“Those were the good ol’ days, when the more crowded a place was, the more guys there were to meet,” Bekki added while shooting a glare toward the back of someone who bumped into her stool as they walked past.
Caitlyn nodded her agreement. “I love the Celtic Cock, but it always seems like I run into my brothers here. Of course, with two of them now spoken for, it makes it a little bit easier!”
Kimberly scrunched her nose as she attempted a sip of wine while being jostled from behind.
“I have to agree. It’s hard to have a conversation here and, just like Caitlyn, I find myself trying to avoid my brothers,” Bekki said.
Kimberly envied the other women—she had no family to run in to and wished she did. Eagerly sipping her wine after the server set it in front of her, she tapped her foot on the rail of her stool in time to the Celtic music, but the overall noise was distracting. “Everyone has to talk so loud to be heard over the music and the music has to be loud so that you can hear it over everyone’s conversations. Seems counterproductive, doesn’t it?”
Caitlyn laughed and said, “Try having five hundred teenagers in the cafeteria at one time. Sometimes I think cafeteria duty is going to make me deaf! Well, that and pep rallies.”
“I don’t see how you do it,” Bekki said, shaking her head slowly. “That many teenagers in one place… good God, think about the hormones!”
“At least the two of you have jobs in your fields,” Kimberly said, sighing slightly. “Spending my day writing up brochures on the benefits of one drug over another is hardly my idea of a stimulating career. Maybe if I’d majored in marketing, I’d find it more interesting.”
Bekki agreed. “I was lucky to get the internship at the news studio that led into a job.”
“That type of journalism fits you so well. For me, I wanted to use my journalism degree to write human-interest stories. But here I am, five years after graduation and still working in marketing.”
“Can you do that on the side?” Caitlyn asked, snagging cheesy-fries from the plate they were sharing. “Maybe write some freelance pieces?”
Taking another sip of wine, her lips curved and she wiggled her eyebrows, catching the attention of both friends.
“Ooooh,” squealed Caitlyn. “Are you already doing that?”
“Thanks to a helpful hint and nudge from Bekki, yes. A small-but-growing e-magazine was looking for articles, and I’ve written several that they’ve taken. They seemed to like my work and have offered me a continuing contract.” Wrinkling her nose, she shook her head. “Actually, it’s not a continuing paid contract. No salary or anything like that. But they said that anytime I write something, as long as they have room, they’ll print it, and I’ll get paid.” Shrugging, she added, “It’s not much now, but I’m hoping to parlay that into full-time or maybe use the experience to write on my own.”
Caitlyn and Bekki high-fived her and their conversation was interrupted by another friend stopping by. Sandy Carmichael, a petite blonde with a sarcastic wit and a twinkle in her eye, hugged them each.
“Grab a stool and join us,” Caitlyn offered.
Flashing her wide, white-toothed smile that generally brought men to their knees, Sandy shook her head. “Thanks, but I’ve been here for a little while and it’s time for me to head out.”
“Alone?” Bekki asked, eyes wide.
Sandy shot a glance to the side, her smile falling slightly. “Yeah, I have to work tomorrow. Anyway, you girls have a nice night, and we’ll grab drinks together another time.”
As Sandy made her way toward the door, Kimberly leaned to the side, searching for the reason for Sandy’s hasty departure.
“I can tell you what she saw,” Caitlyn huffed. “My brother. Rory.”
A gorgeous man with short dark brown hair and bright blue eyes was shining his killer smile on a leggy brunette who was in the process of erasing any space between their bodies. Glancing back at Caitlyn, she nodded slowly. “Damn. I didn’t know Sandy was hung up on anyone.”
“I think she pretends she’s not, but she and Rory have danced around each other for months. I tried asking her about it, but she shot me down quickly.” Bekki sipped more wine and shrugged. “I wondered if they had hooked up sometime, but I don’t want to make it awkward for her, so I stay quiet.”
Caitlyn checked her phone and said, “I hate to run, but