Chapter 12 #2
“Good. The kids are with their dad for the weekend so my friend dragged me out for a drink.” We chat for a few minutes before she mentions that she’s looking for a new daycare since she doesn’t want to take Freddie back.
Who could blame her? “If you know a trustworthy sitter who doesn’t charge more than Little Hearts, please let me know. ”
“Actually I might. Let me get back to you.”
I slide in beside Freda at her table. She only works with the parents in our trailer park—often for free if the parents are too hard up—but after I explain what happened and that Colleen can pay, she asks me to introduce them.
They talk for a few minutes, then she returns to tell me she’ll be watching Freddie.
A euphoria fills me as I finish my drink. I can’t remember the last time I felt so good. Everything is working out. For me and my friends. Even Amos is doing well.
“Oh shit,” Sutton curses, tilting his body away. He’s sitting next to me and looks like he’s ready to duck under the table. “It’s Fiona.”
“Who’s Fiona?” Cara asks.
“An ex who does not need to start stalking me again. Redhead who just walked in. Is she at least here with a guy?”
We aren’t the most inconspicuous bunch staring at them. “Nope. Two girls,” Jarrett reports.
“I need a girlfriend. Like someone to pretend to be with me. Just until we leave or she does.”
“Are you serious?” Cara asks, chuckling.
“Yes. Dead serious. Lila, I’ll give you fifty bucks.”
“No way,” I snort, draining my drink.
“Holly?”
“Sorry, I would but I’m in the middle of something.” Her something is a cute, dark headed guy who approaches our table to take her back to the dance floor.
When he glances around, Louise pipes up, “Sorry, you had your chance, beefcake. I found someone else.”
Giggles spill out of me, but he isn’t laughing. “Come on, Lila. She spotted me.”
“Aw, help the man out, girl,” Cara says.
Maren joins in. “Just put your arm around him or something.”
The little traitors are loving this. “Fine,” I concede, and stand up to scoot my chair closer to his. I don’t get the chance.
He wraps a long arm around my waist and pulls me into his lap. “You’re a lifesaver.”
“You could’ve just held my hand or something.”
“You can’t half ass these things, sweetheart.”
“You’re all going to pay for this,” I grumble, making them laugh.
We go back to talking and laughing over other things as if nothing is out of the ordinary. Part of me thought he was full of it and trying to mess with me, but every time I look up, Fiona is staring at him so this might not have been a crazy request.
“You know, someone watching us wouldn’t think you like me at all,” he says a few minutes later. It’s true. I’m perched on his knee, leaning over the table to talk to Louise. He’s barely more than a bar stool for me.
“That’s because I don’t.” The lightness of my voice makes him grin as he tugs me back until I’m leaning against his chest. I’m too buzzed to be subjected to these muscles right now. Too aware of his hard chest and strong arm tucked securely around me.
This is ridiculous. I was thinking that I might meet someone for some nice, dirty, stress relief sex, and instead, I’m stuck being teased by the one guy I don’t want. Louise wanders off and we have the table to ourselves for a moment.
“Dance with me.” His words are spoken directly into my ear.
“Ask me nicely.”
I’m not sure where his soft growl comes from but it goes straight between my legs. “Would you like to dance with me, Delilah?”
It’s probably not a great idea. “No, but I will. After one more drink.”
He’s on his feet in a second, and heading toward the bar.
Cara slides into the seat across the table. “Your cheeks are red. Are you drunk?”
“I am the perfect amount of fucked up. You look like you’re feeling pretty good yourself.”
“I’m going to hate myself in the morning,” she agrees.
“Well, after your hangover wears off tomorrow, do you want to see where Planet Playland will be?”
“Of course! I can’t wait. The others are talking about meeting at Waffle Place after this.”
“Really? Is Row on board?” Her boyfriend worked at Waffle Place when they first started dating, before they began making a lot of money on their Lonely Hands videos.
“Yeah, he wants to say hi to his old friends.”
“Sounds good to me. I promised Sutton I’d dance with him after—” My words are cut short when I look for him and see Fiona talking to him at the bar. “Shit. Be right back.”
Fiona is gorgeous, I’ll say that for her. She’s tall and slender with fiery red hair. Sutton looks like he’d rather be anywhere else in the world while he waits his turn at the bar as she chatters on to him.
What am I supposed to do here? Go claim him? Pee on his leg?
A bright beaming smile rises on his face as I approach him, and he takes a seat on one of the stools. I step between his legs and lay my hand on his chest “There you are, babe,” I say, glancing back at Fiona, then looking at him again. “Am I interrupting?”
“Not at all. I was waiting for your drink.” Fiona glares as he accepts my drink from the bartender. Instead of standing up so we can get away from her, he slides his hand behind my neck. I don’t see the kiss coming until his mouth is already on mine.
Soft, firm lips catch me by surprise and send butterflies escaping my stomach to flutter over my entire body.
He slips his hand around to cup my jaw then tilts my head, finding the perfect angle to press his lips to mine again and a third time before breaking away.
The alcohol has nothing on the intoxicating effects of that kiss.
My head spins and my heart thumps in my ears.
With a small grin, he holds out the drink to me. When I only stare at it for a few seconds, his lips twitch and he raises his eyebrow. “Lila? You okay?”
“Huh?” Get it together right now, damn it. “Oh, sure, I’m good.” I snatch the drink so roughly that it spills a little, then take a large gulp. God knows I need it.
“She’s gone,” Sutton says when I look back at where Fiona was standing. “Thanks for the rescue.”
Words still don’t want to cooperate for me, and I drain the drink instead of replying. His little chuckle starts pulling me back to reality. “Good, okay. We don’t need to dance then. Everyone’s going to Waffle Place. I’m going to go to the restroom first.”
Without giving him a chance to respond, I make a beeline for the women’s room.
If Cara thought my cheeks were red before, they’re scarlet when I look in the mirror.
I wonder if she or Maren saw that. I’ll never hear the end of it.
I’m not sure what happened. I can’t count how many men I’ve kissed in my life but I’ve never had a simple kiss stun me like that.
It wasn’t deep or passionate. Yet it knocked me stupid.
It’s fine. I’m just sex deprived right now and drunk. It’ll be fine. He only did it to get rid of the crazy ex. I can act like it was nothing because it was nothing. It wasn’t even real.