once was enough to last a lifetime.”
“Wait. It’s a karaoke bar?” There wasn’t a chance I was getting in on that activity.
“A tourist’s dream.” Hailey laughed. “But it’s on our list. It’s an important place in Allie and Levi’s history.”
“I’m totally fine with us going, I’m just not singing.” Allie set aside her glass. “Is everyone ready?”
“Sure.” I stood up. “Let’s continue this adventure.”
Allie suddenly teared up.
“Did I say something wrong?” I could have sworn the tears started right after my joke.
“No.” She wiped her eyes. “I’m just ridiculously emotional right now. Levi said something kind of like that the night he really let me in.”
Hailey put a hand on her arm. “I’m pretty sure that’s normal. You’re getting married. That messes with your emotions big time.”
I gave Allie an encouraging smile. “Hailey’s right. It’s okay to feel that way.” I assumed Allie was referring to the night she found out he was a Pteron. I wondered why her college friends knew the truth, but Jess didn’t. I figured Allie’s bachelorette party wasn’t the place to ask.
We moved the car and headed over to Bourbon Street. The crowd was heavy, and we stuck close together as we made our way down the middle of the street.
We made a quick stop at Tropical Isle. The claim to fame of the bar was hand grenade drinks that were sweet and served in tall green plastic glasses that looked like their namesake. We probably would have stayed there awhile if Jess hadn’t pulled us out. She was really into the whole karaoke thing. Slightly buzzed, we made our way down to the Cat’s Meow.
Jess rushed up to put our name on the list to sing while the rest of us took a seat at a table. When the other girls went to get drinks, I was left alone at the table with Allie. She seemed upset again, and although I’d have normally left it alone, I felt like I had to say something. “Are you crying?”
She smiled sheepishly. “Maybe a little.”
“Is it nerves, nostalgia?”
“Both. Neither.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I know what that feels like.”
“How are you
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