“He’s leaving this weekend, though,” Nick adds.
“Are they… friends?”
“You could say that.”
I’m not sure what to make of this. But I don’t ask more questions. The waiter arrives with our drinks. Nick watches me take my first sip. It’s on the bitter side, but slightly sweet, with the taste of grapefruit. The bubbles make it easier to drink.
“Better than the gin, right?”
“Yeah, it’s not bad at all,” I say.
Nick smiles. “I’m glad you like this one. You’ll have to try the elderflower next.”
I don’t know why he’s being so nice to me. But I’m enjoying this attention. The night continues like this. Nick orders us more drinks, touching my shoulders, talking about his recent travels. Meanwhile, Christian hasn’t said a word to me since I got here. Why did he invite me here if he’s more interested in someone else? I keep glancing at him, hoping he’s going to call me over. At one point, he rises from the table.
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“Just the bar. I’ll be right back.”
“Oh, okay.”
He gives me a pat on the back and disappears inside. As I turn back to the table, Nick puts his arm around me. “Don’t worry about Christian,” he whispers. “We’ll have fun without him. Let’s order you another drink.”
An hour passes and Christian hasn’t come back. I keep glancing inside, wondering if he’s still at the bar. Another round of shots appears at the table. I don’t even remember Nick ordering them. Despite my better judgment, I take the shot with him anyway. It goes down much easier this time. My tongue must be numb from the alcohol. That’s when I notice the lights are spinning a little. I don’t usually drink this much. I close my eyes for a second.
Nick touches my back. “How are you feeling there?”
“I should probably take a break…”
“You should have mentioned you were a lightweight,” he says.
I glance around the table. It’s only the two of us sitting here. When did everyone else leave? I turn to Nick, who is staring at me now. “Did I mention how cute you look in that sweater?” he asks, running a hand along my back.
“Thanks,” I say, feeling my cheeks get warm. I don’t know if it’s from him or the alcohol.
“I’m glad I convinced Christian to invite you out.”
I blink at him. “What do you mean?”
“I wanted to see you tonight,” he says.
“Me? Why?”
“So I could do this—”
Nick leans forward, pressing his lips against mine. It takes my brain a few seconds to register the kiss. I pull away immediately. “What are you doing?”
“Kissing you.”
“What if Christian sees?”
Nick arches his brow. “I don’t know if you’ve realized, but Christian isn’t coming back.”
“But where did he go?”
“He left with Zach.”
“How come he didn’t say anything?”
