Cruel Summer [N.H]

Chapter 1

"Ladies!" Avery called to the girls huddled in the hotel bathroom. "We have to get to Wrigleyville before the game ends if we want to avoid waiting in line for the bars."

A chorus of "okay's" responded from behind the door, and all Avery could do was roll her eyes.

They'd had a busy day, but Avery, in particular, had been in charge of making sure the weekend got off to a smooth start.

She woke up early to call and request early check-in at the hotel. When her wish had been granted, she got all of the decorations into an Uber and made her way downtown to set up. By noon, the hotel room was covered in streamers and balloons. The snacks were organized on the table and the bar was stocked with alcohol.

After making her way back to her apartment, she began airport runs to both O'Hare and Midway to pick up her fellow bridesmaids, before ending at the train station to grab the bride.

She was thankful she planned for Ava's bachelorette party to be a Chicago getaway. She couldn't imagine coordinating everything in a city she didn't know very well.

In the afternoon, they'd taken an aerial yoga class, voluntarily suspending their bodies from ropes on the ceiling, then grabbed Shake Shack for dinner. Returning to the hotel, they had countless glasses of champagne by the pool. Now they'd all showered and were getting ready for a low-key night out to officially start Ava's Bachelorette Weekend.

Avery met Ava in kindergarten. Since they were five years old, the two girls had been close, relying on each other for the most important parts of life. When Ava accepted the proposal of her college sweetheart, Avery was ready with a wedding planner in hand.

The bride stepped out of the bathroom and did a twirl. Her deep brown hair spun around her and a smile glowed on her face. All Avery could do was grin. Her best friend looked gorgeous in her deep cut, white pantsuit. Very few people could pull off such a look, but since Ava didn't have a single curve on her body, she looked runway ready.

"Are you going to be able to go in the batting cages with those shoes?" Avery asked. The tip of her fingernail was tucked between her teeth. Ava glanced down at her shoes, which were at least five-inch tall pumps. "Without turning an ankle?" Avery added.

"I can always take these off," Ava shook her foot. "The real question is how are you going to get in a proper batting stance in that dress?"

Avery giggled, turning to look at her reflection in the full-length mirror. Her friend certainly had a point. She'd ordered her dress from Pretty Little Thing's Shape line. And while it had hugged her hips and thighs nicely, it still barely covered her ass. She was wearing a faux leather body con dress that had a deep plunging v-neck and a high thigh slit. If she didn't feel so sexy, she'd feel extremely exposed.

"It's fine," Avery said. "I live right by there, I can drunkenly hit up the batting cages any time I want."

"That's true," Ava said.

Avery yelled a five-minute warning.

— — —

They still had to wait in line at the bar. Not even Ava's glittering Bride sash got them past the bouncer. But that was unsurprising for a Cubs home series. The streets were filled with fans and tourists mixed with rowdy groups of friends who cared less about baseball and more about finding a good time.

Avery's apartment was a few blocks west, closer to Southport, but she loved living near the stadium. There were lots of bars, tons of food, and always events going on. Whether it was the Twelve Bars of Christmas bar crawl or $5 pints at Sheffield's, she wasn't sure she'd ever live anywhere else in Chicago.