I hold up a hand to stop her but feel oddly proud. This chick is cooler than I thought.
Her hands rest on the table, leaning in further, her gray eyes landing on mine, “Pay up.”
Gabby smiles proudly at her best friend. Brandon just shakes his head, still eating.
“I have to go to the ATM, but I will.” I smirk. “Unless you want to be paid in some other way?”
“Gross.” Gabby looks over at me with disgust on her face. “Don’t proposition my friends.”
If she only fucking knew what I did to her friend the other night.
Elle doesn’t miss a beat. “Cash.”
I laugh and sit back in my seat.
Really fucking cool.
God, Blake is a fucking asshole. I smile as I clear a table in the bar. It’s Friday night, and people are ready to celebrate their first week back in school. But now, the crowd is starting to die down as we hint it’s almost closing time.
I think about Blake’s little music challenge, calling me a poser.
I showed that fucker. And it felt good.
Although I’m pretty sure the whole thing was just to get to me, his way of throwing a tantrum because I wouldn’t screw him in Gabby and Brandon’s bathroom.
Of course, my body is also starting to revolt. Although, I don’t understand my attraction to that arrogant asshole.
Ophelia helps me pick up trash and glasses that are scattered around as some other waiters and waitresses close out tabs. “Hey, Ophelia?” She looks in my direction, her red, auburn hair pulled up. “You didn’t tell me you were going to invite Gabby and Brandon to your birthday.”
She places some glasses on her tray. “Was that not okay?”
I can’t believe she didn’t run it by me. Not that I don’t want a chance to spend more time with Gabby, but Brandon is an addict. I didn’t think Gabby would say yes to that. “It’s fine, but Brandon . . .”
“Is in recovery.” She nods her head. “I know. Gabby told me but said he has it under control.”
I’m still not certain it’s a good idea.
Ophelia heads toward the bar, and I follow. “He does. For now.”
“Well, it should be fairly low-key.”
Nothing with Ophelia is low-key, but I don’t argue. “Okay.”
She smiles and winks at a guy who always leaves a large tip and then looks back at me. “You’re definitely coming, right?”
I nod my head. “Of course, I’ll be there.”
“Good. Because girly, you need to get laid.”
I fight the eye roll. She’s been trying to get me laid since I started working here, always trying to get me to go home with random customers. I told her I only do app-hookups, but she is hell-bent. “No. I don’t.”
“Oh, come on. How long has it been since you’ve had sex? You are on edge, girl.”
The door opens, and wouldn’t you know it, Blake walks in with his usual arrogance and plops down at the other end of the bar, ordering a drink from Knox, who does not look pleased.
I turn to Ophelia. “It hasn’t been that long.”
She is way too giddy about that fact, grabbing my arm excitedly. “What? Dish! I want to hear all of the things.”
My eyes drift to Blake, his smoldering gaze meeting mine at the same time causing me to nearly gulp, and I force myself to look away and back at Ophelia. “No big deal.”
She zones in on Blake, and then her focus shifts to me, her mouth agape. “The sexy, brooding asshole?”
“Shit.”
“Oh my God!” she squeals, an actual squeal escapes her mouth as she looks back over at him and then back at me. “Really need to know details now.”
“No. You don’t.” I can’t relive them without combusting anyway.
“I am so fucking proud of you.”
Lord. “It’s never happening again.”
“What?” Now she looks horrified as she grasps both of my shoulders, looking deadly serious. “Why on earth would you not fuck him as many times as possible. If it were me, I’d take him in the back right now. I’d never stop fucking him.”
Nice image. “Ophelia, he’s a prick. You should hear some of the things that come out of his mouth.”
“So, use that mouth for other things.”
I laugh at that, but roll my eyes, trying to stay serious and keep her quiet. “No.”
“Girl, soak it up. A boy like that has got to be filthy. It’s worth a few asinine comments here and there.”
Part of me feels guilty for having this conversation with Ophelia and not Gabby, but I know, without a doubt, Gabs would not approve.
Blake pays for his drink and then walks in our direction. I feel a flutter in my lower belly watching him coming toward me.
Ophelia releases me and whispers, “Get you some of that bad.”
She leaves, going toward Knox, and Blake stands in front of me across the bar, dropping two hundred-dollar bills on the counter in front of me.
I raise an eyebrow, and he smirks. “There.” His hands rest flat on the bar, leaning me. “Unless you want to take me up on my offer to pay another way.”
My body is a hell of a lot stupider than I am because it wants that so fucking bad. I cover the bills with my right hand. “I’ll take the cash. It’ll last longer.”
“Fucking cold-blooded.”
I stuff the cash in my back pocket. “Thanks for playing.”
“You wanna hang out? Bar’s closing, but I don’t mind going to your place.”
No. You are stronger than this. “I can’t. I have to work the early shift tomorrow, and I’m dying to get back to my book before bed.”
“Still think they’re better?”
Far less dangerous. “By far.”
He knows that’s not the whole truth, and I can feel Knox and Ophelia’s eyes on us.
His full lips curl up, his voice husky, “Why can’t I see you tonight?”
“Fool in the Rain” lyrics continue from his quiz from dinner. “I think you’ve been blinded, baby.”
He smiles at my response and nods his head in appreciation, knocking off the act and being a little more serious now. “What about Sunday? Surely you don’t work every single day of the week.”
He’s wrong, but it’s strange to me that he keeps trying. I get the feeling Blake doesn’t work for anything. “I’m working the lunch shift at the diner and then going to the library to do research for a paper.” I turn and close a tab for two girls on the end of the bar, turning to look back at him over my shoulder. “I think you’re going to have to find someone else to play with.”
He glances around the nearly empty bar and then over at the two girls as I hand their cards back to them. He gives them his patented smile, and they both flush and giggle. I’d pity them if he didn’t have the same effect on me.
“I’ll see ya around.”
The statement both frightens me and excites me. I’m not sure which one outweighs the other.
Okay, come on, where are you? I’ve never spent this long in a library.
For some reason, this girl brings out the hunter in me. She told me she’d be here today, and I’ve been thinking about that ever since.