2. Georgia
“Another shot for you, another two for me!” I squeal, passing the crystal glass to the taller man next to me.
The smile Derek sends my way is warm yet mischievous as he lifts the glass to his lips. My skin warms as our eyes remain locked on one another, downing the contents of our glasses.
Here’s a list of things that have happened in the hectic life of Georgia Adams in the past twenty-four hours:
I was rejected from the most important internship of my life.
Courtesy of my secretary-fucking father, I received a first-class flight to my dream wedding venue in the Amalfi Coast—FOR HIS WEDDING!!!!!
I think I may have left my sleeping mask in Maryland.
And finally, I’m getting shitfaced in a bar with the most handsome, untouchable man in the world, Derek Motherfucking Perez.
Life could be better, and God forbid it got worse. What’s worse than getting an invitation to the wedding of your dad and the woman he had an affair with? I’ll wait…
Exactly.
“So, what is this?” Derek asks, pulling me from my thoughts.
In the ambient lighting of this stale bar, I can see his every imperfection—but let’s be honest, I don’t think he has any.
Derek is the kind of handsome that you can’t bring home to Momma.
He’s a rugged kind of gorgeous. The type of guy you know knows how to use his hands—in both senses, if you know what I mean.
His deep brown eyes are like pools of chocolate, with his equally dark brown hair and warm brown skin.
The light dusting of freckles on his cheeks adds a hint of softness to him, but Derek's jaw is sharp. It’s like he could’ve been a model had hockey not been his passion.
And there’s a darkness to him, a quiet and mysterious allure that has me wanting to break down every single one of his walls.
It could be the extrovert in me, or maybe I’m just a nosy bitch. Who knows?
“What is what?” I ask, tilting my head up to catch his eye. A hint of a smirk plays at his lips as he licks them. He tilts his head and raises a brow.
“I mean, it’s a tryst—y’know, a sort of dillydally. We get drunk, we have fun…” I shrug, my heart stammering as Derek cracks a full-blown smile my way.
Did the heavens just part? My God, this man is gorgeous.
I blink the thought away, licking my lips.
He’s my friend.
He’s my friend.
He’s my friend…
“Sound’s cool, but don’t fall in love with me or anything…” He shrugs, looking off to where Sienna hauls Denver onto the dance floor, the two of them twerking on one another. He chuckles silently as I roll my eyes at his words, swatting at his chest.
“Sorry, Cougar Magnet, but that ship will never sail. You’re hot and all, but the mysterious vibe doesn’t do it for me.”
Lies.
The mysterious vibe so does it for me.
When we met at the first football game of the season for SFU, I took one look at this man and knew. Then, I saw him and his adorable daughter, Delilah, and my ovaries burst. A hot guy who takes care of his kid? Immediate swoon.
Then I realized that he was the guy giving Sienna a hard time and had to push back the swooning.
But now I know him. He’s my friend. Derek is kind, funny, an excellent chef, and a wonderful father. I honestly don’t understand how Si Si hated him when they first met, but I digress. It could’ve been all the chemicals from her hair dye.
“Sure, Blondie, another drink?”
“Only if it’s on you.”