“I’m not in denial.”
“And I’m not an innocent lil’ Plain Jane who’s being way too obsessive over the jerk bartender over there. See? Two can play that game, my friend.”
Friend.
The term’s fitting.
Sticking my tongue out at her, I ask, “Would you like me to introduce you to them?”
She blanches. “Oh. No, no, no, no––”
River’s deep, booming voice echoes above the sound pouring from the speakers. “Found her. Hey, Floozy! What’s up?”
My jaw drops.
He did not just call me that.
Dove snorts, then she whispers, “Did he just call you Floozy?”
“Yup. He’s a shitty nicknamer.”
“Or he’s like a little kid in elementary school who’s currently tugging on your pigtails. I mean, that never happened to me, but I’m just sayin’.”
I bite my tongue to keep from arguing with her since the whole gang is currently sauntering over to us. And I definitely don’t want them to overhear our conversation or the fact that they’re the topic of it.
“Uh, hey, guys,” I greet them.
Tossing his arm over my shoulder, Jake pulls me into a quick hug before I get passed around like a bottle of rum from one guy to the next. When my face is shoved against River’s chest, I want to melt into him and take a big fat whiff of his mouth-watering scent, but I restrain myself.
Nope. Not happening.
Milo yanks me out of River’s grasp and into his before rumbling, “Hey. How’s your first day going?”
I give him a quick squeeze then step back to make sure Dove’s included in our little gathering. “It’s good. This is Dove.”
She gives another small wave identical to the one she gifted me with in the break room when we first met. “Hi.”
“Dove, this is Milo, Jake, and River.” Like a conductor, I point to each of them, and they take turns raising their chins in greeting.
“Hey.”
“Nice to meet you guys,” she replies, her voice quiet and shy. “Do any of you want a drink or anything?”
“We already put our orders in,” Jake tells her. “Thanks, though.”
“Okay.” Tucking her thumbs into the back pockets of her skinny jeans, she rocks back on her heels. “Well––”
“Have I ever given you a tattoo?” Milo interrupts, cocking his head to the side as he studies her. “You look familiar.”
With a shrug, she raises her bare arms from her sides to showcase her ink-free skin. “Nope. Sorry.”
“Huh,” Milo grunts, unconvinced.
“That’s a pretty cool profession, though,” she offers, battling the awkward silence from her dismissal. “Do you like it?”
Milo shrugs. “It pays the bills.”
“He’s being modest,” I interject. “He’s an awesome tattoo artist, and he loves what he does. If you ever decide you want one, he’s the guy to make it happen.”
A shy smile threatens to slip past her nerves as she answers, “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I hope you do,” Milo rumbles.
My eyes nearly pop out of my head as my attention shifts from Milo to Dove and back again.
Well, this just got interesting.
Dove tucks her pale hair behind her ear and drops her gaze to the ground, practically screaming innocence from every single one of her pores. “I should probably get back to work. Um.” She peeks back up at Milo, then scans the rest of the crowd. “If you guys need anything, don’t be afraid to holler.”
Dirty dishtowel in hand, Dove weaves between the growing crowd as I add, “I should probably get back to work too. But it’s good to see you guys. And like Dove said, if you need anything, just let me know.”
“Anything?” River asks. His deep, gritty voice is laced with a magnetic confidence that makes me squirm. When I work up the courage to hold his intense stare, he winks.
“Ignore him,” Jake orders, snapping me out of the spell River had cast on me. “Good luck tonight.”
“Oh. Thanks.”
“Yeah. Good luck tonight, Floozy.” My heart picks up its pace as I register the nickname again. And even though I hate it, I can’t deny the way my entire body responds whenever it slips past River’s lips. His hand brushes against my hip, though it’s nothing but a whisper of a touch, as he leans closer to me and drops his voice low, “And if I need anything, I’ll definitely let you know.”
My gaze darts over to Milo, but he isn’t watching our exchange. He’s too consumed by the conversation at the bar where a certain new waitress is chatting with a certain bartender who happens to be our roommate too.
Hmm.
The warmth from River’s touch disappears as Jake slaps him on the shoulder with a little more force than necessary and shoves him toward the booths in the back of the dimly lit room.
“Come on. Let’s grab a seat,” Jake orders.
Milo and River head to the booth, but Jake hangs back and rubs the palm of his hand roughly over his face before giving me the look.
“Is there a problem?” I ask.
He blows out the oxygen from his lungs and drops his arms to his sides in defeat. “Just…be careful, Reese.”
“Of what?”
“Of thinking River’s really interested in you.”
Ouch.
Covering my hurt with amusement, I cross my arms and reply, “I’m not stupid, Jake. He’s a flirt. But an innocent one. He wouldn’t screw up his friendship with Milo just to get laid. Trust me. He doesn’t need to. I’ve heard plenty of first-hand accounts on that front.”
“Good.”
“Good,” I mimic. “Anything else?”
“No. Well. Just––”
“Spit it out, Jake,” I joke.
“If his teasing bothers you, let me know, okay?”
I smile and tug on the hem of his grey T-shirt. “I’m a big girl, remember?”
“Yeah. I know.”
“Then you know I can take care of myself.”
“I know. But maybe…” His honey-colored eyes capture my full attention as the toes of his shoes kiss mine on the dark floor before his lips pull into a thin, white line. Like he’s holding back. I just don’t know why.
“Maybe what, Jake?” I ask.
“Maybe one day you won’t have to take care of yourself.” He clears his throat and steps away from me. “I’m gonna go get my drink.”
“I work here, remember? Go take a seat. I’ll bring some drinks over in a few.”
“We already put our order in with Sonny,” he reminds me.
“Then I’ll bring them right over.”
“Thanks, Reese.”
“You’re welcome. And thanks for keeping an eye out for me. You’re a good friend.”
“Yeah.” His jaw tightens. “Friend. I know.”
17
Reese
The steam from the shower swirls through the air and clings to the mirror as I wrap the gray terry cloth towel around me. With a brush, I comb the tangles from my wet hair, then tuck the corner of my towel between my breasts. I unlock the bathroom door and jerk back a few inches when I find River on the other side of it. With his hand raised in the air like he was about to knock, he freezes.