The night was getting late and they were all a little drunk, but Rufus could tell everyone was really enjoying themselves. He was even drunk enough that his embarrassment over messing things up with Jiya were minimal at the moment. He had no doubt full mortification would come when he sobered up. Monday was going to be awkward, and that brought something to mind.

"So, Wyatt, who was the hot blonde? Did you get her number? 'Cause that look like one super awkward conversation."

Wyatt choked on his beer. "The 'hot blonde' is my ex-wife, and yes I have her number."

It was Rufus' turn to choke a little. The girls were crowing with laughter and demanding details. All he could do was silently agree while trying to expel beer from his lungs.

Nicole was the first to speak. "No! What's her name? When did you break up? Why was she here?"

"Whoa, whoa!" Jiya interrupted and looked at Wyatt. "Those three questions are a good place to start, then I have like a gazillion questions."

Rufus almost felt bad for the man. He knew what it felt like to go against those two women and their curiosity. He waved over their waitress and ordered the soldier a whiskey.

"I'm not bailing you out, man. I wanna know too. There's so much I want to know."

The waitress delivered the beverage, which was immediately slammed back. Wyatt stared at the table for a second before he started to speak. He was talking so quietly Rufus had a hard time hearing him.

"Her name is Jessica. We've been divorced for about two years. She said she's here with some new friends from college. We've known each other since we were kids. She's getting remarried this summer."

Rufus felt bad for the man. It was clear the break up still hurt. He decided to give him a break from the girls.

"I'm going to let you off the hook for now, but I've gotta know. Does she have buck teeth or something? I mean why else would you not introduce us?"

Wyatt laughed and the melancholy was broken. "No, man, I wanted her to have a good time tonight. Couldn't have your ugly mug scaring her off, now could I?"

Rufus smiled as he took another sip of his beer. Jiya and Nicole were wiping tears of laughter from their eyes and he was proud of himself. Wyatt was now a part of their band of merry people and he would remain so, even once the army decided they did not need him at Mason any longer, and Rufus hoped that day was a long way down the road. The scientific developments they could make with his military input boggled his inebriated mind. When he resurfaced from his musings the other three had moved on to a debate about time travel. It took another pitcher of beer to come to a stalemate on the subject. It was getting close to one before they all pulled out their phones to arrange rides home. Rufus and Nicole actually lived in the same neighborhood so they decided to share a taxi and left the other two when their ride arrived first.

When Rufus awoke the next morning with a hangover and one pant leg still on, he knew he needed to make the next night out a short one. At least there was no tequila. He mentally thanked Jiya's insistence as he made his way to the bathroom. Freshly showered and with painkillers beginning to work he dug his phone from his pants pocket and was surprised to see an email from Wyatt. He was even more surprised to see it was sent several hours earlier and was about the car. Even he could not deal with schematics at ten AM on a Saturday morning before coffee, with a hangover no less. He considered texting him about working on the weekend after going out, but then he opened the email. It was clear the man was drunk when he wrote it, but there were actually enough good ideas that Rufus' brain was starting to forget coffee was a requirement, and that it was Saturday. By the time the coffee maker was finished his laptop was at the table and ready to go.

Monday morning Rufus dragged his weary body into work and straight to the coffee maker Mason had installed in their main conference room.

He mumbled, "I hate you," to Wyatt as he passed. His coworkers watched him curiously as he made his third cup of caffeine of the morning and slumped down in his chair with relief.

"What did I do?"

"You sent a drunken email to me rambling on and on about the things you would fix on cars with your granddad. Then, you started talking about the guys in the motor pool you knew when you were stationed overseas. Then, you went on a rant about all the things that would break down because of the sand. That got me to thinking and I may have made a breakthrough on the car. But it took nearly all weekend to hash it all out."

"Sorry? I don't remember sending you any emails."

"Dude, I could smell the booze through the screen. I'm more surprised you were able to see the keyboard to type all that than I am that you don't remember. You had some good ideas. In fact, Nicole, I'm going to send it to you too. I think you might be able to use some of Wyatt's drunken wisdom."

She laughed. "Sure. Let's see what Soldier Boy here's got."

Five minutes later Rufus watched as she began typing furiously on her computer. He turned to Wyatt.

"You should have sent her that email too. She could have pulled an all-nighter while hungover too, only to stay up until literally passing out on her couch with the laptop still on at some time after four."

"No wonder you look like crap. Why don't you take a nap on the couch in the conference room? We'll cover for you."

"Uh, what couch?"

"The one the girls and I moved in there before you got here. There's a waiting room type area that had all this comfy furniture in it, and it's not like we're using that room, so we rearranged some and brought in the couch and two chairs. I've gotta say, this place is starting to feel more cozy and less creepy all the time."

"I know what you mean. I think I'll upload all this new data I've got and then go take that nap."

The conference room was way more comfortable with the large table pushed to one end of the room to make a place for the gray couch and two matching chairs. Rufus knew that there was a coffee table to match that would probably end up in there before the week was out. The little sitting nook was just perfect for a nap.

The Preston sisters had ignored Thanksgiving, but there was no way Aunt Harry was letting them skip Christmas. So two days before Christmas they loaded up the presents they had bought on a four hour Amazon spree and the cookies and ham, and made their way to Barstow. They were going to stay until the twenty-sixth. It was loud and distracting and just what they both needed. However, Lucy was fed up with the holidays. Four days with Aunt Harry and her family had frayed her nerves. After the long drive home the empty house had driven home the fact that this was their first Christmas without their mother. Amy spent the next week with friends and out of the house as much as possible. Lucy on the other hand had been stuck in it, going through all the boxes from her office deciding what she was talking with her to City College and what she was leaving in her home office. By the time New Year's Eve arrived Lucy was antsy. So, she dressed up and headed to the bar Jess had introduced her to before the holidays. They had been announcing a big party for the night.

She fought her way through the crowd to the bar. Normally crowds made her antsy, but after a week spent in a large empty house, she relished the push and shove of so many people and the overly loud music. She lucked out and a seat opened up at the bar just as she got there. She ordered a shot of tequila and downed it before the bartender could walk away. She downed her second shot as quickly as the first and ordered yet another to drink more slowly.

"Careful ma'am, you might want to pace yourself. You're not as young as you used to be."

Lucy looked toward the smooth voice that was rudely trying to interrupt her good riddance to the year. The voice belonged to a pair of blue eyes that belonged to a face that sat underneath a military haircut. The man was about her age, so she was more than somewhat annoyed that he was calling her ma'am. She took a swallow of her drink and summoned her best professor voice.

"Screw you."

In the crowded bar she expected him to quickly move on to another target. However, he turned more fully toward her and let his gaze slowly travel from her head to her toes. He smiled a lazy smile and took another sip of his beverage of choice.

Then he spoke, "I'm game."

She nearly choked on her next shot as her brain registered his reply. He was certainly good looking, but she was not sure if that made his comment any less offensive, or if she wanted to go with it. Everything combined in her mind: the alcohol, the grief, the desire for relief, and the need to forget. All of it made resisting temptation an impossibility.

"Seriously, I thought I was too old," she said with a hint of mischief in her voice. Tonight, she was going to go with it.

"At least I know you're legal, ma'am."

Lucy scowled. "You know, we're about the same age. You don't have to call me ma'am."

"But you're cute when you get all riled up."

"You know what? Fine. Let's go."

She dug in her purse for enough cash to cover her drinks and a large tip as she enjoyed the stunned expression that crossed his face. It was good to know she could surprise someone occasionally. He recovered quickly enough and dug his wallet out to settle his tab. Soon they were in a cab heading to his place, and she still did not know his name. Tonight, she did not want to know. This was her Good Riddance to a Terrible Year party and tonight she was not going to let herself get in the way. By the time they arrived at his apartment building he was wearing more of her lipstick than she was. It was 11:57 when he unlocked the door. They were already kissing again when the new year arrived.

Lucy awoke to a heartbeat under her ear. She froze before she remembered the previous evening. No, no, no, no, no, no. She could not believe she had gotten drunk enough that going home with a stranger had seemed like a good idea. She heard the heartbeat speed up and knew her human pillow was awake. She prayed he would be the type of guy that would pretend to stay asleep. Carefully, she inched her way out of the bed. It was easy enough to find most of her clothes in the darkened room but she could not find her underwear. She decided she could live without them and grabbed her shoes. Just as she got to the door she saw her companion at the bedroom door.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to."

Lucy smiled softly. "Thank you. But I don't want to worry my sister. If she sees I'm not there in the morning she'll panic, and I can't do that to her. We've gone through enough this year."

Lucy stopped before she could start crying. This man didn't need that.

He nodded and smiled. "I'm Wyatt by the way."

She laughed. "Lucy."

"Be careful getting home Lucy."

She nodded as she walked out the door. She was crying by the time she got to the elevator. She had never wanted to stay somewhere and escape that place at the same time before, but she was already regretting walking out the door. The elevator chimed its arrival and Lucy made her way down to the foyer to wait for her Uber.