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“Come on,” he pleads.
“No thank you,” I repeat.
He grips my hand tighter, dragging me closer until his mouth is near my ear. He speaks softly so no one else can hear. “Dance with me. I want to feel you.”
I suck in a sharp breath at his lack of tact, still trying to pull away. “Not tonight, Nick.” It’s a generous response because what I really want to say is ‘not ever.’ I peer across the table and catch Kai’s gaze. He’s watching me with a sort of disappointed sympathy.
Nick sighs and drops his hand to my waist. He leans away to regard me with offense. “You won’t even dance with me on my birthday?”
Admittedly, I do feel a little guilty, but if I said yes, it wouldn’t be just a dance. He’s getting too comfortable with touching me, and I shudder at the thought.
I shake my head. “Not tonight.”
He purses his lips. “Well, I think you’re just shy.”
I glance at Kai again, who’s now staring daggers at him.
I step away from Nick, forcing him to finally drop his hand from my waist. “I think you’ve had too much to drink.”
He glares at me briefly before turning back to the bar with a sigh. “I think I’m gonna get a pitcher. You’ll all have some?”
Nobody nods, but he leaves with his glass anyway.
“He’s gonna be completely hammered by the end of the night.” Maureen laughs, looking at Kai again. She glances down at his glass, which is still more than half full. “You, however, will certainly not be at that rate.”
His face is still contorted into a scowl, and he glances at her like he’s forgotten she was there. “Oh.” He clears his throat. “Nah, I’m not going to stay much longer anyway.”
Maureen furrows her brow, but she turns back to me. “So, the other night–”
Kai’s head shoots up toward her.
“–I was thinking about how much I’ll miss all of you after the show’s over.” She frowns.
I look at Kai. The shock is slowly fading from his face as he realizes she isn’t going to reveal their secret—well, what he thinks is a secret.
I smile tightly at Maureen. “You know you can always visit.”
But instead of reacting to me, she’s staring past my shoulder with wide eyes. “Oh my God, is that…?”
“Who?” I hold my breath, quickly following her gaze.
I’m immediately greeted by a head of perfectly coiffed blonde hair and a pair of bright blue eyes looking back and forth between Kai and me.
“Kai Lamont… Sophie Bellwood…” Drew Conroy beams at the two of us, striding across the room and clasping his hands down onto our shoulders. “I can’t believe we all showed up at the same place again!”
Kai’s expression is as stunned as mine, but he puts a tight smile on his face and nods. “Hey Drew, good to see you.”
They shake hands and then Drew turns to me. “I didn’t expect to see the two of you together again.” He pauses. “How’s Leah?”
“She’s, um, fine.” I gulp just as Nick returns to the table with a huge pitcher of beer. I gesture toward him. “Drew, this is Nick, and this is Maureen. We’re all in town for a project.”
His expression brightens. “Oh? You finally got your big break, did you?”
He reaches out and shakes Nick and Maureen’s hands. Nick smiles, but Maureen just stares at him with wide, starstruck eyes. What is it about him that has that effect on everyone but me?
“I suppose I did.” I smile.
“You, and Kai?” He glances between the two of us.
