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We ordered another round of cocktails and drank to that. Then we launched into the most serious debate of the evening: choosing the best shoe designer. Once we had enough alcohol on board, we felt like dancing, which meant we were a danger to anyone in a radius of two feet. We were drunk and full of energy, and we burned it off on the dance floor.
“When I’m drunk dancing, I don’t know if I’m rocking it just in my head or not,” Val said. Yeah, probably the former, but why spoil our fun? Midway through the dancing spree, the guys Val and Hailey had eyed the entire evening approached and danced with the girls.
“Who here had the least to drink?” Val asked when we plopped back in our chairs, all sweaty and thirsty.
Maddie piped up. “I’m sober. No alcohol for me, remember?”
“Oh, yeah. I forgot. So... you’ll make sure we’re all going home, right?”
Maddie nodded once.
Hailey smiled at her older sister. “Val, I think the only time you actually let loose is during our girls’ nights out.”
Val grinned. We ordered just water from that point on, and sometime later, I thought I caught a glimpse of Will in the crowd. Huh? Was I imagining things because I was missing him? As he came closer, I had my answer. That was 100 percent my bragworthy boyfriend. Flanked by Landon, Jace, and Graham.
“How did the boys know where to find us?” Val asked in wonder.
I felt so proud. So proud. I’d managed to send that text message after all. I was just suffering from alcoholic amnesia and couldn’t remember doing it. Then Maddie stomped all over my pride when she said, “I texted Landon earlier with the address.”
The guys made it to our table, and because there were no extra chairs, each pulled his girl in his lap. Jace was the only one standing. Val looked from Will to Landon and Graham, and said, “You’re all so cute.” There was so much melancholy and affection in her tone that I had the strangest urge to hug her.
I leaned into Will, seeking as much body contact as possible... while remaining decent. Was it weird that I’d missed him?
“Hello, handsome,” I whispered. Will whispered back hello, but his voice was so rough, and his hand slid so low on my back that I surmised that what he really wanted to do was to kiss me silly... preferably against a wall with my legs wrapped around him.
Jace was still standing, watching the guys with a shit-eating grin. The next second, our party was crashed by a gang of girls. They surrounded Jace, asking for autographs and pictures. He obliged them, but I thought his smile looked too practiced.
The bar manager did bring a chair for Jace eventually, but he was barely sitting because groups of fans popped up every few minutes.
“Well, this is annoying,” he said after one such group had left, running a hand through his hair.
“Should we move the party somewhere else?” I suggested.
“Good idea. Somewhere where I’m not recognized.”
Hailey patted his shoulder. “That would require a paper bag over your head.”
“Or we could call it a night. It’s late,” Will suggested. To anyone else, it would seem like an innocent suggestion. But I was sitting on Will, so I had some insider information. Sleeping wasn’t what he had in mind.
“We could do that,” Val said. There was a general buzz of agreement, and everyone rose from the table. Jace headed out first, and the rest followed.
“Hey, have you noticed that Jace didn’t flirt with even one fan?” Hailey whispered to Val. The girls were walking in front of Will and me.
Val nodded. “Yep. I’d take it as a sign that he’s serious about that girl he’s been seeing lately, but—”
“That’s not it,” Will interrup
ted. “Things didn’t work out between them... at all. He just told us that over beers. He’s been off all evening.”
Hailey pinched the bridge of her nose. “Val, we need to stage an intervention.”
“Shit. I’m tipsy. I need all my neurons for an intervention.”
Hailey waved her hand. “Nah, just go on instinct.”
Outside the bar, every couple ordered an Uber, and Hailey proclaimed she and Val were kidnapping Jace for a few more hours, going for drinks at his house. I could barely hold back my laughter at Jace’s panicked expression when Val and Hailey each took him by the elbow and slid into a car with him.
“You think he knows he’s about to be ambushed?” I asked Will.
