Sasha (Mixed Drinks #1) (24 page)

“I’m sorry for interrupting your party. I shouldn’t have come.” She says in an irritated tone.

She looks to me with venom and says, “I guess congratulations are in order.”

At that moment I can’t help it. I had no warning. I bend over and promptly empty the contents of my stomach all over her, what seem to be, very expensive shoes. Afterwards, I right myself and see the sheer look of disgust is on her face.

“Great! Yeah, you’re the obvious choice for Bash here,” she says and stomps off.

What a pompous slut biscuit
. I never did anything to her.
Well, besides the vomit
. I don’t even know the bitch. I don’t even know if she
is
a bitch, I just heard the one story.
But it seemed like something a bitch would do.

Bash comes back in the kitchen a few minutes later and is clearly not happy. He looks over at me, then Jesse. He shakes his head and starts throwing items in the trash, alongside Jesse.

After the kitchen has been cleared, Bash walks over to me and grabs my hand, leading me out of the kitchen. He takes a look back at Jesse and nods his head. Just then I hear a car horn beep.

“I will call you tomorrow,” he calls over his shoulder.

“Later,” Jesse says back.

As Bash helps me into the cab he called for us, I don’t say anything. I’m not sure what to say. It’s really none of my business, and since she left unhappy, it seems that she did not get the reaction from Bash that she was hoping for.

I feel pretty sober now. It’s funny how that happens after you puke on someone’s shoes; one minute, you’re wobbly and slurring, and the next, you feel like you could run a marathon. Or at least a sprint to the kitchen for the leftover pizza you have waiting for you.

Bash still hasn’t said a word; he has, however, been holding my hand, and hasn’t let go, the whole way home. When the cab pulls up in front of the house, he pays the driver and helps me out.

When we get inside, he disappears into the bedroom for a minute, only to return to toss a blanket and pillow on the living room floor and then heads over to the kitchen. I feel
very
sober now, and I’m starting to get worried that something is really wrong.
Who is sleeping out here? Or worse, is someone coming over?

“Um Bash, I know you’re upset. Do you want to tell me what happened with Chloe, and why there is a blanket and pillow out here?” I ask cautiously.

“Everything is fine; I just thought you and I could watch a movie while you pass out.” He says with a forced smile.

“Uh, yeah right. You haven’t said boo since she left, and I’m fine now. I have no intention of passing out.”

“It’s really fine. She wanted to tell me that she made a huge mistake, and that she wants another chance.” He states calmly, as if that happens all the time.

“Oh is that all?” I say sarcastically.

He closes the refrigerator door and walks over to me, still smiling.

“I told her that she had her chance, and that I was with you now, and that nothing would change that. I was pissed that she came back after all this time, and chose to crash Jesse’s party in an attempt to corner me. She just always needs everything to be about her,” he explains.

I smile, nod my head, and walk away, into the bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready for bed. Bash follows me a minute later with a little smirk on his face.

“You got that mad because she showed up at Jesse’s house tonight, and if she had done it tomorrow, here, you would have been ok with it?” I demand.

“Well, there were other reasons, obviously. She left me, and at probably the worst time you can leave someone. Then, when I’m finally happy again, she shows back up again, trying to act like nothing has changed. She also botched a plan I had for tonight, although I wasn’t sure that was going to work out anyway,” he says.

“Oh yeah, like what? What could you and Jesse possibly have going on after getting shitfaced?” I demand again.

Bash smiles and walks away, back toward the living room. I look in the mirror and shake my head.
That man. Ugh.
I storm back into the living room, where he has now turned off the lights and lit a few candles. I stop to look around and see him sitting on the couch.

As I walk over, I’m utterly confused by this. I thought we were having our first semi-sort of-mini-argument. Bash just waves me to come over to the couch and sit next to him.

“What are you doing? You’re all over the place tonight.” I say, still confused as all hell.

“Sasha, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You make me laugh, and always stand by me when I need you most. You are the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. You are so good to Emma, and my family loves you as much as I do.”

“I love you to, but I—” I start to say.

“Let me finish. My friends think you are wonderful, and I can’t see any part of my future that doesn’t have you in it,” he continues.

My heart begins to race with his words. “Bash, I don’t understand. Why are you telling me this right now?”

He lets out a hushed chuckle under his breath, as if I should already know what he is trying to say, and reaches for my hand.

“Because I’m asking you to marry me.”

Six Months later

A YEAR AGO, I NEVER would have thought that I would now be living in Stoddard, helping to raise a little girl, and engaged to be married. Each and every day, I wake up and wait for the movie to end, and the credits to roll, confirming that this happiness is not real. Yet each day, I get out of bed, see Bash and Emma, and know that this is as real as it gets.
And I love it.

The summer was coming to an end, just as Bash and I were celebrating our one-year anniversary, as well as anticipating our upcoming wedding day in just two short months. We decided on an October wedding, to try and catch the color of the changing leaves. My mom and Karen have been having a field day with the planning. I’m not even sure it’s Bash’s and my wedding anymore. But it makes them happy, and all I want is Bash beside me on that day, so I just go with the flow.

Emma has adjusted well to my moving into the house permanently, and has finally stopped blackmailing me so that she pretends to like me and acts happy I am around. I think it has stopped because she is now actually happy. When I look at Emma today, I finally see the secure, carefree little girl that she should have grown up to become with her parents. I truly think they would be proud of the person she is becoming.

My move into Bash’s house has also brought me closer to my new job, which makes the commute easy. Well, I’m not sure you can call something that you love a job. With the inheritance Bash received from Jean, we were able to put away enough money for Emma to go to college, and for us to open up our own bar. We called it the
Duck Inn
. Kind of cheesy, except after I told Bash the story of how my parents met, and how after they started a family, my dad decided that he needed something with more regular hours, Bash instantly fell in love with the name and wanted to bring the
Duck Inn
back to life. After all, we had also met in a bar.

Bash is still working at the family motel, and has kept busy this summer with the fishermen guide service. We managed to find time in between our hectic schedules to take Emma camping, and also spent as much time on the beach as possible. However, this time it was the family friendly, lots of kids to play with kind of beach. We had picnics and played games in the yard games. Surprisingly, this has been the best summer of my life so far.

Betty and George are still seeing a lot of each other, and I’m glad to say that I no longer share a wall with Betty.
The noises that woman makes are borderline porn-worthy
. I feel sorry for whoever moves into my apartment next. Bash’s dad didn’t approve of their situation at first, and took some convincing to finally understand that just because you get old, doesn’t mean that you have to sit back and watch
Jeopardy,
waiting until the end to find you.
As long as they are happy, who are we to stop them?

When asked jokingly about if they are going to get married anytime soon, they laughed and said that when you get to be that old, a piece of paper just doesn’t seem to be all that important. The important things are the people that you have around you, and watching your loved ones find their own happiness in life.

Jesse loved his new job in Minneapolis. As a Detective-in-training, he was assigned to a K9 unit, and now has a German Sheppard named Max living with him. We were pleasantly surprised to hear that he has met someone there, and that they have been dating for about four months. Her name is Kelly, and Bash and I can’t wait to meet her soon. Jesse seemed like the type who would never settle down, so I applaud the woman who could get him to commit. It sounds like they had an interesting meeting, and I’m looking forward to hearing more about it. It also sounds like he will be getting a promotion soon if the assignment he is working on ends well. He can’t tell us anymore than that right now.

Dustin loves Chicago, from what little I heard. He found a roommate pretty easily, and I think he is a body builder or something, and has been on Dustin to bulk up. Dustin has done well as lead bartender, and is thinking about saving up to buy a bar of his own. I just hope that he is happy, and finds what he is looking for there.

Life for us has just seemed to fall into place, and fairytale endings have made the rounds to most of our friends, as well. Megan and Matt will be getting married the month after Bash and I, and Sadie and Will are expecting their first child this winter, a little girl. The girls and I try to find as much time to hang out as possible, though it’s difficult as our own duties and responsibilities sometimes take over. However, we did make a pact that, at least once a year, no matter what else is going on, we will all pack our bags and go camping, just us girls.

While sitting at the table eating dinner, I look to Bash, and then Emma. I smile with the realization that maybe I was right about fairytales and romantic comedies being a big pile of bullshit. You shouldn’t buy into the Hollywood version of happily ever after.

What we should really be doing is ordering a mixed drink. You start by adding some family, friends, heartache, and joy, into the shaker, with a twist of fate and a dash of the unexpected. Shake it well and pour it into a glass. Garnish it with a cherry, and as you take that first sip, you realize that this is the best drink you have ever had. You just had to be brave enough to try it.

First to my husband, I love you with all of my heart and soul. You make my mixed drink worth drinking.

To my family who got to listen to me talk about ‘my book’ for so many months yet not being allowed to read it until it was done. Thank you! I am so lucky to have a supportive family that puts up with my corks the way you do.

To all those that have helped me during this exciting journey. You have no idea how much I have appreciated your words of encouragement, so let me just say that without you by my side this would not have been possible.

Joanne, you believed in Sasha even before I did. Because of you Sasha has a spot on my bookshelf. You are an amazing woman and I cannot even begin to express to you my gratitude.

To my best friend Megan, Without you in my life this would not have been possible. You have been my shoulder to cry on, my bathroom buddy, my dance partner and my partner in crime for more year then I care to think about. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. You are my person, and you always will be.