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“No way.” She shakes her head in disapproval. “Chug that shit down. We’re getting you a real drink.” She calls the bartender over with a small wave and a flirtatious smile. “Hi, gorgeous, can we please each have a sex on the beach?”
I practically spit my wine out in shock. “A what?”
The bartender nods his head with a chuckle and disappears before returning with two pretty-looking beverages that he places in front of us.
I take a sip and immediately realize I have found my new favorite drink.
Sarah inches her chair closer to mine so I can hear her over the loud music playing. “So, who is the hot toddy I’ve seen coming and going from your apartment recently?”
“Who?” I ask, feigning confusion.
“Oh, you know, the tall guy who looks like a Calvin Klein model,” she responds while pretending to fan herself.
“Oh, umm, him. Well, he and I are both from the same town, and we sort of started …” But I don’t know how to finish that sentence.
What are we doing?
Are we just hooking up, or does Nathan think it’s more than that? I know I do, but we haven’t hadthatconversation yet. Do we need to? Or is our current relationship status just implied?
“Well, we started getting to know each other better,” I finally respond and feel a slight heat on my cheeks.
“Good for you, girl! Enjoy it!” Sarah exclaims enthusiastically. “You two look perfect together.”
“Thanks,” I say before finishing the rest of my drink. “So, are you seeing anyone?” I ask, taking the attention off of me.
The bartender immediately brings me another drink at the sight of my empty glass.
“Oh, you know, I like to keep my options open. I’ve been so busy with school and work, I don’t really have time for anything serious.” She waves at some guy sitting across the bar. I look over and instantly recognize him from the house party a couple of weeks ago. The same guy Sarah had disappeared with. He starts walking over toward us with another guy close behind him.
“Hey, Sarah,” the guy says as he approaches. He puts one of his thick tattooed arms on the back of Sarah’s chair, filling all space between them. The other guy stands there awkwardly, unsure of what to do.
“Hey, John.” She places her hand on his arm. “Natalie, this is my … friend, John.” I can tell from the pause that they are more than just friends.
“Hi.” I give a slight wave.
I look at John’s friend who is still standing in the background with his hands in his pockets, looking uncomfortable. He’s tall with dark, messy hair, has tattoos up and down his arms, and is wearing a pair of thick black framed glasses that hang right above his prominent cheekbones. His clothes look one size too small on his slim body, but somehow, he makes it work. He’s not exactly my type, but there is no doubt about it; he is a good-looking guy. “What’s your name?” I ask.
“Oh, dude, sorry,” John cuts in. “This is my buddy Kyle.”
“Hi, Kyle, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Natalie.”
“Nice to meet you, Natalie.” He gives a shy smile as he steps toward the group.
“Well, don’t you two look great together,” John says, making things feel even more awkward.
“No way, this girl is taken,” Sarah chimes in, coming to my rescue.
“Too bad,” I hear Kyle say under his breath.
“You mean your boyfriend let you go out looking like that?” John asks, slowly eyeing me up and down. I cross my arms in front of my chest, feeling extremely self-conscious.
“Leave her alone, dude,” Kyle says. I give him an appreciative smile.
“I didn’t mean anything by it. Just a question.” A tall, slender brunette walks by, distracting him until Sarah loudly clears her throat, bringing his attention back to us. “How about we join you beautiful girls and order another round of drinks?” John asks, and I notice his hand begins to slide down Sarah’s back.
They both pull a chair up next to us, and John orders drinks for everyone. Twenty minutes later, I’ve finished my third drink and feel pretty buzzed but good. I look down at my phone, hoping to see Nathan’s name on the screen, but there are no new texts or calls, which leaves me disappointed. This feeling, combined with the amount of alcohol in my system, motivates my fingers to type away on my phone and hit send before I can even think about it.
Me: I miss you.
