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“Assholes,” Jake said lightly as I laughed. “Though you do have a point about things being different now. I’ve lived here my whole life. If there was someone I wanted to take out—”
“A.k.a. screw,” Dylan translated.
“—chances are good I already did.”
“Valid point,” I said. “That’s why you should meet women from out of town.”
“Worked for me.” Dylan had only been with this new girl for a couple of months, so saying it had worked might’ve been an overstatement. He didn’t have a good record for long-term relationships. Then again, none of us did, which was why we were sitting together at the Fly on a Friday night, I guess.
I took a drink of my beer and glanced to the back of the bar, needing to lay eyes on Ava again. Magnolia was standing next to my brother’s business partner, Kemp Essex, both of them with a pool cue in hand. Ava sat on a stool at a cocktail table lining the billiards area, engaged in conversation with them.
I checked the marquee on our table, guessing there was a tournament tonight based on all the energy from the back half, and I was right. It appeared Magnolia and Kemp were partnering up. If I had to guess, Ava was here to watch. She’d never been a big fan of pool. Once the tournament got going, I’d make my way over to her and see if she needed company.
“Hellooo,” Jake said, dragging my attention back to the table. “Potential just walked in the door.”
I followed his gaze and spotted two women who looked to be early thirties. Still too young for him, but at least they’d been drinking legally for a few years. I could tell right away they were tourists, because I’d never seen them before, and they were dressed up way more than your average Dragonfly Lake resident. Tees and shorts, maybe a casual sundress were what local women wore to the Fly, but these two had heels and tight party dresses on.
“Get your tongue back in your mouth,” Dylan said, also watching them.
“I’d like to get my tongue in the blonde’s mouth,” Jake said. “For starters.”
“Now you sound twenty-one, Jacob,” Dylan said, even though Jake’s full name was actually Jake. We’d called him Jacob for years because it used to piss him off. “I see somebody I need to talk to. Be back in a few.” Dylan slid out of the three-sided booth and headed toward the dartboards.
I was about to flip Jake more shit about the blond woman when a guy caught my attention as he stood up at the end of the bar. Knox Breckenridge strode back to the pool tables, and sure as shit, he walked right up to Ava and spoke to her.
She smiled at him, obviously happy to see him, and I clenched my fist again hard enough to crack a couple of knuckles. The place was too loud for Jake to hear them crack, but after a quick glance at my face, he craned around to see what I was glaring at.
“That’s that new guy. The writer,” Jake said.
My reply was a growl.
Magnolia and Kemp were in front of the table where you paid the entry fee, and that left Ava alone with Breckenridge. He took full advantage and moved in closer to her.
Jake and I watched them for a few seconds, then he turned back to me. “You going to do something about that?”
“I don’t have any right to do something about that.” That’s what my brain was saying, but my gut had a different story to tell.
“Nothing stopping you from butting in on their cozy conversation.”
Breckenridge’s elbow rested on Ava’s table now, and I wondered if he knew a damn thing about personal space. Didn’t help that he had to lean in close to her ear every time he spoke to her and close to her mouth whenever she replied.
I was on the verge of scooting out of the booth when Ava tilted her head, nodded, then slid down off her stool. Breckenridge led her to the entry table and said something to the guy sitting behind it.
“They’re entering the tournament,” Jake said, still gawking like I was. “Guess you’ll have to wait to make your move. Are they a thing?”
I grunted and took a long drink of beer, then set down the glass harder than I meant to. “As far as I know, she just met him last night. They talked about writing.” It didn’t look like they were talking about writing now.
Dylan returned to the table, still laughing at something, then pointing in acknowledgment at someone across the way, happy as could be and oblivious to the storm brewing inside of me. I tried to level myself out and forget about Ava and what’s-his-name as I listened to the story Dylan had just heard from Anton White about a group of Dragonfly Lake girls in their late twenties going skinny-dipping and getting caught on video by one of the McNamaras. Instead of covering themselves or diving back into the lake, a couple of them had apparently given him the show of a lifetime. I made myself laugh and finished off my beer.
Even as he listened to Dylan’s story, Jake’s gaze had flitted back to the blonde repeatedly.
“Just make your move, birthday boy,” I grumbled.
He studied me for a few seconds. “Wasn’t sure if you needed me to hold you back or what.”
“I’m fine.” I wasn’t a fucking caveman. I could control my reactions just fine. Besides, Breckenridge had been smart enough so far to keep his hands off Ava. I’d made sure of it.
“The stool by the blonde just opened up,” I said with a nod in her direction.
