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“So, she likes older men.” Avery shrugs and gives me what I want to think is an innocent look aside from the fact that she holds my gaze for an extra second. “Guys our age don’t know what they’re doing.”
“Who are you speaking for?” Lucas balks, annoyed as he gives her a look.
“Guyshisage don’t know what they’re doing either,” Rory chirps, annoyed and I wonder if there’s more to that story. Rory looks over at Avery. “I have to use the ladies room.”
“Oh, I’ll come,” Avery says before looking at us. “Excuse me, gentlemen.” She giggles before she’s gone, following Rory towards the restroom and leaving me alone with my son.
“So, that pissing match with the guy?”Whose name I can’t remember for the life of me.
“Elijah? That guy is such a tool. He’s been trying to hook up with her since their freshman year of college. Get it through your head dude, she’s not interested,” he grits out.
I love my son more than anything in the world short of my daughter who I love equally but I want to joke that it sounds like the pot calling the kettle black. I’m not sure where his feelings for Avery are today though, so I leave it alone.Sort of.
“Right.” I pull my drink to my lips and give him a look over the rim and he glares at me.
“Don’t, I was making a point.”
“What point was that?”
“Dad, I don’t have feelings for Avery anymore. I did, but,” his eyes scan the room, as if he’s trained to know when she walks into a room because sure enough, she’s back and talking to her mom. I know that look. I’ve had that look. It was the look I gave Lucas’ mom,manymanyyears ago when she was across the room. The look that there was far too much space between my hands and her body.
“Lucas,” I interrupt his staring and his eyes dart back to mine.
“I’m crazy about her, but we’re just friends.”
“Because that’s whatshewants. Not what you want.” I wince.
“I’ve grown to accept it. I’ve moved on.”
The thought makes my stomach turn and I wonder if now is the time for me to leave. Leave Avery with her friends and my son and away from my eyes and my carnal thoughts. “You drive here?” I ask because I know more than anything that my son hates talking about his feelings for Avery.
“No, I took an Uber. I think a bunch of us are going downtown later.” He grabs a glass of champagne. “Thank you.” He nods at the waitress with a polite smile and it warms my heart for the millionth time that I raised my kids right.
“Alright, well I might head out soon. Just be careful. Call me if you need me to come get you guys.” I know he’s twenty-one and lives in New York by himself, but when he’s home, I still see him as that sixteen-year-old kid who used to harass me for rides constantly.
“Dad, I’ll be fine. I’m probably not going to get too drunk anyway if Avery starts taking shots.”
“She already had one before you got here.” I chuckle and Lucas’ blue eyes, ones that look exactly like his mother’s, glare in Avery’s direction before turning to me.
A group of guys I recognize from their high school that must have been outside or elsewhere when I got here start making their way over and after exchanging a few pleasantries, I make my way towards the restroom before I make my exit. There are easily two hundred people here; I am sure no one will miss me unless Raegan shows up, but my daughter is notoriously flakey so she may not make an appearance at all.
The bathroom is one floor down from where the party is being held so I’m surprised to see Avery against the wall when I exit the restroom, her legs crossed and a sexy smirk across her lips as she holds a highball glass in her hand with an orange peel floating around the bottom.Champagne, tequila, and now, whiskey? Fuck.“Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?” she asks.
“Who said I was leaving?”
“Lucas,” she murmurs. “I asked where you ran off to because my father was looking for you.”
“Oh. What does he want?”
“Nothing. I couldn’t exactly tell himIwas looking for you.” She pushes off the wall and moves closer to me and I take a step back, not wanting her perfume to infiltrate my space.
I nod. “I am probably going to head out.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want to crowd your space.”
She looks up at me and bats her eyelashes at me. “It never bothered you before. I can remember many times you crashed our parties as we got older.”
