I’ d failed. I’ d picked myself up, dusted myself off, and tried again. Me!
Of course-that was it!
A horn honked nearby, tugging me from my thoughts.
‘ Hey!’ It was Martucci, calling to me through the rolled-down passenger window of his Mercedes. ‘ Get in, you nut job! I’ ll give you a ride.’
I ran over and climbed into the passenger seat-and mmm, the fragrance of real Corinthian leather sure beat the smell of your average city bus stop. Martucci chuckled as he shifted into gear. ‘ I’ d ask why you were standing there in your socks, but I’ m not sure I want to know.’
Chapter 25
20 Things to Do by My 25th Birthday
1. Lose 100 pounds
2. Kiss a stranger
3. Change someone’ s life
4. Wear sexy shoes
5. Run a 5K
6. Dare to go braless
7. Make Buddy Fitch pay
8. Be the hottest girl at Oasis
9. Get on TV
10. Ride in a helicopter
11. Pitch an idea at work
12. Try boogie boarding
13. Eat ice cream in public
14. Go on a blind date
15. Take Mom and Grandma to see Wayne Newton
16. Get a massage
17. Throw away my bathroom scale
18. Watch a sunrise
19. Show my brother how grateful I am for him
20. Make a big donation to charity
The private room at Oasis was packed. People sat at cocktail tables and stood around holding drinks and plates of food. When Martucci and I walked in, a woman named Norma-I remembered her as the Weight Watchers leader who’ d given Marissa her lifetime pin the night she died-was near the bar, in the midst of telling a story into a handheld microphone. The fact that it ended with, ‘ And from that day forward, every woman in the group practically stripped naked before weighing in’ -followed by a roar of laughter from the crowd-gave me an indication of the overall mood. It was, as Kitty Jones had hoped, a party.
We grabbed beers from a bartender near the back and then made our way to the table where Susan and Brie sat with Sebastian and Kip.
‘ I was starting to worry you weren’ t coming,’ Susan said, pulling purses off a couple of chairs she’ d been saving. ‘ What happened to your shoes?’
‘ Don’ t ask.’
As I sat down, Troy relieved Norma of the microphone. He was in jeans and a button-down shirt, his hair recently cut-but it didn’ t incite lust in me as much as it made me want to pinch his cheeks.
‘ Anybody else who wants to share,’ Troy said, ‘ feel free to come on up.’ He held out the microphone.
Brie gave me a nudge. ‘ Go up there.’
A girl trotted to the microphone, buying me time. She introduced herself as a school friend of Marissa’ s and started to tell a story about how she and Marissa used to pass notes in algebra class.
‘ June doesn’ t have to talk if she doesn’ t want to,’ Susan said quietly to everyone at the table, as if I weren’ t there.
‘ The fact that she showed up is plenty,’ Sebastian agreed.
Martucci took a swig of his beer. ‘ Of course she should talk. She’ s the reason they’ re having this party in the first place.’
‘ I am not!’ I hissed. As if I needed that kind of pressure! ‘ They’ re having it because Marissa wrote a list to be completed by her twenty-fifth birthday& which, by the way, it isn’ t. Completed, that is.’
Brie shook her head. ‘ Eighteen down, two left to go. What a shame.’
‘ Actually,’ I said, unable to suppress a proud smile, ‘ only one left to go.’
‘ You found Buddy Fitch?’ Sebastian said, excited enough that he forgot to whisper. A few heads turned our way, and I shushed him.
‘ No, I still have to do that one.’
‘ Then what-? How-? I mean, I thought& ‘
As Sebastian flustered, Brie took the opportunity to elbow me. ‘ Your man, Troy, is looking mighty fine.’
‘ The brother?’ Kip asked. ‘ You’ ve got something going on with the brother?’
‘ That’ s dishy,’ Sebastian said with obvious interest.
