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I reach for my drink and take a small sip. I’m trying to go slow tonight. Meanwhile Nick is up at the DJ booth surrounded by ladies feeding him Jell-O shots. He just stole the mic and shouted, “I LOVE NEW YORK CITY!” The crowd went wild. He’s going to hurt in the morning, but something tells me he doesn’t care.
I catch Josh suddenly scoot around the table and stand, eagerly watching the entrance of the VIP section. My stomach tightens as I follow his line of sight. Sophia’s here. Behind her, Daphne and…
Fuck.
I hiss the curse under my breath, and Lizzy asks, “What? Sorry, I can barely hear in here.”
I shake my head to let her know she didn’t miss anything, just my impending doom walking toward this table in a pair of sky-high heels. Tate has the sexiest legs, long and lean from all her running. The dainty clasp of her silver heels wraps around her slender ankles. I want to replace it with my hand, grip her there and then slowly draw my hand up her calf. I can imagine how much she’d love it. In another life, I’d get the chance to find out.
She’s poured herself into a short red dress, and her hair is twisted up off her neck. I don’t take my eyes off her as she approaches. I wonder if she knows to expect me or if my presence here will be a surprise.
She hasn’t looked my way yet. As she walks, she scopes out the VIP section like she’s trying to take it all in. I’m sure people take note of her as well. In a room full of beautiful women, she’s still one of a kind.
Finally, her attention shifts toward our table as Daphne leans in to whisper something in her ear. Tate’s gaze slowly circles the booth. She sees me, notices the way Lizzy’s nestled against me, and then…nothing. She moves on as if I’m made of air. There’s no hint of emotion to decipher on her face, no sign of recognition at all.
When their group gets close, Josh scoops Sophia up and wraps a possessive arm around her waist. He draws her down onto the bench beside him, and the two of them are instantly off in their own world.
Across from them, Dustin stands.
“Scoot! Scoot!” he says, and everyone shifts around the table so that Lizzy is pretty much on my lap at this point.
Dustin wants Daphne to sit by him, but she pushes Tate into the booth first. Then she takes the outside seat. Dustin laughs, and I wish I could hear what he’s telling them. They’re too far away and I’m sandwiched right in the middle of everyone now. Fuck knows what I’ll do if I need the bathroom.
Before Daphne, Sophia, and Tate arrived, Dustin was chatting with Lizzy’s friends, the two girls on my left, but now he has his back to them. Lucky me, now I’m the target of their attention. Thanks, Dustin. I drain a beer and order another when the waiter comes around. He asks Daphne and Tate if they want a drink. Daphne orders a cocktail, but Tate shakes her head. She has her purse clutched on her lap like she’s ready to bolt at any moment. Maybe she doesn’t plan on staying long.
Look at me.
But she doesn’t.
I still don’t exist.
Lizzy’s friends ask me about baseball, but I’ve lost the ability to carry on pointless conversation. I did it long enough with Lizzy. I’m tired. It’s been a long day and I’d be just as happy sitting here in silence, stealing glances at Tate.
Our moods seem to match. She’s not talking much either. Daphne and Dustin are doing most of the heavy lifting, leaned forward so they can talk over Tate. When the waiter comes back around with the drinks, Daphne takes hers then turns to ask Tate something. She shakes her head, and Daphne leaves the table.
Dustin watches her go, his jaw clenched as she cuts across the dance floor.
The song changes, and the volume drops a noticeable amount. Someone must have complained about it. I want to kiss that person on the lips.
Dustin turns back to Lizzy and her friends. “Should we go dance?”
The girls squeal with delight, no doubt happy to have Dustin’s attention again, especially considering I’ve made it clear they aren’t getting anywhere with me unless they enjoy sitting in strained silence.
Tate stands to let them all out of the booth, and then once they’re gone, she stands there, staring back and forth between our table and the VIP exit. She’s weighing her options.
She doesn’t look at me once.
I hide my smile and wait.
Then finally she sighs and sits back down in the booth, albeit as far away from me as she can get. We aren’t totally alone. Sophia and Josh are still here, just…not paying any attention to us. I don’t need to look over at them to confirm they’re heavily making out.
