When he was finished, it was time for him to open one of his presents.
“You have to open Sam’s first,” Katie said, handing him three wrapped boxes that were stacked on top of each other, small, medium, and large.
“You have to open them in order,” I said.
As he began to open the smallest box, the waitress took our drink order.
“I’m actually in the mood for a margarita.”
“I’ll have a Manhattan,” Dana said. “Cuz I live in Manhattan, now.”
From the first box, Josh pulled out a black t-shirt with gold lettering on it that said “Karaoke King.” He immediately took off the shirt he was wearing and put the t-shirt on as we all laughed.
The second box contained a matching crown, robe, and bejeweled microphone with his name on it.
“This is so fucking awesome!” He tied the robe around his neck and placed the gaudy crown on his head.
“You look like a pimp,” Kyle said.
In the last box was a large framed and matted photo of him down on one knee, proposing to Katie on New Year’s Eve. For a second, I thought he was going to cry, which was something I’d never seen Josh do. Katie started crying the second she saw it. Josh just looked over at me and nodded. Then he gave me the thumbs up.
“Well done, cuz.”
“What is it?” Lucy asked.
Katie turned the photo around so everyone could see. It was a black-and-white photo of Katie with both of her hands on her face, obviously shocked at Josh’s proposal, while the rest of us - Lucy and Kyle, Dana and Simon, and Dominic and me, looked on with huge smiles and happy tears.
“Oh wow!” Lucy said. “Now I’m gonna cry.”
“This is a ploy!” Kyle shouted out. “This is Sam’s New Year’s Eve ploy to have us all drunk and crying with her.”
Everybody laughed out loud as the waitress returned with our drinks.
“To friends,” Josh said, holding up his glass. “And to family.”
“To Josh!” everybody yelled. “Happy Birthday!”
I took a sip of my drink. It was the best margarita I’d ever tasted in my life, and I’d certainly had my share of tastings over the years.
“Oh my god. Dana, you have to try this.” I slid my glass over to her.
“Oh wow,” she said after taking a sip. “That bartender is good.”
We both glanced over at the bar.
“That bartender is hot,” I said.
“Oh so hot,” Dana confirmed as we both stared at him.
Molly began ringing the service bell. Time for Josh to do a request. He ran over to the fishbowl in his full-on king regalia and pulled out a piece of paper. He handed it to the DJ, who just shook his head and laughed.
The music started, and the words flashed onto the screen. It was Cher’s “Believe.” And Josh was nailing it. He was doing his full-on Cher voice while the rest of us jumped up and down and danced around like lunatics, giving Darryl and Molly a run for their money. When he hit the chorus, I lost it.
“I think I just peed a little,” I screamed to Dana.
I was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down my face. And they were definitely happy tears.
I had no idea what the future held for Dominic and me. Our happily ever after was yet to be determined. But I had finally managed to extricate myself from Dalton. Not geographically as I’d planned, but emotionally, which was all that mattered. Sometimes you have to let go of someone you love for your own good. And theirs. I’d done that with both of them.
And now maybe, just maybe, I was ready for the moments in between. I looked over at The Bartender. He smiled at me. I smiled back.
.
About The Author
Bradleigh Collins
Bradleigh Collins is a freelance writer and blogger living and working in New York City.
She decided to use the extra time she suddenly found herself having during the pandemic of 2020 to finally finish her first novel, The Waiter.
Originally from Atlanta, Bradleigh moved to Manhattan in 1999 and never looked back. To this day, the city - specifically the Upper West Side - remains her one true love.
For more information about Bradleigh, please visit her website at bradleighcollins.com.
