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“Wow. Ignore him. What he meant to say is he doesn’t really know how to express emotions. This is his way of trying to make you feel welcome. It’s actually very sweet,” Miri says, casting dreamy eyes toward Davis, the sullen asshole.
Lena weaves her arm through one of Zara’s and pulls her over to the bar, introducing her to the people she hasn’t met.
My eyes never leave Zara as she’s ushered around the room. Miri, Ruby, and Lena do the majority of the talking, but Zara looks like she’s enjoying herself. After a while, I see the strain on her face, and she smiles at something Greta says. We’ve kept the party small, but Zara’s barely ventured out of Ruby’s house since she’s been here. Plus, from what I understand, it’s not like she had a thriving social life back in Fairy. This is all likely new to her, and sometimes socializing can be fucking exhausting. I’ve already seen Davis looking at his watch more than once. Guaranteed, he’s calculating how much longer he has to stay, and he actually likes spending time with us.
The party slowly dwindles down to the eight of us. When Davis beats me in a game of pool, I’m relieved for the excuse to leave him and Archer to the next game. I find Zara and go across the bar to her. She looks a little tired and wilted, but her eyes light up when she sees me coming and fuck if that doesn’t make me feel like I’ve got goddamn superpowers.
“Are you hanging in there?”
She leans in toward me, speaking quietly so only I can hear, and I take the opportunity to inhale her spicy, floral scent. “If I’m being completely honest, it’s a little exhausting. But everyone has been so nice. I’m having a good time.” Zara sounds slightly surprised, and I smile at her.
“Let’s go refill that drink.” I grab her glass and gesture for her to follow me. I point to one of the stools underneath the bar and she obediently sits down. I round the bar and pour her a glass of water, and then refill her juice, setting both in front of her.
“Is this what birthday parties are like growing up?” Zara’s eyes look more gray today, taking on some of the blue tones in her dress. Her long blonde hair cascades down her back, thick and lush. She looks like she smells incredible, but I’m too far away to know for sure. What I really want to do is bury my face in her neck and breathe her in. That would probably cross a line.
I lean forward on the bar, regretting putting it between us right now. I consider her question and come to a realization. “You know, I guess I never had a birthday party as a kid.”
Zara’s head tilts to the side and she frowns. “I thought this was a milestone I missed that everyone has experienced.”
“Well, my twenty-first birthday was kind of a party. Lena came back from college for the weekend, and we drank so much rum that I still can’t look at a bottle without feeling a little green.”
“That’s a hazard when you own a bar.”
“Don’t I know it.”
“Ruby won’t tell me what other experiences you guys are planning. Care to share?”
Tipping my chin up, I look at the tin ceiling of my bar as if I’m considering my options. “It is a pretty big secret. I’m not sure you’re ready to know.”
“That's just using my ignorance against me. And really, it’s not fair at all. If I’m going to truly have these adventures, don’t you think I should get the buildup and excitement that comes before the activity? Isn’t that a part of things too?”
Zara’s argument is so well thought out and true that I don’t even want to pretend I’m going to keep the details from her. “You’re absolutely right. We have a movie night set up for next week out at Ezra’s house. Then Lena and her party planning committee are working on a prom for you.”
“What exactly is a prom?” Zara’s cheeks are pink, and her smile is bright. She picks up her glass of jungle juice and takes a drink. It’s pretty obvious she’s starting to feel the effects. I nudge the glass of water toward her, and she lifts a brow, but then takes a drink.
“Prom is a dance. It’s one of those high school rites of passage. Before you go, you have to work up the courage to ask your crush, the person you like, to go with you, hoping they’ll say yes.”
“I can’t imagine any girl you asked out would ever say anything but yes.” Her eyes widen as soon as she stops speaking, as if she can’t believe she just said that. I chuckle and wink at her.
“I wasn’t always this debonair.”
Zara laughs, the sound reminding me of Ruby. It’s strange but endearing.
“Debonair isn’t quite the word I would use. For Archer, yes, probably. But I bet you were always smooth with anyone you pursued.”
“I have a certain appeal, some would say.”
Zara makes the low humming sound of agreement. “Go on about prom. I didn’t mean to disparage your skills.”
I chuckle at her when she grins at me. “Well, at prom, the guys wear fancy suits or tuxedos, and the ladies wear sparkly, frilly dresses. Or, well, you could wear a tux too.” The visual of Zara in a fitted jacket, with no shirt underneath, pops into my head. It would be cut down to her belly button, showing off the skin between her breasts. I can imagine trailing my fingers down her chest, feeling the warmth of each inch of exposed skin.
I clear my throat, shaking away the fantasy. Fuck. Get it together. “There’s music, and you dance.”
“Are there traditional dances that you grew up knowing?”
I grin at the thought. “I don’t think the electric slide or chicken dance can be considered traditional dances.”
Confusion settles over Zara’s face, but I just grin back at her. “Mostly, you just hold your partner close to your body, and sway back-and-forth.” My voice takes on a deeper, husky quality. The thought of gripping Zara tightly to me, our bodies rocking back-and-forth… Fuck. It’s a good thing there’s a bar between us and she can’t see my rapidly growing erection.
