Blush was crawling up Sadie’s chest.
“For having a roster. When have you ever not done casual?”
My grip on my cup tightened as I glared at my brother. “Weare also not drunk enough for this.”
“Seriously, don’t put me in your cross hairs.” Derrik glanced between June and Mike. “Congrats on your true love and all that, but be cool with us singles, okay?”
They had the decency to look embarrassed. I wanted the subject to change, but also I couldn’t think of much else other than who“this one guy”was. It was probably lucky for me that I kept my mouth shut, anyway.
***
After hours of relaying stories about growing up with Mike and Derrik, and listening—embarrassingly intently—to stories about June and Sadie, I was calling it a night. I hadn’t realized how exhausting it could be to pretend that the sun didn’t rise and set around one person. Rubbing a hand at the back of my neck, I weaved through the different groups making my way to the exit.
Pausing as a group of twenty-somethings blocked my route as they huddled around a billiard table, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
Behind me, Sadie pinched a lock of her hair between two fingers, absentmindedly twirling it. “Hey, I know you’re heading out, but June was wondering if we could grab the flowers from the florist. They can be delivered,but it’ll save some money if we get ’em, and since you have the rental...”
It was obviously a request that could have been texted, but I wanted to live in the delusion that she’d hurried after me because she was going to miss me when I left the same way I would miss her.
“Sure, I can get them.” I resisted the urge to speak down to my shoes. Instead, I insisted to myself that I was giving Sadie a normal amount of eye contact that was nowhere near desperate.
She swallowed taking a small step nearer to me. “I can go with you.”
The sweet smell of her shampoo filled my nose. I rubbed my hand across my lips, resisting burying my nose in the strands.
“Okay,” was all I could manage to say.
“And I want to talk to you about”—she took another step as if she was testing my resistance—“your name.”
My eyebrow twitched, and my lip quirked up on one side. “My name?”
Everything inside of me went hot, even as I reminded myself that she’d officially ended the physical aspect of our relationship just a few hours ago. But maybe a little friendly flirting wouldn’t hurt.
“I feel a little left out being the only one that calls you Jamison.”
“No, you should feel special.”
Her tongue swiped over her bottom lip, fighting back a smile. “What about a balance? Like, Gene-ison.”
“Jesus, no.” A lopsided grin pulled at my mouth.
Flicking her gaze up, she fixed me with a victorious light in her eyes, as if making me smile was some kind of trophy. My palms went a little clammy, and my stomach flipped. I curled and uncurled my toes, needing to fidget under the force of her attention.
“Okay, Eugene-ison.”
“Absolutely fucking not,” I said, but it would’ve been more convincing if she didn’t have me grinning down at her like a fool.
“I feel like you’re not even giving it a chance.”
“I’m not, and I won’t.”
“So rigid. Ya gotta loosen up.”
“Yeah, I’m so good at that.”
She tilted her head, exposing the curve of her neck and reminding me of how she liked to be kissed right there. I needed to get a hold of myself, this was nothing just a little playing around between friends. I might still be insanely attracted to her, but that was my problem to deal with.
“I’ve seen you”—she started but cut off with a gasp as a man bumped into her back. Her hand pressed against my stomach as she fell into me, but the guy must have stood on her dress because it stayed in place slipping down her ribs. Her breasts were full, round, and naked in the dark lighting. She had, hands down, the best tits I’d ever seen—the horrified, stricken widening of her eyes and her jaw falling open definitely took away from the experience.
