Read Online Longboard (Desk Surfing Series Book 1) by Davila Eggert - Free Book Online Page B

wasn't that red diner-pop leather.  It was that rustic maroon, still very reminiscent of the Old West.  I grabbed the far booth on the right side.  There were still five booths open.  Two were taken, one by a couple the other by a triplet.  So I sat by myself and played with my smart phone.  I already knew what I wanted to order, but I wanted to wait for the girls.  I wouldn't call myself an expert on anything.  But I knew that for conversation to be good, you had to be at about the same level of intoxication as your counterparts.  Just imagine showing up to a party two hours late stone-sober.  You almost wouldn't recognize how much fun people were having because you were in a different state of mind.  It was the same when you were one drink in and everyone else just fed the parking meter.  So I waited. 
                  Jessie showed first.  She had on her suit skirt, minus the name tag.  I figured she would beat Malia because Malia said she was coming but had to do something before she came.  It was the reason she didn't want to ride together, even though she didn't know exactly where the place was. 
                  "Should we kick off or round off?" asked Jessie, meaning should we get started or wait to share the first round with Malia.
                  "I'll text her...No answer."
                  "Let's get started," said Jessie.
                  "Cool, need a minute?"
                  "Nope," said Jessie.  I handed her my credit card.
                  "I'll have an Even Split ."  It was equal parts banana and chocolate liqueur with some vanilla extract, made to taste like a banana split.
                  "Game on," said Jessie, as she got up to go to the bar.  Jessie and I sat for about forty minutes before Malia showed up, which was as odd as it was rude--no call or text.  Malia and I had the same drive and it was against traffic.  It didn't make sense that she was so late.  But at least she showed.
                  "Hey, sorry I'm late," said Malia, "Traffic got stupid and then I couldn't find the place and when I did, I had to find parking.
                  "There's a lot down the street."
                  "I saw that but it was full," said Malia, "So I had to go along the water till I found a row of metered spots.  I got an hour.  I figured because we'll have to leave and go home to get club attire."
                  "True that.  Malia, this is my long-serving partner in crime, Jessica Jin."
                  "Nice to meet you," said Malia.
                  "Likewise," said Jessie.
                  "What are you guys having?" asked Malia.
                  " Harvey Wallbanger ," said Jessie.
                  "Mine's called an Even Split ."
                  "I'll go for a Betty Cosmo ," said Malia.
                  "Haven't had that."
                  "You can try mine," said Malia.  Malia sat next to Jessie but I could tell Jessie's instincts were kicking in.  She didn't like Malia.  It was obvious to me but not Malia.  One of the pitfalls of being the new girl.  You couldn't necessarily read the subtitles.  But Malia hung out.  She didn't talk too much but she chimed in.  She seemed preoccupied.  I never spent time with Malia outside work but somehow I figured she'd be more talkative.  I mean she wasn't shy about giving presentations, so I figured she'd be somewhat outgoing.  Maybe she was just running on fumes because it was Friday.  The conversation was light.  It wasn't meant to be heavy.  We talked about movies and fashion and current events.  The conversation didn't go much into guys, mostly because it was two-way.  Jessie and I were talking about a few boys from high school because Jessie had bumped into this dude recently.  But Malia never chimed in