“You can say that again. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as eccentric as she is, and we have some real characters in the UK.”

“You better hope you don’t get roped into the book club,” Mason said. “That’s eccentric.”

“I’ve heard all about it. Is it wrong to say I’m a little scared?”

“Not at all. Believe me; I’ve met them, and I’m fuckin’ terrified.”

That wasn’t reassuring. At all.

“In fact, I think you’re about to meet them,” Mason muttered. “Jesus Christ, what are they doing here?”

I turned around, following his line of sight, and immediately saw them. They looked out of place, but it was Jen’s sunflower yellow dress that really caught the eye. She was accompanied by three other women; one in leather trousers, one in a plaid skirt, and another in jeans.

“Is she wearing… leather trousers?”

“Trousers? Oh, pants,” Mason said. “Yep. That’s Lil.”

“Right.”

“The one in the plaid skirt is Evelyn, and the jeans is Kathleen,” he continued. “If we hide, they might not—never mind. They’ve seen us.”

“Yoohoo!” Lil in the leather trousers waved. “Jen, look! It’s Mason and the hot vet!”

“Are they drunk?” I asked Mason.

He grimaced. “I think they might be. Dear God. I need to text Immy to come get them.”

“Didn’t you say she’s working late?”

“Shit.”

“I’ll text Hannah.” I pulled my phone out before he could say anything. The four ladies were making their way over to us, so I tapped out a fast message and sent it over.

ME: Your grandma and her friends are drunk at the bar.

“Hello, darlings!” The one in the skirt sat down next to me and batted her eyelashes. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Evelyn.”

Jen hit her around the back of the head with her bag. “He’s dating Hannah!”

“You’re dating Hannah?” all three other women said.

“Technically no,” I replied. “We had a date.”

“That’s dating to me,” Lil, in the leather trousers, replied, sipping on a gin. “Where’s Maya?” she directed to Mason.

“Drinking milk from a brown paper bag under a bridge somewhere unknown,” he replied.

“Are you sassin’ me, boy?”

“No, ma’am.”

I hid a laugh as my phone buzzed. “Excuse me. I have to take this.” I glanced at Mason in the hope he knew it was Hannah calling.

I edged my way out of the bar and away from the group of smokers at the door. “Hey.”

“Hey? Freakin’ hey?” she replied. “What do you mean my grandma and her friends are at a bar? Where are you?”

“I’m at Pete’s with Mason. I ran into him earlier—we came to get something to eat and a beer. Then we saw your grandma and her friends and they look a little drunk.”

“Goddamn it! Pete’s you said?”

“Yep.”

“I’m coming. Are they still able to stand?”

“Yes, but who knows for how long?”

“Isaac, this isn’t making me feel better. They’re banned from bars and they know it!”