Chapter Fifteen
“Do you have any clothes that don’t scream middle-aged lesbian?” Jordan pulled all the clothes from Sam’s suitcase and summarily discarded them in a pile on the bed.
“First.” Sam held up a warning finger. “I’m not middle-aged.” She ticked off another. “And two, I am a lesbian, so any clothes I wear are considered lesbian clothes. And three, it wasn’t like I was expecting nights out on the town when I came home,” she finished, holding up a third finger.
Dallis chuckled from her spot on a chair in the corner. She looked up from typing on her phone. “She looks fine, Jordan.”
“I thought we were going for better than just fine, Dallis.” Jordan flopped down on the bed beside the pile of clothes.
“White T-shirt. Blue jeans. That’s fit as hell.” Dallis glanced up from her phone again. “No doubt she’ll look hot.”
“I’m right here, you know.” Sam threw up her hands in exasperation.
“You don’t need to talk about me like I don’t exist!
” She flopped down on the bed beside Jordan.
She stared up at the ceiling, trying to collect herself.
She felt like a teenager again, like that seventeen-year-old girl trying to determine whether her best friend liked her.
Funny how twelve years later, she had landed back in the same spot.
Sam sat up and started rifling through the clothes on the bed. She picked out a plain green sweater and ignored Jordan as he gaped at her choice. He reached behind her and started going through the clothes again.
“Not that.” Jordan sat up and snatched the sweater from her hands, replacing it with a little black camisole she didn’t even remember packing. “This.”
Sam picked up the green sweater again and pulled it over her head. Jordan opened his mouth, but she cut him off with a glare. “It brings out the color of my eyes.”
“Your eyes are brown,” he argued.
“They’re hazel.”
Dallis rose to her feet and reached out a hand to pull Jordan up. She turned to look at Sam. “Are we ready or what?”
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” Sam said as she joined them. “Let’s do this.”
Forty-five minutes later, the three of them walked into Easton’s. Jordan headed to the bar to get drinks for everyone while Sam took Dallis to the back room, where Brad and the guys were playing darts.
“Sam!” Brad handed his darts off to Jasper and walked over. He seemed to hesitate only slightly before wrapping her in a hug. “You came!”
“Of course I came,” Sam said, sliding onto a stool. “I believe I said drinks were on me.”
Brad waved her off. “You can buy the next round, but that’s it.” He turned slightly, acknowledging Dallis standing beside Sam. “Who’s this?”
“This is Dallis. She’s a friend of Jordan’s from the university.” Sam gestured to the guys. “Dallis, this is Brad. He’s been saving my life by helping with my mother’s house. That over there is his cousin Jasper, and the other guy is Adam. We all went to high school together.”
Dallis held out her hand and shook everyone’s hands. “It’s a pleasure. Sam has told me everything you have done. You are an amazing friend.”
“It’s nothing.” Brad waved off the compliment. “It’s just what we do here.”
“Are we ready to party?” Jordan nudged into the group, carrying a tray filled with drinks. Besides the beers he had brought for everyone, there were shots of a transparent liquid, a salt shaker, and a dish filled with lime slices.
“Jordan…” Sam groaned. “Tequila? Really?” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him. “Now who’s trying to relive their glory days?”
“Just take a glass, Martin.” He handed her a shot and passed out the others to Dallis and Brad.
She looked around the bar and noticed a few other familiar faces, including Melissa, who raised her glass of what looked like white wine—since when had Easton’s even served wine?
—and grinned. Sam rolled her eyes. Even across the bar, she could hear the laugh that Melissa barked out.
Sam let out a long sigh. Of course, even at a straight bar, she still felt like she was on display.
Their hodgepodge group of people got on surprisingly well.
Adam and Jordan were deep into a game of darts.
Brad and Dallis were deep in conversation about soccer, of all things.
Hicksville didn’t even have a soccer team.
Sam leaned against a table and sipped her beer, nodding and smiling whenever someone paid her any attention.
The minutes ticked by, feeling like hours as she waited.
To pass the time, she started to turn to the bar to get another drink, then remembered the shots they had done earlier.
She slouched back against the table. She was going to need a clear head to get through tonight.
“Psst.” Jordan came up behind her and whispered in her ear. “Incoming. Three o’clock.”
Sam swiveled her head to the bar door, craning her neck to see around the people blocking her view.
All she could see was the top of Alex’s head as she maneuvered her way through the crowded bar.
But then Alex’s face came into view at a break between the bodies, and their eyes met.
Alex’s lips quirked up in a slight smile, and Sam felt her pulse rise.
Heat flared in her cheeks as Alex made her way closer.
She felt a hand tuck into her side and looked over to see Dallis standing beside her, smiling with reassurance. “That must be her, right?”
Sam acknowledged with a nod.
“I can see why you’re so smitten,” Dallis murmured, quiet enough for only Sam to hear.
Sam glanced at her and cracked a small smile. “Don’t let me embarrass myself, okay?”
Dallis nodded. “We got you.”
When Alex rounded the corner, all the air left Sam’s lungs.
She was dressed much more casually this time, in skinny black jeans, a white T-shirt, and a blue button-up that was left open, giving Sam a glimpse of her collarbone.
Her hair was down and messy, and her blue eyes sparkled as she approached Sam.
“Hey,” she said, somewhat breathless. She glanced from Sam to Dallis, forehead scrunched slightly in confusion.
“Hey.” Sam couldn’t help the smile that broke out across her face.
She continued staring at Alex until she felt Dallis nudge her in the side, breaking the spell.
“Alex, this is…” Her mind blanked for a hot second.
“Dallis. This is Dallis. She’s, um, Jordan’s colleague from the university.
” Sam realized how dumb and formal she sounded, but couldn’t stop herself.
Alex’s brow furrowed at the description, but still she extended a hand, the casualness of the gesture undercut by a slight tremor in her fingers. “Nice to meet you.” Her voice was higher than Sam remembered. Maybe she just hadn’t ever heard her direct it at someone new before.
Dallis took Alex’s hand and held onto it a beat longer than necessary, a wolfish grin on her face. “So, you’re the famous Alexandra, then?” Sam could have sworn that she was laying on the Irish accent a bit thicker than usual.
“That’s me.” Alex’s voice was steady, but her attention shifted between Dallis and Sam, as if she was trying to puzzle something out.
“I’ve heard so much about you,” Dallis gushed. “And wow, Sam wasn’t kidding. You’re even more gorgeous in person.” She released Alex’s hand and flashed Sam a look that was both mischievous and approving. No subtlety at all.
Alex laughed, her shoulders relaxing. “Well, thank you,” Alex murmured. And was that a blush on her cheeks? Sam resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “I’ll take all the ego boosts I can get tonight.”
“Somehow, I don’t think that’ll be a problem, love,” Dallis finished, letting her eyes roam.
Sam took in their banter with a pang. She didn’t know whether to be amused or annoyed.
But she noticed that Alex hadn’t really looked away from her.
She only seemed to give Dallis the minimum attention needed for polite conversation.
Sam felt Dallis drifting away to give them some space.
On her way by, Dallis stopped her with a light hand on her shoulder.
“She smells delicious,” she whispered. “And I told Jordan that white T-shirts were hot.” She looked smug.
Sam resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She turned to find Alex watching her, her smile soft and her face open and hopeful.
Sam racked her brain for words, but Alex had always been distracting up close.
So she let herself stare, fighting the urge to reach out and brush a strand of Alex’s hair behind her ear. “You made it,” she finally managed.
Alex smiled. “I did.” She ducked her chin, looking suddenly shy. “I think I set an unofficial speed record getting Sophie to bed. I did the CliffsNotes version of the last chapter.”
Sam choked on a laugh, and her brain finally rebooted. “Well, I doubt she noticed.” She was surprised by how quickly her nerves turned into banter. It was almost like old times, except with an extra layer of electricity between them.
They watched each other for a second before Sam realized that Alex’s hands were empty. “Did you want a drink? What can I get you?”
Alex smiled gratefully and gestured to Sam’s empty. “I don’t think I’m in the mood for beer tonight.” She thought for a moment. “How about a rum and Coke, extra cherries?”
Sam nodded and made her way over to the bar, stopping to say hello to a few other familiar faces she recognized.
Waiting to put in her order, she felt someone push up beside her.
She vaguely recalled seeing Emily Hunter follow Alex into the bar.
Now Emily motioned for the bartender and leaned against the counter, pinning Sam with a penetrating gaze.
She was silent for so long that Sam felt herself blush under the scrutiny.
“You know she’s still in love with you, right?” Emily gestured over her shoulder toward their group in the back room. Sam looked back and saw Alex talking to Dallis again. Dallis was gesturing wildly with her hands while Alex smiled at her politely.