Stupid word.

She could probably still get ahold of him if she wanted. Girlfriend be damned.

Liz searched her phone for the various numbers programmed into it. She didn’t know if the line he had used on campaign for his office was still active, and he changed his work number frequently enough because of people tapping into his line that there was no way that one still worked. Plus, he didn’t take work calls this late.

That left his personal number. The one he reserved strictly for family.

It was amazing that even through her addled mind the details of his personal schedule from the summer came back to her clear as day. She didn’t think she would ever forget that time of her life. Even if it only hit her in moments now.

Liz bit her lip and clicked the number. She started typing out a message before she even had a chance to think about it.

It’s my birthday and I want to cash in my congressional favor.

She giggled and placed her phone back into her purse. After relieving herself she hurried out of the stall.

“Jesus, what took you so long?” Massey asked, typing away on her own phone.

“I think I’m drunk,” Liz said while washing her hands.

“Um . . . yeah.”

The girls walked out of the restroom and back to Victoria, who was standing and talking to Savannah.

“Savannah!” Liz cried, giving her a big hug.

Savannah raised her eyebrows at her. “Um . . . hey. Happy birthday.”

“Thank you.”

“Let’s do shots and then head to a bar we can dance in,” Victoria announced.

Kyle poured five shots full of something that smelled like lemons. He passed them across the bar and kept one for himself.

“Just close me out.”

“Anything for you, V.”

Victoria pushed one over to Savannah, who shook her head. “Oh no, sorry. I’m not drinking.”

“Um . . . I just bought you a shot. So you’re drinking.”

“Come on!” Liz called. “It’s my birthday.”

“Um . . . maybe just one. But nothing after this.”

“Don’t be so uptight, Maxwell,” Massey said, nudging her in the ribs. “It’s okay to have a good time in college. You’ll still get into Congress even if you drank underage once.”

Savannah’s cheeks heated as she took the glass in her hand.

Liz reached out and shoved Massey. “Don’t be a bitch. She doesn’t even want to go into politics. Don’t you know your newspaper staff?” Liz asked through her drunken haze. She didn’t like anyone messing with her friends, especially after Savannah trusted her. All the alcohol kept her inhibitions down. “Don’t be rude!”

Massey’s eyes practically popped out of her head. “Feisty much, Liz?”

“Well, I wouldn’t have to be if you weren’t being an asshole.”

“Whoa!” Victoria said, raising her glass up to silence them. “Drunk Liz wants to get into a fight.”

Massey shrugged. “I was only joking,” she said to Savannah.

“It’s fine,” she said tightly. “Let’s just do the shot.”

“Agreed,” Victoria said.

Liz felt her phone vibrate in her purse and butterflies flew around her stomach. Had Brady actually responded? What had she even said to him? It hadn’t been that long ago, had it? God, she didn’t even remember.

“Happy Birthday, Liz,” Victoria called.

Everyone raised their shot glasses and cheered her. Liz realized what was happening and held her shot glass up too. She tipped the glass back and let the liquid slide down her throat.

Whoa! That was strong.

They set the glasses back down on the bar and as they waited for Victoria to close her tab, Liz pulled her phone back out to check her messages.

One new message.

Carmichael Personal read on the screen.

Brady. Her stomach flipped. He had responded. She couldn’t believe it.

And what favor could a congressman offer to a girl on her birthday?

Liz’s heart stopped. Was he . . . teasing her? Shit! What had she said to get Brady to tease her? Liz reread her other messages and then Brady’s once more. Yeah . . . he was totally teasing her. She jotted back another drunken message immediately.

I can think of a few things.

I can think of more than a few. Perhaps you could be more specific.

“Are you drunk texting Lane?” Massey asked, coming up next to her as they walked in the street.

“What? Oh no,” she said quickly.

“Oh my God, you so are. What is he saying?”

“Nothing!”

“Is he sexting you? Because you are totally blushing.”

Liz’s face colored deeper at the accusation. “You think Hayden sexts?”

Massey wrinkled her nose. “No. You’re right. He probably doesn’t.”

“Are y’all talking about Hayden?” Savannah asked, listening in on the conversation. “Because that’s gross.”

“He’s not gross!” Liz defended him.

“No, he’s not! I didn’t mean it like that,” Savannah said automatically. “I just don’t see him like that. To me he’s like the boss.”

“Liz is fucking the boss,” Massey said giggling.

Liz rolled her eyes and hid her phone as she responded to Brady.

Things your sister wouldn’t approve of me discussing with you right now.

I bet she wouldn’t be the only one.

She bit her lip at the message. Somewhere in the dark recesses of her mind, something was telling her to stop talking and not continue on this conversation. There was a reason that she shouldn’t be saying these things. Both of them shouldn’t. It wasn’t a good idea, and it wasn’t going anywhere. But she’d had too much alcohol to care at the moment. So she jotted out a text.

Please tell me you’re in Raleigh without the uppity nuisance.

She giggled to herself about her jab on Erin as Victoria directed them into a bar on the corner. Liz followed at the back of the pack, waiting for Brady’s response to her jab about Erin.

Uppity nuisance, huh? I’m in D.C. Don’t make me fly down there and remind you why he’s just a boring fill-in. I do believe we own his desk, after all.

Oh shit! She gasped loud enough that Savannah turned around and looked at her. Liz stuffed her phone back into her purse and tried not to look scandalized at the thought of she and Brady sleeping together on Hayden’s desk. Then she quickly pulled it out again and typed out a reply.

You wouldn’t.

Baby, are you asking me to prove it?

“Who are you texting anyway?” Savannah asked as they walked into the club Victoria and Massey had selected. Savannah looked concerned, but Liz couldn’t figure out why. Did she look that drunk?

“No one,” Liz said.

“We’re going to go dance,” Victoria called back to them as she and Massey threaded through the crowd.

“Someone should take your phone away from you,” Savannah said. “You can’t be forming coherent sentences with anyone at your level of inebriation.”

Liz glared at her. She didn’t want anyone to take her phone from her. Brady was talking to her. But as drunk as she was, she still didn’t say anything about that.

“I’m so totally fine.”

Savannah rolled her eyes. “Why don’t we just go dance with Victoria and Massey? It might do you some good to sweat out some of that alcohol.”

“Seriously, Savannah. I’m fine,” Liz said as she stumbled forward and nearly tripped over her own feet.

Savannah grabbed her arm. “I know it’s your twenty-first, and I mean this with love, Liz, but please don’t do anything stupid. I really, really don’t want to have to call Hayden for you.”

“Um . . . yeah. No.”

“I mean, he can probably already tell how drunk you are from your texts.”

“Probs,” Liz said with a shrug as she pushed forward to the center of the dance floor to find Victoria. She didn’t want to continue that conversation. The alcohol felt as if it was sloshing around inside her head, and everything was getting jumbled.

Liz sent another quick message as she was walking.