Happier

Chapter 2

-Natalie-

We had rented three cars altogether, so most of us were learning in or out of vehicles in varying shades of discomfort from all the food we ate. A few went into the Metro for breakfast items we may or may not even want. We were also curious about the fancy Quebec grocery store and it was remarkable how much I envied the French way of life—and it was just day one.
                 I would probably cry on the plane ride back while I drink my Tim Hortons coffee and smuggle several pounds of maple sugar back on the plane. If I get pulled to the side for additional bag checking I might die of mortification over my sugar obsession.
                 I had been hustled into the backseat while Mikey drove and Rowen navigated, but I needed to not be in the same car with him right now after his stunning dinner admission. We were better friends than he thought we might be, and whatever that was was nerve-wracking on its own and really killed my pink wine buzz.
                 I shook my head and sighed, looking behind me at the group chatting before turning back and staring out across the darkened parking lot and wondering why I wasn't getting eaten alive by my mosquitos right now.
                 Mikey, Rowen, Allison, and her husband Scott were still in the store as the rest of us leaned uncomfortably against semi-solid objects.
                 I more or less gathered the essentials, struggled to pay, and left with everything stuffed in my purse because I was drunk as hell and forgot my reusable bag. God bless their sustainability, but shit, sometimes a girl just needed a plastic bag. I also hated having to figure out my bag situation. I had stood their awkwardly stuffing my groceries into my backpack purse thing, so there was currently a baguette sticking out while zippered up with about a crackheads drug hoard worth of maple sugar.
                 I was a simple creature, and this creature liked comfort food items.
                 The others chatted in and out of their cars while I leaned on the back of the rented Toyota because I didn't have the keys. The boys didn't trust me to drive, which was fine by me, I was quite okay with not having to figure out what the signs meant. Plus, Rowen was doing a spectacular job as chief navigator, and I didn't want to take that away. I thought surely he must have done some intensive studying before our trip with the massive amount of free time he had, to be Dean's List smart at our college and all.
                  I kept an ear out for the others, listening but keeping quiet because I was at the peek of my people limit, even with these guys; I just wanted to get back to the rental since we had been going all day. Our flight from Phoenix was balls early, so now that I was bordering on jet-lagged nap time. The day before was the last day of the Spring semester and finals, so in reality, I was going on very little sleep from the entire week leading up to now.
                 So, it was safe to say I wasn't in it for conversations that could cause me to say something stupid. I didn't need any help on a normal, sober day, let alone drunk and only going on a couple of hours of sleep.
                 "About time, you guys," Mary exaggerated, sighing, which effectively interrupted my spiraling thoughts and snapped me back into reality.
                 "You could have gone in too, you know?" Allison shoved a reusable bag of groceries at her, and Mary took them but managed to flip her off in the possess before loading them into their rented SUV complete with awful Florida tags.
                 "Floridians are too good for that there Frenchie stuff." I mimicked a southern accent, grinning as I looked down at the toes of my memory foam flats explicitly bought for this trip to avoid noticing Rowen coming over to settle against the hood with me, reusable tote secured under his arm.
                 "I fucking hate this license plate, I feel icky." Mary shivered delicately, stepping aside so Mikey could load up the other totes and close the hatch.
                 "What's so wrong with Florida? The beach is nice." Mikey, the glass half full being of light stuffed his hands into the pack pockets of his skinny jeans.
                 "It's Florida." Rowen and I said in unison, which caused us to grin at eachother. Great minds, they say.
                 "Well, I like it." He rocked back on his heels, but all I could see was Lizzie glancing sideways at him with sunsets and beach walks in her eyes. My brain homed in on thinking maybe those two should date, but who was I to be a modern Emma? I was no Jane Austen because love and romance still perplexed me.
                 Sober or tipsy.
                 "Did you buy anything?" Allison looked around Rowen to me, and I turned sideways to wiggle my baguette and smack Rowen in the head with it.
                 "Sure did." He reacted by tilting away from me.
                 "Control yourself, woman. That might be considered assault in Quebec." Rowen teased.
                 "Psh, you wish." I rolled my eyes, feigning indifference when I felt nothing of the sort.
                 "Anyone need anything else while we're here." Allison took a turn to look at everyone as we chorused No. One of the husbands murmured something else which cause a collective chuckle and a glare from Mary who obviously heard.
                 Group trips and outings, I realized in such a short time, were like herding cats. Or toddlers.
                 "Alright then, are you all ready to get this road on the show? I need to not be in public anymore." Mary claps her hands together as she hops into the driver seat of the SUV, but half of the bunch was already in their respective cars or heading to their rightful places. Which left me alone with Rowen, who was holding the keys looking cute with his reusable bag on his shoulder, looking like a farmer's market wet dream.
                 Oh, dear God, shut up.
                 "Caravan!" Allison made to slide across the hood of their rented powder blue Prius but ended up falling short and almost busting her ass if it weren't for Mikey reaching out to grab her. As we watched in abject horror, I unknowingly slapped a hand down on what I thought was the hood of the car but connected with Rowen's thigh, which startled him too, so everyone was all a little messed up.
                 "Shit, sorry," I quickly rush to say, standing up and moving around to see if she was going to be okay and also to vacate my spot like it lit my ass on fire.The muscular thigh my hand connected against really snapped me up and out of my seat.
                 "I'm good, I'm good," Allison laughs as she allows Mikey to gently get her in her seat before he looks over at us, shaking his head slowly before ducking inside himself.
                 That meant...