their table.
“Keisha!” Laura stood, embracing her friend. “It’s been ages! How are you?”
As they caught up, Keisha mentioned her job at a local warehouse. “Actually, we’re looking for a new secretary. The pay’s decent, and it could be a good fresh start. Want me to put in a word for you?”
Laura glanced at Jen, who gave an encouraging ned. Turning back to Keisha, Laura smiled. “You know what? That sounds perfect. I’m all about fresh starts these days.”
Laura, Jen, and Keisha settled into a cozy booth at the back of the bar, their laughter already filling the air. The place was bustling with alter–work crowds, the hum of conversation and clinking glasses creating a lively atmosphere.
“I can’t believe we ran into you here, Keisha!” Laura exclaimed, still riding the high of her courtroom victory. “It must be a sign.”
Keisha grinned, raising her glass. “A sign of good things to come, I hope. Now, let’s make a proper toast. To Laura, for kicking ass and taking names!”
They clinked glasses, the sound lost in the noise of the bar but the sentiment clear on their faces.
Jen leaned in, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Okay, Keisha, you’ve got to fill us in. What’s Laura been missing all these years? Any embarrassing college stories we don’t know about?”
Laura groaned playfully. “Oh no, don’t you dare, Keisha!”
Keisha laughed, taking a sip of her drink. “Well, there was that time during freshman year when Laura decided she was going to become a stand–up comedian…”
Laura’s eyes widened. “Oh god, I’d forgotten about that phase!”
“Phase?” Keisha snorted. “You mean that one disastrous open mic night?
Jen leaned forward, intrigued. “Oh, this I’ve got to hear.”
Despite Laura’s playful protests, Keisha launched into the story. “Picture this: Laura, barely 18, decides she’s the next big thing in comedy. She signs up for an open mic night at this dingy little chub off–campus. ”
“In my defense,” Laura interjected, “I was running on three hours of sleep and way too much caffeine.”
Keisha waved her oll. “Anyway, she gets up on stage, and her opening line is, ‘So, what’s the deal with college cafeteria food?“”
Jen burst out laughing. “Oh no, Laura, you didn’t!”
Laura buried her face in her hands, but she was laughing too. “It seemed clever at the time!”
“It got worse,” Keisha continued, barely containing her giggles. “She then proceeded to do a five–minute bit comparing different types of pasta to college majors.”
“Linguini was definitely the English lit students,” Laura added, giving in to the hilarity of the memory.
Act Fast Free Bonus Time is Running Out!
CHAPTER TWENTY- When the Pieces Don’t Fit
As they dissolved into laughter, a waiter approached their table. “Can I get you ladies another round?”
“Absolutely,” Jen replied, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. “And maybe some nachos? I think we need to soak up some of this alcohol before Laura decides to give stand–up another shot.”
The waiter nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. “Coming right up. And just so you know, we do have an open mic night here on Thursdays.”
As he walked away, the three women erupted into fresh peals of laughter.
“Don’t even think about it,” Laura warned, pointing a finger at Jen.
Jen held up her hands in mock surrender. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Although… maybe we should sign Leon up for it. I’d pay good money to see that train wreck.”
The mention of Leon sobered Laura for a moment, but she pushed the thought away. “Nah, he’d probably just steal someone else’s Jokes.”
“Ouch,” Keisha winced, but she was smiling. “Looks like someone’s finally sharpening those claws. Good for you, Laura.”
Their drinks arrived, and Jen raised her glass again. “To Laura 2.0 – funnier, fiercer, and finally free!”
more, the warmth of friendship and alcohol creating a bubble of happiness around their booth.
They clinked glasses once mon
As they sipped their drinks, Keisha’s eyes suddenly widened. “Oh my god, do you remember Professor Hendricks?”
Laura groaned. “How could I forget? The most boring economics lectures in the history of academia.”
“Well,” Keisha leaned in conspiratorially, “I ran into him at the grocery store last week. He’s retired now, but guess what? He’s started
a YouTube channel where he reviews different types of grass”
There was a moment of stunned silence before all three burst into laughter
“You’re kidding.” Jen gasped between giggles.
Keisha shook her head, pulling out her phone. “I wish I was. Look, I’ll show you.”
She pulled up a video, and sure enough, there was Professor Hendricks, looking exactly as Laura remembered him, droning on about the finer points of Kentucky bluegrass versus fescue.
“Oh, this is too good,” Laura wheezed, wiping tears from her eyes. “I almost want to subscribe ”
“Do it,” Jen urged. “It’ll be like those ASMR videos, but for insomnia”
As they continued to laugh and reminisce, the waiter returned with their nachos. The smell of melted cheese and spices wafted through the air, making Laura’s stomach growl.
“Oh man, I didn’t realize how hungry I was,” she said, reaching for a chip.
Just as she was about to take a bite, a commation near the bar caught their attention. A man had apparently tried to do a trick shot with
a pool cue and sent balls flying everywhere. One rolled to a stop right next to their booth.
Without missing a beat, Jen scooped it up and called out, “Hey, Polpocket! I think you dropped something!”
The man turned, his face red with embarrassment, and hurried over to retrieve the ball. As he approached, Laura couldn’t help but notice he was actually quite handsome, in a rumpled, absent–minded professor kind of way,
“Thanks,” he mumbled, reaching for the ball. “I, uh, miscalculated the angle of trajectory.”
Keisha raised an eyebrow. “Is that what they’re calling it these days?”
The man’s blush deepened, but a small smile played at his lips: “I’m usually much better at physics, I swear. I’m Adam, by the way,
“Well, Adam,” Jen said, a mischievous glint in her eye, “why don’t you show us these amazing physics skills of yours? We’ve got nachos to share if you’ve got some impressive trick shots to show off.”
Laura shot her sister a look, but Jen just winked. Adam, for his part, looked both terrified and intrigued.
“I, uh… sure, why not?” he said, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. “But fair warning, I’m much better with theoretical physics than applied.”
As Adam headed back to the pool table, Jen turned t
ed to Laura with a grin. “See? I’m helping you network. He could be your next Nobel
planning the wedding, okay?”
