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Rummage through the depths to find that long-forgotten bottle of Jose Cuervo you once shared. Don’t skip the next steps - running a lime wedge along the rim, dipping the glass in salt; some things are worth the extra effort. Fill the mixer with tequila, lime juice and triple sec, add plenty of ice, then shake until your hands are so cold you can’t feel anything. Strain the mixture over rocks, till you’re all poured out. Garnish with a lime wheel - just for you, just because. Savour what’s to come: an initial sourness, before a finish of bright citrus. --- James Montgomery writes from Stafford in the UK. His stories have been published by 100 Word Story, Gooseberry Pie, Fractured Lit and more, and his work was recently selected for 2025's Best Small Fictions and the Wigleaf Top 50. Find him at www.jamesmontgomerywrites.com.