Bile rises in my throat as I turn back to the bar.
Don’t come this way.Don’t?—
He edges into the empty spot right beside me, leaning over the bar and drumming his fingers against it.“Come on, slow-ass, you’re killing me,” he grumbles, his eyes fixed on Lola across the room.
He catches my side-eyed glare and does a double-take.
“Oh, hey,” he says, blanching at the sight of me.“We met this morning at Mugs.”
I look away, say nothing, and lift my beer to my lips, taking a slow, deliberate sip.
“Okaaay then, charmer,” he murmurs, a condescending laugh bubbling out of him.
When another bartender wanders over, Frat Boy orders a lychee mojito and plops his flat ass onto the nearest stool.
For crying out loud.The only joy I’m getting out of this situation is that he isn’t with Chloe.
“You from outta town too?Haven’t seen you around here before,” he says, like he owns the place.“Clo hasn’t mentioned you.”
Clo.The fire in my chest builds, smoky heat snaking up my throat.Finally, I set my gaze on him.“Really?Funny...she told me all about you.”I feign a look of sympathy, my eyes skimming over him with just enough pity to sell it, then shift to the row of colored spirits behind the bar.
He leans closer.“What does that mean?What’d she tell you?”
“Uh… hi?”chimes a sweet, unsure voice.I twist around, and a sharp stab hits my stomach.
Chloe stands there, her beautiful face done up with makeup, her wary eyes darting between Frat Boy and me.Something inside me dies.I’m not even gone yet, and she’s set up a date with someone else.Her “Fourth of July hookup.”
When I said to her thatwewere just hooking up, I didn’t mean it.I was just jealous and frustrated, and, fuck me, she’s so gorgeous tonight.
Frat Boy pushes to his feet.“Oh, hey, Clo.I thought you couldn’t come out tonight.”
Her gaze flicks to me.
Wait.Maybe she isn’t here to meet him after all.
“I… Uh…” she says.
Willow comes up behind Chloe, her eyes bright, her hair braided with feathers.“She agreed to come out with me for one drink.For my birthday.”
“Right,” Chloe says with a nod.“It’s totally Willow’s birthday.”
These women are terrible liars.
Not that he seems to notice.“Happy birthday,” he says with a grin, clearly not understanding that Chloe is trying to save face because she obviously turned down his offer to meet up.
Which makes me so happy, I momentarily forget how bummed I feel.
“What are you guys up to?”Chloe asks, tucking her hands into the pockets of her skirt.
Before I can answer, Frat Boy jumps up, his fingers curling around her arm.“Just came out for a little buzzy buzz.Something to wash away the long day of travel.But now that you’re here, we can make up for lost time.”
“I’m here with Willow,” she says again.
Hasn’t this idiot been listening?
His lips purse into a childish pout.“But you can see your friend anytime.How often do you get to see me?Come on.Let’s go somewhere quiet and get reacquainted.”
“Maybe later,” she says, slipping out of his grasp.
