Page 9 of Dandelions and Smoke

Normal? I almost laugh out loud. This crew is anything but that.

“Billy,” I lean back and pinch the bridge of my nose as a heavy weight seems to press down on me from every side. “The last thing I feel like doing tonight is going out.”

“Which is exactly why you need to.” He grins, his pearly whites flashing annoyingly in my direction. Standing up, he slaps the back of the chair before spinning it around and heading toward the door. “See you at eight.”

Even though it’s the last thing I wanted to do, Billy was right. Not that I’ll ever admit that to him. I’d never hear the end of it. But coming out tonight hasn’t turned out so bad.

I didn’t come in here expecting to socialize. I figured I’d camp out at the bar and mind my own business, drown my sorrows in some of Remy’s bottom-shelf scotch, and hopefully wake up tomorrow feeling less shitty than I do today. Instead, I’ve spent my night with the most passionate woman I’ve ever met.

From the moment she and her pink curls bounced over and sat down next to me, she’s made every conversation more interesting than the last. When she speaks, it’s with an enthusiasm that captivates me entirely. She’s animated and descriptive, making it effortless to see the world through her eyes. She’s so caught up in what she’s saying that I don't think she realizes she speaks with her whole body, every gesture and expression bringing her words to life.

Several times, her arms fly every which way, nearly knocking over a glass or smacking into a person. Her hand shoots out again, and this time it knocks into someone. Before she can notice, I offer her victim an apologetic nod, unwilling to let her be distracted from our conversation. When she doesn’t miss a beat, something inside me feels lighter, and I settle in even further, all my attention on her as the corner of my mouth lifts slightly.

I’ve spent the entire night wondering what a firecracker like her sees in me that makes her want to stick around. She’s easily the most stunning woman in this bar, and men have been ogling her all night. I see her notice a guy that’s been staring at her, but before I have a chance to say anything, she sticks her tongue out at him to get him to stop.

Sticks her tongue out!

I laugh so hard I think surely this is the moment she sees me as some weirdo, but she laughs right along with me. She asks me questions about myself and things I’ve never thought about before. It’s as if her mind is wired differently, in a way that makes me want to understand it, all while admiring it and how it’s making me consider things from different perspectives.

After everything we’ve shared tonight, I feel like I know her better than the majority of the people in this town, and that’s saying something since I was born and raised here in the small town of Turtle Bay. Still, I don’t even know her name.

A couple of hours of questions later, we’ve finally scratched below the surface, and I find myself smiling at her.

“Five minutes until closing time, you two,” Remy says as she walks by.

Little Lion’s brows rise like she’s surprised and hasn’t noticed the time passing by either. She looks around, and I can see it the moment she realizes that Billy and Mark are nowhere to be found. Something I noticed when Billy winked at me as he walked out the door over an hour ago.

It’s funny. When she’s not talking, her face still plays subtitles. She looks around and must realize, aside from one other group, we’re the only ones left. She pulls her lip between her teeth and fidgets with the numerous hair ties on her wrist.

Carefully, I take her hand in mine, hoping she feels me here with her. The thought of never seeing her again sends a flood of dread through me until that familiar weight settles over my bones. I draw circles on the back of her hand with my thumb a few times before finding the courage to look into her electric-blue eyes. I know that our time together is almost over, but I don’t want it to be… and I haven’t felt this way about anyone in a very long time.

Slowly, I inhale deeply, hoping somehow with this breath I’ll find my courage.

“Why’d you choose to spend your whole night with me?” I breathe out, continuing to move my thumb in circles, grateful that she hasn’t pulled away. Still, my pulse races as I wait for her answer and hope that she can’t tell.

Swallowing hard, her eyes bounce between mine. There’s now tension there that hasn’t been there all night, but as quickly as it appears, it passes, and she tilts her lips into a smile.

“Maybe I just really liked this seat. I was here first after all,” she says, but her eyes betray her.

Even to her own ears, I can tell by the look on her face that she doesn’t believe that.

I tilt my head, waiting for her to tell me the truth when she’s ready.

“You really want to know?” she asks, her voice wavering nervously, making my stomach drop.

Here it comes, the part where the rug is pulled out from under me, and everything good goes along with it. Maybe the guys got to her first and paid her off to spend time with me. Who knows?

“Because,” she pauses, her eyes flickering with hesitation. “I know what it feels like to carry something heavy alone, and it looked like you deserved a night off.”

My heart pounds harder, and a surprised laugh escapes me, sounding more like a scoff as I shake my head.

“I’m sorry, I’ll go,” she says, clearly misreading my reaction and pulling her hand from mine.

I miss her touch immediately. She stands up, but before she can grab her backpack from the stool, I’m on my feet and taking her hand back in mine.

“Please, don’t go,” I stammer.

She pauses, but again, doesn’t pull away.