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Despite the ease, my mind wanders, unbidden, to Conrad’s brooding eyes, Grayson’s playful grin. They’re a siren call, pulling at me from somewhere not here. The hotel room I’ll share with Conrad feels worlds away, yet it’s all I can think about.
“Hey, you okay?” Xavier asks, noticing my distraction.
“Yeah, just…” I trail off, not sure how to explain without revealing too much. “It’s been a long day.” A half-truth, but it’s all I’m willing to give.
35
BRIELLE
The clink of ice against glass punctuates our banter. Xavier leans in, the corner of his mouth quirking up. “You’re incredible, you know that? Let me get you another drink.” His eyes twinkle with a playful challenge.
“Maybe just one more,” I respond, definitely starting to feel the effects of the first one. The bartender nods at Xavier’s signal and starts preparing a fresh cocktail.
“Okay, Brielle,” Xavier says, resting his chin on his hand, elbow propped on the bar. “Celebrity crush.”
I bite my lip, thinking. “Chris Hemsworth. But only as Thor. That hammer can do wonders.” I wink, and he laughs, a deep, throaty sound that sends a tingle down my spine.
“Fair enough,” Xavier concedes. “Mine’s Scarlett Johansson. Can’t resist a woman who kicks ass.”
“Speaking of kicking ass…ever dream of being a superhero?” I ask, taking the fresh drink the bartender slides over.
“Doesn’t everyone?” he retorts. “But honestly, my dream job would be a travel blogger. Imagine getting paid to explore the world.”
I nod, sipping my drink, the sharp tang of citrus on my tongue. “Can’t argue with that. But for me, it’d be running a bakery. Cupcakes over crunches any day.”
“Sweet tooth, huh?” He grins, leaning closer. “I’ll file that away for future reference.”
“Your turn. Story time. What’s something ridiculous you’ve done?” My curiosity piques as I notice the mischievous glint in his eye.
“Streaking through a football field,” he confesses without missing a beat. “My roommates dared me. Got tackled by security before I made the end zone.”
I laugh, almost choking on my drink. “No way! I guess you weren’t fast enough!”
“Hey, not all of us have Olympic speed,” he teases, nudging my shoulder gently.
“Touché.” I raise my glass in a mock salute. “Here’s to being caught with our pants down. Literally, in your case.”
“Cheers to that.” Xavier chuckles, clinking his glass against mine.
Our laughter fills the space between us, light and easy, like bubbles rising to the surface of our drinks.
“Okay, your turn,” Xavier challenges me. “Ever pull off something truly scandalous?”
“Scandalous?” I arch an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at my lips. “How about creating fake report cards in high school?”
He leans forward, intrigued. “For yourself?”
“Nah, for friends. Charged them twenty bucks a pop.” I shrug, as if it’s no big deal.
“Entrepreneurial,” he teases.
“Totally.” I laugh. “Had this whole system with a scanner and editing software. Until one day…”
“Wait.” He holds up a hand. “There’s an ‘until one day’?”
“Of course there is.” I laugh. “One kid’s mom worked at the school. She almost fainted when she saw her son’s straight As.”
He snorts, covering his mouth to stifle the burst of laughter. “What happened?”
