“Why don’t you try me?”
“Try what? Your patience?”
He swept his arm out at the company we were keeping. “You can’t try it any more than these.”
“Okay, fine.” I downed the last of my Tequila Sunrise—we apparently had a mixologist in our mix—and put the glass on the bench next to me. “I believe in karma and the Wiccan Rule of Three. I think astrology is real, and I believe in tarot readers. Ghosts exist, psychics are real, and voodoo is a dangerous power.”
Without blinking, he said, “And crystals have healing powers, right?”
“I have no idea. I haven’t made it that far down my grandmother’s Hooey List of Rebellion yet.”
“Hooey List of Rebellion?”
“Yes. It’s basically a list made up entirely of the reasons why I’m going to Hell.”
“Is there room on that train? If not, I’ll drive.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “You don’t believe in all those things.”
“No.” He sipped his drink. “I think karma is real and that ghosts exist, but you lost me on everything else. Maybe there’s something to astrology, but I don’t care enough to give a shit, in all honesty.”
“Your honesty is endearing,” I replied. “I think.”
Laughing, he picked up my empty glass. “Another drink?”
“Sure. If I’m going to stay the required two hours, I’m going to need to get drunk.”
“And hopefully not fall over the fencing.”
“Shut up.”
Grinning, Kai headed toward the bar, only to be replaced by the birthday boy himself, Vincent, who took his seat and immediately launched into a story about his latest fishing trip with his grandsons.
“And then,” Vincent said, leaning in, “The fish flopped out of my hands, back into the lake, and splashed us all!”
I laughed. It really wasn’t that funny, but I had been raised to be particularly polite to my elders, so here I was.
Laughing.
“How are you, Ivy, dear?” Vincent asked, swirling the last of his tequila around the bottom of his glass. “Have you had a date recently?”
“None approved by my grandmother,” I replied dryly.
“I saw you having dinner with our Kai earlier.”
“Huh? Oh, right, that was nothing.” I shook my head. “I was heading out to get food and he accosted me in the hall and decided to join me.”
“I quite thought you’d make a lovely couple.”
Again, I shook my head. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m not really looking for a relationship right now.”
“Ah, but that’s when you find them.”
“When you find what?” Kai rejoined us and handed me a Tequila Sunrise.
“Love,” Vincent said. “I was just telling Ivy how I thought you’d make a nice couple.”
Oh, God.
Here we go.
“You know what? I agree with you.” Kai winked at Vincent. “But she won’t go out with me.”
I snorted. “You’ve never asked!”
“Fine. Will you go out with me?”
“Wait, what?”
He turned to Vincent. “You heard that, didn’t you? That was as good as no.”
Vincent nodded. “I did, boy, I did.”
“Oh, my God,” I muttered. “You’re both crazy. And I know crazy. My family are the poster kids for crazy.”
“She’s still saying no.” Kai tutted.
“I am not saying no!”
“So are you saying yes?”
My cheeks burned. “Shut up. You’re only doing it because Vincent’s here. Besides, we had dinner earlier.”
Vincent tapped my knee. “You told me that was nothing.”
“It was nothing!”
“Then it doesn’t count.”
I wasn’t going to argue with these men anymore. Instead, I sipped my drink as Kai took a seat on the other side of Vincent. There was no doubt these two were going to go on and on about something that was completely ridiculous all night long.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out.
TORI: Did you bang him yet?
I rolled my eyes so hard they went into orbit.
ME: I need new friends.
TORI: Is that a yes?
ME: It’s a no.
ME: And I’m not going to. Stop obsessing about my nonexistent sex life.
TORI: I can’t until it becomes existent. Girl, you go any longer before you get laid, and you’re gonna need an archaeologist to help you out.
ME: I’M NOT SLEEPING WITH MY NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR!!!!
TORI: Oh, no. Has the tomb already closed? A big old rock rolled over there a la Jesus?
ME: I’m gonna roll a big old rock on your head if you don’t shut up.
There was no talking to her. Really.
Why was I surrounded by people who didn’t listen to me? Sure, if you asked them, they’d said I was the problem. Maybe I was. Maybe I was too stubborn, but who the hell needed an archaeologist to help get them laid?
I guess it depended on whether he was hot or not.
“Ivy.”
I jerked up at the sound of my name and shoved my phone in my pocket, ignoring the new message that came through. “What?”
“Kai wants to know if you can have a sleepover after your date.” Vincent’s eyes twinkled.
“I’m not talking to you anymore.” With a shake of my head, I got up and left them laughing together like the worst team ever.
***
“Help me.” Kai grabbed me and slipped behind me, holding onto my upper arms.
I almost stumbled over as the force of his tall, muscular body wobbled my more than a little tipsy, much smaller one. “What? Are we under attack?”
“From aliens? No.”
“Why do I need to protect you? FYI, I’d be no good if the aliens came, either.”
“Amanda. Help me.”
“I am not going to make out with you just to make her go away.”
“I wasn’t suggesting it, but now you have…”
“Kai!” I shrugged him off me, wiggling out of his grasp. “Stop it!”
He sighed, slumping against the makeshift bar.
“Didn’t Isabella send her home?”
“Yes, but it looks like she took a thirty-minute nap, popped some paracetamol, drank some water, and came back for more.”
Wow. Props to her. I hadn’t drunk half as much as she had, and I was seriously nearing my limit.
But then again, I was a lightweight. Tori always said it made me a cheap date.
Like I said, good. It meant I had an excuse to order the more expensive wine.
“Ivy. Hello.” Kai waved his hand in front of my face. “Are you away with the aliens?”
“You. Shush. I was thinking.”
“About me?”
“In your dreams.” I snorted. “What were you saying?”
“I was saying that I really need you to let Amanda down for me. You know, nice and easy. Girls do that, don’t they?”