Love on the Fast Track (Derek and Norah)

Chapter 109:

After Norah let those words slip, she braced herself for the fallout, unsure how Derek and Madeline would take

her words but feeling a surge of liberation nonetheless.

With a flicker of contemplation, Norah snapped a photo of a fragment of her divorce certificate, posted it on her

socials, and tagged it with the cryptic caption, “Feeling good.”

A ping on her phone drew Norah's attention, revealing Susanna’s approving like.

“Congratulations, Norah! Where are you? Do you want to hang out?”

Even through the digital screen, Norah sensed Susanna’s excitement and eagerness. “Sure thing, where are

you?” she replied.

Another like popped up, this tfrom Gil.

“Good! Keep moving forward!”

Susanna sent Norah an address, and Norah hit the road. Meanwhile, Sean hovered over his phone, lingering on

Norah's post in his feed, his finger hovering over the like button. He wondered whether Norah had stumbled

upon the note tucked in the jewelry box. He was desperate to find out her thoughts and reaction.

Now that Norah had posted her divorce certificate on social media, he wondered whether it signified something

deeper. At that moment, Sean found himself oddly intrigued by his friend's overseas exploits.

As a bit of a ladies’ man, his friend prided himself on reading between the lines when it cto women’s

intentions.

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Sean commented on Norah's post, “Congrats.”

Feeling it was too impersonal, he deleted it, then after a pause, he typed, “You'll find out soon enough.”

Spotting Susanna’s comments under Norah's post, Sean gave Susanna a ring and asked, “Where do you two

plan to have fun?”

Music blared from Susanna’s end, her voice slightly muffled amidst the noise. “Hey, Sean! I'm at Coco Club,

rounding up sfriends for a little shindig. Oh, and | invited Norah too!”

“No heavy drinking, alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, | got it! Just hanging out and dancing with the gang. | promise not to overindulge.”

After hanging up, Sean couldn’t shake off a nagging feeling of unease, but he pushed it aside, distracting himself

with other thoughts.

Coco Club, nestled in Glophia, was a quaint little joint known for its potent concoctions and lively tunes. It

attracted a crowd looking to let loose and unwind.

Norah had never set foot in this place before, wondering how Susanna stumbled upon this hidden gem. When

Norah arrived, she found herself being tended to by two girls pouring drinks.

Norah intercepted the hand offering her alcohol and coldly said, “Susanna’s off the table tonight!”

The girl holding the drink looked miffed, firing back, “And who might you be? What's it to you if we have a little

fun?” Susanna’s face lit up at Norah's arrival.

“Norah, you...” A slight blush adorned Susanna’s cheeks, barely visible under the club’s vibrant lights, but Norah

caught it and lowered her voice. “Have you been drinking?”

Susanna sheepishly nodded. “Just a few sips of a cocktail, nothing too strong. Just curious about its taste.” The

scene at the table buzzed with activity, four individuals gathered around: two men and two women.

The girl beside Susanna held a glass of alcohol, seemingly eager to pour a drink for her.

Norah's expression turned icy. “Don’t you know about Susanna’s health condition? Offering her alcohol? Are you

trying to stir up trouble?”

The girl holding the glass of alcohol was named Frieda Cruz. She scoffed. “We're just having a good twith

Susanna. What's the big deal? Who appointed you as Susanna’s guardian?”

“I'm her friend!” Norah retorted firmly.

Taking a discreet glance at Susanna’s condition, Norah realized Susanna hadn't lied. Susanna had only taken a

few sips of alcohol, which eased sof Norah's worries.

A male voice chimed in, breaking the tension. “Susanna, aren't you going to introduce this lovely lady to us?”

Susanna chuckled and began introducing everyone at the table. “Frieda Cruz, Ava Ellis, JaHewitt, Bart

Truman. All old classmates from high school. Everyone, this is Norah.”

Norah raised an eyebrow. So, they were Susanna’s classmates. Did they not know about Susanna’s health

issues?

“Don’t blthem, Norah,” Susanna said. “It was my idea to have a taste of alcohol. | only had a little, | swear!”

Susanna smiled. “But them pouring drinks for you when I...”

“I was just watching while they were drinking,” explained Susanna.

Realizing she had misunderstood the situation, Norah quickly apologized. “Sorry, it was my mistake for jumping

to conclusions. | apologize.”

Frieda smirked. “Considering you're worried about Susanna, we'll let it slide. What can | get you to drink?”

Initially hesitant, Norah decided to indulge a bit, especially with the freshly signed divorce certificate in her

pocket. She casually ordered a few drinks.

Norah wasn’t familiar with Susanna’s classmates, nor did she care to be.

As the drinks arrived, Norah decided to lighten the mood by starting with a challenge.

Susanna widened her eyes. “Norah, you've got sdrinking skills, huh? You downed that whole bottle in one

go.”

Susanna had always been restricted to just a couple of sips to taste it. If Sean caught her drinking more, she'd

be in trouble.

With a seductive swirl of her glass, Norah offered sadvice. “Alcohol isn’t all it's cracked up to be. Take it

easy. Don't follow my lead.”

Susanna pouted. “If only my health allowed it, I'd love to drink to my heart's content.”

“Did you chere alone? No entourage with you?” Norah looked around, surprised. The esteemed young lady

of the Scott family was without her usual entourage of bodyguards. It was hard to believe.

Susanna looked uneasy and whispered to Norah, “Please don’t reveal my identity. They can’t know who | am.”

Norah raised an eyebrow.

Was Susanna playing incognito? Glancing at Susanna’s friends, Norah couldn't help but wonder if they were truly

unaware of Susanna’s health status.

Just drinking felt a bit dull, and Frieda suggested, “How about a gof Truth or Dare?”

“Susanna doesn’t have to drink. Juice or sparkling water is fine,” Norah added.

Susanna eagerly agreed. “Sure! Drinking in a bar is already dull. If | can’t play the game, it'd be no fun at all!”

“Countin,” Norah stated.

Everyone at the table joined in the game. Frieda took charge, placing an empty beer bottle in the center and

giving it a spin.

The bottle spun, finally pointing at Susanna when it stopped.

“Oh, it’s me!” Susanna said with a grin. “I'll go with truth.”

Frieda smirked. “Do you have a crush on someone?”

Susanna shook her head. “I've already told you all, Frieda. Why ask again?”

Frieda persisted, “You're so gorgeous, | thought you might have someone special after graduation.”

With a laugh, Susanna turned to Norah. “Well, looks like it's my turn to host. Let's keep this grolling!”