He lifted his hand and turned around. The walk should clear his head. Two cocktails were one and a half too many, he thought. He pulled out his phone and tapped Radley’s name.

“Hello, hello!” Radley said.

“Cammie’s a working girl,” he said.

“I know. So how was it?”

“You set me up with a prostitute.”

“I thought I made that clear.”

“You did not.”

“Whoops. Um . . . are you super angry?”

“No,” he said. “She’s great. Very genuine.”

“Did you . . .”

“Kiss her? Yes. And that was it.”

“Got it. Let’s try to be more clear with each other moving forward, okay?” Radley said.

“I’m not the one who—”

“I have a date. Gotta run. Bye!”

Everyone had a date tonight, it seemed. Jen had asked him if he would babysit so she and Darius could go out (his mother had leaped at the chance when he said he was busy). Sarah had mentioned she was going on a rare second date. Radley now. Cammie, even if hers was a business transaction.

Well, he’d had a date, too. Sort of.

Cammie wasn’t his type, of course. His type was Lauren. He’d only ever been in love once. He might not ever be again.

But he’d kissed a woman tonight, and it had felt nice. He hadn’t crumpled in grief, he hadn’t yearned for more. More than anything, he was glad it was over.

Lauren had been right. Get it out of the way, keep moving forward. “Did you know she was a consensual sex worker?” he asked her out loud.

He’d bet she was laughing somewhere in the Great Beyond.

He hoped so. She’d had the best laugh in the world.

25

Lauren

Thirty-five months left

March