Thirty-Three
Nancy stayed just out of sight but close enough to hear the light chatter between Ari and the waitress. She didn’t want to listen, didn’t want to care, but she couldn’t help herself. Ari’s voice was as easy as ever.
‘Sorry I knocked into you,’ Ari’s voice drifted to Nancy’s ears, playful and smooth. ‘I guess I was just drawn in your direction.’
The woman laughed, a low, throaty sound that made Nancy’s stomach twist. ‘Oh?’ she said, leaning in a little closer, her voice just below a whisper.
‘Love a woman with a drink in her hand,’ Ari said, her tone dropping lower, warmer. ‘Even if it’s for someone else.’
Nancy’s heart pounded against her chest, the words a sudden jolt of something unfamiliar. She knew Ari was a born flirt, but hearing this side of her… It was too much.
Nancy’s gaze scanned the pair, watching how the waitress leaned in just a bit too close—her smile deepened as her eyes studied Ari with slow, deliberate interest. ‘Is that right?’ the woman murmured. ‘You always this charming, or am I just lucky tonight?’
Ari tilted her head, considering. ‘I’d say a bit of both.’ She let her gaze drop for a moment, just long enough to suggest she was taking the woman in properly, before flashing a smirk. ‘But luck’s a funny thing. It only lasts so long.’
The woman grinned, clearly enjoying the game. ‘And what happens when it runs out?’
Ari leaned in, just a fraction. ‘I’d have to get creative.’
Nancy barely breathed. She could see the way the waitress reacted, her lashes lowering, her mouth curving just enough to betray amusement. Ari was laying it on thick, and it was working.
‘I do like a woman who can improvise.’
Ari let the silence stretch for a beat. ‘What about a woman with a taste for adventure?’
‘Depends what kind.’
Ari glanced around as if considering something forbidden, then leaned in just enough to make the other woman mirror her movement. Her voice was nothing more than a murmur. ‘You know the bride’s got the nicest room in the house.’
The woman’s brow arched, her amusement sharp. ‘She does?’
Ari shrugged, lazy and smug. ‘You know what they say. Weddings can leave people too tired to consummate the marriage. It’s a shame that room might not see any action.’
Nancy’s stomach twisted, heat and irritation pooling at once. The suggestion was blatant, bordering on reckless.
The woman exhaled a soft laugh, shaking her head. ‘Tempting,’ she admitted, dragging her bottom lip between her teeth. ‘But I’ve got work to do. And you look like trouble.’
Ari grinned, tapping her fingers against the bar. ‘Guilty as charged.’
‘Mmm. Thought so.’ She took a fresh drink from her tray and gave it to Ari, eyes glinting. ‘Better behave yourself, then.’
Nancy swallowed hard.
The woman was walking away, and Ari, unbothered, was lifting her drink to her lips, the corner of her mouth curling in satisfaction.