I took a step back. I knew it was too late to stop what was coming.

  Amber lurched forward and vomited.

  “For fuck’s sake!” Doug jumped back, his face contorting in disgust. “These shoes are Italian leather!”

  Amber stared in shock at the mess, then at Doug, then back at the mess. For a moment, I thought she might cry.

  Then, to my surprise, she started laughing—a slightly hysterical giggle that quickly grew into full-blown laughter.

  "Oh my God. I'm so sorry! This is so embarrassing." She hid her face with her hands, still giggling.

  “Glad you find this amusing,” Doug huffed over his shoulder as he stormed towards the bathroom.

  Amber’s laughter subsided, and she groaned into her hands. “Oh my God. I’m sorry Ryan. Did I get any on you?” She looked at me.

  “No,” I said, circumventing the puddle and putting my arm around Amber.

  “Come on, you should go to the bathroom.”

  She nodded, gazing up at me. “Uh huh.”

  “Come on.”

  A staff member was already coming over with a mop and bucket, looking completely undaunted. “This happens a lot,” she said.

  Caroline came to Amber’s other side. “I’ll take over. Come on sweety.” I watched her shepherd the younger woman into the bathroom.

  Sofia followed with a glass of water. Jessica eventually caught wind of it, too, and disappeared into the bathroom.

  Jessica re-emerged about ten minutes later. “Thank you for taking care of her,” she said, squeezing my arm. “You’re good people. Would you mind taking her home? Caroline said you would.”

  I nodded. “No problem, we live right across the street.”

  “Exactly! Thank you so much.”

  She raised her arms for a hug. I put my arms around her considerable girth and felt her boobs smoosh against me.

  As Jessica stumbled back to the dance floor, Caroline returned with Amber.

  The birthday girl had freshened up but she was clearly sloshed.

  “We’re taking her home,” Caroline said, her arm supportively around Amber’s waist.

  “I heard,” I said, eager to escape the noise and chaos.

  Amber was clinging to Caroline like she was her big sister. “Thank you guys so much,” she muttered, slurring her words. “Omigod, so embarrassing. Leaving my own birthday early.”

  “It’s not that early—it’s after one,” I said, checking my phone.

  Amber gave me a drunken, whimsical look, clumsily brushing her fingers over my cheek. “So early, Ryan.”

  Sofia grinned, her eyes glowing with amusement, and even Kate couldn’t help smirking.

  Drunken Amber was back.

  Caroline didn’t seem to notice the exchange, though. She was frowning into space, a hand on her stomach.

  I put a hand on her back. “Hey, you okay? I thought you didn’t have anything to drink?”

  She blinked and looked at me. “I didn’t. I’m just tired.”

  We made our way through the crush of people towards the exit, Caroline and I flanking Amber to keep her steady.

  The birthday girl seemed to be feeling better post-barf, and she was evidently enjoying being escorted through the crowd.

  A big grin was plastered on her face, as she looked from side to side, waving goodnight to her friends as we passed.

  Tanya came up carrying Amber’s cropped jacket. She hugged her, then helped her into the jacket. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m going home with Ryan!” Amber blurted out. Then her eyes widened. “Wait— I mean, Ryan’s taking me home. No! Not like that.”

  Tanya patted Amber’s shoulder, looking at Caroline. “Thanks for taking care of her, you guys.”

  The music vibrated through the floorboards as we navigated towards the edge of the dance floor.

  I felt something swish the air at the back of my head. Turning, I caught sight of Doug doing his ridiculous dance, lurching around with exaggerated movements, arms swinging wildly as he edged closer.

  Sofia grabbed my arm, hiding behind me. “Ayyy, no! This man scares me!”

  I stared at Doug with a warning glare, clenching my fist. My patience had just about run out.

  Caroline quickly squeezed my hand. “Just ignore him. We’re almost out.”

  But Doug just wouldn’t let it go. He cut a path around and moved towards us, his dancing growing more aggressive as he closed the distance.

  He avoided eye contact while dancing aggressively closer, arms swinging near my face.

  “Watch where you’re swinging your fucking hands!”

  He pretended not to hear me, arms flinging even closer.

  For an instant, his eyes met mine briefly, a dopey smirk on his face before turning away, putting his back to me.

  As I started to squeeze past him, he turned suddenly, planting his hand on my shoulder.

  “Whoah whoah, whoah, bro!” he yelled idiotically. “Let me through here, lemme through!”

  His hand slapped my shoulder twice as he leaned closer, grinning stupidly. I could smell his alcohol breath.

  It was almost too easy.

  My fist connected with Doug’s pointy chin, and he instantly collapsed onto the floor. He lay there like a pretzel, staring at the ceiling in confusion.

  A few shrieks pierced the air as women scrambled out of the way, making room for the douchebag’s gangly form.

  Amber broke away and hurried over to Doug, swaying as she stared down at him, shocked. “OH MY GOD.” She unsteadily turned her gaze towards me, jabbing her finger at him. “He so deserved that!”

  Doug groaned insensibly, squirming on the floor.

  Caroline put her arm around Amber. “Ryan was protecting you, honey. Come on, let’s get you home.”

  Amber flashed a girlish smile at me over her shoulder as Caroline led her away. “Protecting me! Thank you Ryan.”

  The bouncer approached with a threatening look, but he saw that we were approaching the exit. “Sorry about that,” I said calmly. “We were just leaving.”

  The bouncer gave me a subtle nod. “Alright. Take your friend home safely.”

  A cold rain pattered on our shoulders as we helped Amber down the wooden stairs.

  Sofia scurried through the rain towards her car. “See you guys at home!” she said, ducking into her car.

  Caroline helped Amber into the back seat while Kate jumped into the front, beside me. I started up the car and turned on the wipers.

  Kate shivered, switching on the heat.

  The rain poured more heavily, beating against the roof as I pulled out.

  “Hey, there’s our friend,” Kate said, looking out the window. Doug was being dragged out of the doors.

  The bouncer gave Doug a shove, and he fell against the banister, then gave up and plopped onto the wet steps, staring at the ground with exaggerated self-pity.

  “Serves him right,” Kate muttered as we drove away into the night.

  Chapter seven

  The wipers swept steadily across the windshield as I drove through the sleeping town, occasionally glancing at the rearview to see the girls in the back.

  Amber sat beside Caroline, leaning back on the headrest, shadows from the streetlights moving across her face.

  She kept letting out long sighs. Finally, she muttered, “Twenty five years old. Can’t believe it. I’m… old.”

  Caroline put a comforting arm around her. “No, you’re still young, honey. Plenty of baby-making years ahead of you.”

  Amber’s eyes widened. “Babies…”

  “You’re at peak fertility,” Kate added from the passenger seat, surprising me somewhat.

  “Peak fertility,” Amber repeated dreamily, then her head lolled to the side and she gazed at the rain-streaked window. Her forehead crinkled.

  “I have everything though... My job, my house…” She hiccupped. “But I’m not... I don’t feel…”

  She trailed off, watching raindrops drizzle down the window.

  We were passing through a stately neighborhood now, winding down the sloping road towards Riverside Way.

  Amber stared out at the passing houses, her expression growing sad in the dim light.

  “Nice family homes on this street,” Caroline said suggestively.

  Amber nodded slowly. “My mom… She was like, ‘When you gonna get married? Gimmie some grandchildren?’ And I’m like…” She gestured lazily with her hand. “I don’t know, Mom.”

  “Moms always know what’s bothering us,” Caroline said gently.

  For a moment, the windshield wipers continued their steady rhythm as the houses passed by.

  “Yeah,” Amber said in a small voice. “She kinda does.”

  I drove onto our street. Through the rain, I could see the warm glow of Caroline’s porch light and the darker silhouette of Amber’s house across from it.

  “Here we are,” I said, pulling into Amber’s driveway.

  Amber blinked, as if coming out of a trance. “Already?” She peered out the window at her house like she’d never seen it before. “That’s my house. I live there.”

  “Yes, you do,” Caroline said with amusement.

  Kate got out while Amber fumbled in her purse. “Where are those friggin’ keys?”

  She turned her purse over, dumping out lipstick, gum, her phone, pens, and receipts onto the empty seat.

  Then she stared at the mess in confusion. “My keys aren’t here. Where’d I put them?”

  Caroline laughed. “You’re just like Ryan.”

  I snorted, stepping out of the car. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I never lose my keys.”

  “No, never!” Caroline said, smiling at me through the window.

  The rain was a light drizzle now. Across the street, Sofia got out of her car and hurried across Caroline’s lawn to the porch.

  I handed the keys to Kate. “Here. Go wait inside with Sofia. We’ll be right over.”

  Kate raised her eyebrows as she took the keys. “You sure you aren’t going to be donating sperm to Amber tonight?”

  I waved my hand. “Oh, hell no. She’s shitfaced. We’re just gonna put her to bed.”

  Kate let out a gurgle of amusement and crossed the street to join Sofia.

  Meanwhile, Amber had emerged from my car. Caroline stood beside her.

  “Oh, wait! I know where my keys are!” She reached into the pocket of her jacket, and pulled out the keys, proud of herself.

  “I found them!”

  “They were in your pocket!” I said, leading Amber up the walkway towards the door. “What an unlikely place.”

  Amber guffawed, and somehow managed to drop the keys into her flower bed. She stumbled forward to get them and tumbled into the marigolds.

  She rolled onto her butt, holding up her keys triumphantly, even as petals and dirt clung to her hair.

  “I got them!” she announced, and then erupted into giddy laughter.

  “Oh, Amber.” Caroline clicked her tongue as we helped her to her feet.

  She stood unsteadily on her high heels, brushing her hair from her face, still giggling. “Omigod this is so embarrassing.”

  As we walked her to her door, the alcohol and emotions of the night seemed to catch up with her. She sniffled a few times, hiding her face behind her hair.

  By the time we reached the door and Amber shakily raised the key, she was crying.

  “What’s the matter honey?” Caroline said, her hand on Amber’s arm.

  Amber wiped her eyes. “I… I don’t know.”

  Caroline and I exchanged a glance as Amber unlocked the door and pushed it open, before stumbling. I caught her, holding her firmly.

  Her hand fell lightly on my chest, and she stared at my neck with hazy eyes, running her finger over my Adam’s apple. “I like you. You’re so nice.”

  I cleared my throat. “Right. Well, let’s get you to bed. You’ve had a big night.”

  Amber smiled. “Okay. Bedtime.”

  With my arm supporting Amber’s supple waist, I led her into her house, Caroline lightly closing the door behind us.

  Chapter eight

  Amber flicked on the light to reveal a home that was more modern than Caroline and Sofia’s.

  It was clearly much newer, with a sleek minimalist design. The kind of home you’d see in a real estate magazine.

  In fact, it felt like it was staged for viewing and wasn’t actually lived in. The living room flowed into an open kitchen, all gleaming countertops and stainless steel appliances.

  Amber drowsily motioned to us, her eyes almost closed. “Come in, come in. Can I get you guys anything?” she said through a yawn.

  “You’re going to bed, young lady,” I said, putting my hand on her back. “Come on, let’s get you some water first.”

  “Thank you,” Amber said in a tender voice. “You guys are being so kind to me.”

  Making our way through the living room, we passed a couch and chair set that looked like it had never been sat on.

  The decor was very generic, but one thing that caught my eye was the collection of framed certificates and awards on the wall.

  “Women in Real Estate Award,” “Top Sales 2024,” “Rising Star Award.”

  There were also a couple trophies for marathon running.

  “Wow,” Caroline said. “Look at all these awards.”

  Amber followed our gaze and swayed slightly. “Oh, those. Yeah, I work too much.” She giggled, then hiccupped. “My boss says I’m like a shark—I never stop moving or I’ll die.”

  “You have an admirable work ethic,” I said.

  Amber laughed, waving her hand and nearly losing her balance. “Oops. Everything’s kinda spinny.”

  I guided her to the expensive-looking couch. “Sit down before you fall down.”

  Amber collapsed onto the cushions and immediately leaned back, draping her arm over her eyes. “Ugggh, why’d I drink so much? Stupid Amber. Haven’t been this drunk since university.”

  Caroline tilted her head with a sympathetic, motherly look. “Well, you’re obviously dealing with some stuff. Turning twenty five is making you think about things.”

  Amber raised her arm and looked at us, then covered her eyes again. “Yeah, it totally has.”

  Caroline gave me a meaningful look and disappeared into the kitchen, returning with a glass of water. “Here, honey. You need to drink this.”

  Amber lifted her arm again to peek at the glass, then carefully took it with both hands like it was a precious artifact. “Jessica’s gonna give me shit tomorrow.”

  Caroline settled beside her. “Why? It’s your birthday. You’re allowed to get a little crazy.”

  “It’s not that… It’s just, she tried to warn me. She was like ‘Don’t drink so much!’ But I just kept going.”

  Amber gulped down a big drink of water, some of it dribbling down her chin.

  I sat beside her as she wiped her chin and handed me the glass. “I guess twenty five is a pretty big milestone—”

  Amber’s hand fell onto my leg suddenly as she looked at me wide-eyed. “Wait— Oh my God! You punched Doug!"

  I grinned. “Yes. Yes, I did.”

  Amber fell back onto the couch, laughing.

  Caroline crossed her legs, sliding one arm on the back of the couch. “I don’t approve of violence, ever. But he had it coming."

  “It felt really good,” I admitted.

  “Oh, I bet,” Amber said, turning on her side to face me, curling her legs up on the cushion. She put her hand on the couch, almost touching my leg.

  She was looking down at the cushion with a goofy smile. “Why don’t you have babies, Ryan?” she said softly.

  I gave Caroline an amused look. “Um, I don’t know. Maybe someday.”

  “You should do it! You’d have cute babies.” Her hand grabbed a bunch of my shirt and squeezed it in her fist.

  Caroline purred, “Just imagine the babies you’d have if Ryan got you pregnant.”

  I thought Amber might balk at that, but she didn’t even flinch. “Yeah, just imagine. They’d be beautiful little blonde babies, with blue eyes,” she said dreamily.

  My heart missed a beat. “They’d be smart too,” I said huskily.

  “Ryan would make a great dad,” Amber agreed. “He’s all protective and…” She waved her hand in the air. “Dadly.”

  “Dadly?” Caroline repeated, amused.

  “It’s a word, Caroline. I made it up.” Amber yawned enormously.

  After a pause, Caroline leaned forward. “You’ve been thinking about babies a lot lately, huh?”

  Amber’s eyes suddenly popped open. She sat up straight, wincing and putting a hand over her brow.

  Then she squinted at me. “You told her, didn’t you? Told her I was gonna freeze my eggs?”

  Caroline’s mouth fell open. The accusation hung awkwardly in the air.

  I met Amber’s gaze steadily. “No, Amber. I promised I wouldn’t, and I kept my word.”

  Amber gazed at me for a moment, then turned to Caroline, registering the surprise on Caroline’s face.

  “Oh. How did she know I’ve been thinking about babies?” Amber looked confused, swaying slightly even while sitting.

  “Because you brought it up,” Caroline said softly. “And you always talk about babies.”

  Amber laughed, raising her hand to her mouth. “Yeah, you’re right. I do. I’m sorry, to both of you.”

  She slumped back against the couch cushions. “Guess I’m paranoid when I drink.”

  “No need to apologize,” I said.

  Amber sulked. “Well, now you know my dirty little secret, Caroline.”

  Caroline touched her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

  Amber covered her face with both hands. “God, it sounds pathetic when I say it! Freezing my eggs like some old lady.”

  “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Caroline said thoughtfully. “I considered doing the same thing.”

  “You did?” I asked, surprised.

  Caroline nodded. “Yes, but I was too embarrassed to go through with it. Kept telling myself I had plenty of time, someday I’d meet the right guy.”

  “What happened?” Amber said, turning towards Caroline.