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Hayden keeps looking at me fondly. He and Mike stopped drinking to “babysit” me and Kora, and the two of them keep exchanging amused glances.

When it’s Kora’s turn to finally sing, she refuses to get off the stage after her song ends, insisting on an encore song. Mike simply picks her up, draping her over his shoulder like a weightless doll, and returns her to our table.

I am overwhelmingly dizzy when it’s my turn to perform. The lights around me glow like fireflies in the dark, and I have to grip the mic stand tightly to stop myself from swaying. The crowd disappears into the background, and I’m pretty sure I’m singing what could only be described as the most epic version of “A Thousand Miles” that anyone has ever heard.

When I skip back to our table after my performance, I jump into my boyfriend’s arms.

“You’re completely tone-deaf, baby,” he says adoringly.

“What?” I punch him in the shoulder. “I gave a very passionate performance.”

“Oh, it was passionate alright,” he says, grinning from ear to ear.

Mike snorts from across the table, and Kora keels over in laughter.

But I’m happy. I’m starting to think that this might be the best night of my life. Which I keep telling my friends. When I loudly announce that this is the best night of my life for the fifth time, the boys cut me off from any future drinks.

And when Kora complains that her Cuba Libre tastes like Coca-Cola and nothing else, I get the feeling that Mike might’ve cut her off too.

“The new rum we use just has a very subtle taste,” he deadpans.

“Well, that’s stupid! You should change that,” my best friend whines.

“I’ll look into it,” he says, and I feel Hayden’s chest vibrate with laughter behind me.

My favorite thing about tonight is that I’ve learned that Hayden is very into PDA. He’s permanently attached to me. I’m used to it when we’re at my place, but I wasn’t expecting him to be all over me in public with our friends around. When he’s not holding me in his arms, he’s either holding my hand, touching my lower back, or hooking his fingers through my belt loop. I continue being pleasantly surprised by it.

All of my past relationships had one thing in common––no touching in public. It wasn’t a rule, but none of my exes ever initiated physical contact outside of the bedroom. I was called clingy and needy more times than I can count for simply wanting to hold hands. My last ex once said, and I quote, “Does everyone need to know we’re together?” I didn’t try again after that.

Needless to say, it’s a foreign experience to have someone practically glued to me in public. It may sound stupid, but it makes my chest swell with happiness. I can’t stop smiling from ear to ear, my stomach doing little swoops with every touch and every brush of his lips against mine.

The boys stay true to their promise and serenade us with an unenthusiastic version of “Barbie Girl,” and I’m on all fours on the ground hollering from laughter.

Kora is crouched down next to me, tears of laughter running down her cheeks as she hiccups. “I think I peed myself.”

My chest is heaving so hard that I think I might die, laughter rippling through me.

When they come off the stage and find us, they decide it’s time for us to go home.

Neither Kora nor I complain. We’re too far gone to have an opinion about it.

“Remind me to cut you off earlier next time,” Hayden chimes in when I start to sway and he has to steady me on our walk out.

Once we’re outside the bar, Hayden offers me a piggyback ride to his truck since we parked a few streets away.

“Miiiiiiiike, I want a piggyback ride,” Kora whines, tugging on his shirt collar with pleading eyes.

He briefly closes his eyes and rubs his temples. “As long as you promise not to puke all over me.”

Kora is on his back in seconds, her eyes gleaming with joy.

“Wait, wait, Hayden,” I say. “Bring me closer to Kora. I wanna tell her something.”

He doesn’t protest and walks to Mike, stopping only inches away from him.

I keep one arm around his neck but hold my other hand out to my friend, and she takes it in hers. “Kora, I am gonna tell you a secret,” I say, my tone serious.

“Is this about Hayden’s dick size?”