CHAPTER 2 #2
She raised her cup slightly and smiled back before seeing Reese. She nodded in Reese’s direction and chimed in, “And to Reese!” Jette watched a flush creep across the redhead's cheeks.
Kiran’s eyebrows came together in confusion. He laughed, “What’re you talking about? Reese’s birthday isn’t until March.”
“May,” Reese corrected, playfully elbowing him in the ribs.
“I meant, ‘Here’s to Reese’s promotion’,” Jette amended.
She could feel Reese’s eyes on her, but her gaze never left Kiran’s flushed face.
Tilting her cup in Reese’s direction, she continued, “Your girl was just telling me the good news.” She risked a sidelong at Reese whose cheeks were violently blushing now.
It would’ve been easy to slip away once Kiran and Garrett had rejoined their little group, but Jette couldn’t shake the way Reese had looked when she shared the news earlier.
She carefully watched the excited flush in Reese’s cheeks as Kiran loudly cheered in surprise.
He gripped her chin and pulled her in for a tipsy kiss that lasted longer than was appropriate in a group setting.
Jette couldn’t get over how large his hands were in comparison to the soft curves of her cheeks and how carelessly he held her jaw.
Dark green eyes met hers in a flash as Reese pulled away.
She pushed him away playfully and Jette didn’t miss the way his hands gripped her waist, keeping her firmly by his side.
It felt too spirited to come across as casual.
The way he clung to her felt downright possessive.
The uneasy tingling on the back of Jette’s neck didn’t subside until the boys went to grab another case of beer out of the back storage room nearly an hour later.
Once they had shuffled away, Jette turned to find Reese purposefully avoiding her eye contact.
Reese’s uneasiness was palpable but Jette fidgeted with her jacket and pretended she didn’t notice. “Are you okay?” she finally asked.
Reese shook her head and replied, “Yeah.” She tilted her head to the side, stretching her neck before standing up straight. “I’m sorry about that. Kiran can get a little obnoxious when he drinks.” She ran a hand through her hair anxiously.
Jette brushed it off casually, “I didn’t even notice.
” A white lie wouldn’t hurt. Reese’s lips twisted into an unconvincing smile.
Jette softened her voice and tried another approach.
“Plus, this entire room is filled with drunk people. I guarantee you that someone else will wind up doing something far more embarrassing before the end of the night.” Reese fidgeted with her hands before returning a tentative smile.
Her shoulders relaxed a fraction of an inch as their eyes met.
Jette smiled into her own cup and downed the last of its contents.
She watched Reese mirror her only to realize the cup she held was already empty.
“Water?” Jette suggested while waving her own solo cup.
More alcohol felt out of the question after the awkward interaction with Kiran and Garrett.
And selfishly, Jette needed to clear her own head.
A steady flush had settled over her features for the past hour, a subtle reminder that she wasn’t used to more than a couple of drinks anymore.
When she nodded, Reese’s eyes met hers as lights overhead danced around the crowded room.
Even in the dim lighting, Jette could make out the brilliant shades of green and tiny flecks of gold scattered around her pupils.
She jutted her chin in the direction of the hallway, hoping Reese understood to follow her.
As she turned to move through the crowd of dancing bodies, she felt something warm softly press against her spine.
Delicate fingers gingerly latched on to the stiff fabric of her jacket as she led the way towards the back hallway and Jette liked the way the warmth from Reese’s hand seemed to radiate across her back.
She was never opposed to physical touch, in fact, just the opposite.
Jette was incredibly tactile, even among her platonic friends.
She slowed her pace almost imperceptibly, tethering their bodies together as the crowd gently jostled them back and forth.
As they approached the hallway, Jette considered inviting Reese into the tiny workspace again.
The quiet room was undoubtedly more conducive to conversation than the noisy party droning on in the main room, but a reticence lingered in the back of Jette’s mind.
She was completely in control of her faculties, but Jette knew she had a little too much red wine to resist flirting.
To Jette, harmless flirting was practically an involuntary response to meeting an attractive woman.
And though she wasn’t her usual type, Reese was definitely attractive.
Her tall frame gave the appearance that under her stereotypical bisexual uniform of a cuffed jean jacket and jeans, Reese was clearly athletic.
Jette hadn’t missed her toned forearms peeking out from her sleeves, nor the way her lithe fingers deftly wrapped around her solo cup throughout the night.
Jette’s stomach fluttered uncharacteristically as she shook the thought from her mind.
She’d clearly had more to drink than she initially thought if she was hyperfixating on Reese’s hands like this.
The temptation of the small and quiet workspace was out of the question.
It was far safer to snag a couple of water bottles from the supply cabinet and stay in the hallway.
Being on display and surrounded by people seemed like the best way to ensure Jette couldn’t push any boundaries.
Just until she got a chance to clear the wine-induced cloudiness shrouding her thoughts.
Although as they started down the hallway, Jette noticed how overwhelmingly empty it suddenly was.
She feebly wondered if she could also resist flirting with Reese in the unexpected privacy of the dark hallway.
Despite all of her careful consideration, maybe the workspace was a better option.
After all, the tiny room had bright overhead lights.
But the office also had a door that could close—a door that could lock.
She subtly shook her head as she felt her mind wander.
Bad idea, she thought with an air of finality.
Impulsively, Jette reached for the doorknob and turned to gesture at Reese with one finger, signaling her to stay put.
She desperately sought the need to put space between them, even just for a moment.
Shutting the door behind her, Jette raced to the case of water bottles hastily shoved into the overhead cabinet.
Jesus, she needed to get it together. After she downed nearly half the bottle, Jette looked around the room, her eyes landing on the tiny rainbow flag on her cart.
A tiny smile crept across her lips as she ran her fingers through her long wavy locks.
She took a deep breath and gave herself a momentary once-over in the mirror.
She gently swiped her fingers under her eyes, wiping away any traces of errant eyeliner that had smudged throughout the night.
And she gently chewed on her bottom lip, watching her face in the mirror as she vowed to keep herself in check starting now.
The last thing Jette wanted to do was develop a crush on someone who was unavailable, though the thrill of the chase had been irresistible in her younger years.
But she was turning twenty-seven now, and it was about time to let go of some of her more youthful indiscretions.
She turned off the light decisively and exited the room to find Reese leaning against the door frame.
Jette offered a bottle to Reese, who accepted it gratefully.
She took a long sip, the cool plastic rested on her pink lips and Jette began looking around the hallway, desperate to find something—anything else to look at in that moment.
Her eyes fixated on the hardwood floor under her feet as she waited for Reese to finish.
She turned to move back towards the party, but Reese made no effort to leave.
She leaned against the wall of the hallway and lazily ran a hand through her shoulder-length red hair before scratching the back of her neck absentmindedly.
Instinctively, Jette mirrored her and leaned against the door.
Reese finally made eye contact and they stood plainly looking at each other for a few moments but said nothing.
Maybe she had wanted to go into the room too, Jette thought hopefully before she could help herself.
Desperate to break the mounting silence, Jette blurted out, “So…what do you do for fun?” What do you do for fun?
The words echoed in her mind in embarrassment.
Jette wanted to roll her eyes at her own lame attempt at small talk.
“Hm…” Reese considered. “Well I play roller derby so I have practice like three nights a week. That pretty much eats up all my free time,” she said.
“Roller derby?” Jette asked in genuine surprise. “Like—roller derby, roller derby?”
Reese laughed and nodded. “Yeah like roller derby, roller derby,” she teased playfully.