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“What are you frowning about?” Clint said, his warm breath tickling my ear.
“Was I? I think I’m tired.”
He stared at me. “You never did stay up late.”
“Excuse me,” I said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
I made my way over to the women’s room on the other side of the room. Amber caught up to me in the line for the toilet stalls.
She covered her cheeks with her hands. “Um, wow, this night took a turn.”
I smiled. “Are you going to stay and have a couple drinks with him?”
“What? You’re not leaving are you—no, wait. Then all that awkward date stuff will set in. This is better, with you and Clint here.”
I covered my mouth as I yawned. “I don’t know.”
“Sally, it’s only nine o’clock.”
“Really?” I stepped forward in line. A stall opened up and I went in to take care of business. Keeping away from Clint was exhausting me.
Why was I resisting him, I wondered as I washed my hands. In the mirror, new Sally stared back at me. I wanted him. The problem was, he tended to take over like a bulldozer knocking obstacles out of his path.
“Come on,” said Amber as we walked out into the bar.
“Hey, hold up for a sec. I’ll go over there for a few minutes but then I’m going to disappear. Call for a pick up.”
She made big pouty lips at me. “Dang it. Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” I had a bad feeling about staying with Clint tonight.
“Well, I’ll figure it out.” She huffed and crossed her arms.
“Probably better to make that one work for it a little anyway, shug. To see if he will.”
She sucked a breath in between her teeth. “Huh. You don’t think he’ll just move on and forget about me?”
“Not if he’s smart.”
We walked back to the guys, who were standing at the bar with their pints. I shook my head when Clint wanted to order me another cocktail. Everyone else got another drink then Amber and Marcus walked to a table at the side of the room.
“Hey, I’m headed home,” I said to Clint.
“I’m walking you down.”
“No—”
He took my hand and pulled me out of the room. We were stopped in the lobby by a big group of people blocking the doors. I pulled out my phone and ordered a ride.
Outside the night had cooled off, the first time I’d really noticed that fall was around the corner. Clint put his arm around my back, and we walked away from the doors.
He led me into a dark little nook in the gardens, where a gravel path wound between big trees. On the other side of the pines was an outdoor patio with a few people at the tables, strings of globe lights crisscrossing between branches and the building’s roof. Clint bent over and kissed me, pulling me in tight against his chest. He groaned as I wrapped my arms around his neck then gripped my waist and straightened up, lifting me off the ground.
A burst of camera flash went off near us. “Oh, you fucking scumbag,” said a woman’s voice, a little familiar.
We stopped kissing and Clint put me down. He raised his hand as the flash went off again. “Blakely?”
I turned my back to the camera and walked toward a gap in the trees.Shizzle and sham. Clint’s ex couldn’t have any good plans for those photos.
