“What can I get for you?” He licks his lower lip and raises his brows.
I’m starting to feel like a third wheel in this scenario and start looking at the bottles of alcohol stacked against the wall as though they hold fascinating secrets.
“What do you think of my friend?” She nods to me, and I roll my eyes in response.
He looks me over for a moment, shrugging as though he doesn’t hate what he sees before his eyes return to her.
“Why? You come as a package deal?”
She gives him a wicked little grin in response, and I groan.
“Two more of your purple drinks, please,” I yell over the music and their eye fucking.
He glances at me and winks. “Coming up, doll.”
Then he wanders off and Joss turns to me, the smile still on her face.
“That’s all you, obviously,” I say, clicking my tongue at the idea of hooking up with someone who clearly wants my friend.
“Only because I’m giving good vibes. You’re giving sad poutiness. You’ve gotta fake it til you make it, and I guarantee a couple orgasms from him, and you would be making it.”
“I appreciate your effort, but I think I’m good.” I look down as my phone lights up with Nora’s name, my best friend who still lives back in our hometown. I miss her lots but it’s strange to see her name and an odd hour of the night for it. She rarely ever calls me, and we usually talk by text or the occasional video chat. So the ringing of my phone has my heart racing with worry, and I don’t even think when I answer it in the middle of the club.
“Nora?” I ask.
“Violet! Oh wow. Where are you? It’s loud.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes. Well sort of. I mean I’m fine. Can you talk or are you in the middle of something?”
“Um. I’m in a club. I think I saw a patio though, just give me a second.”
I look up and motion to Joss that I’m heading outside, and then make my way through the crowd, confirming I did in fact see an exit to a patio. I’m thankful the nights are still pretty warm, and I slip outside, where luckily, I find myself alone.
“Okay. I’m outside. What’s up? You’re scaring me with the call.”
“Well, it’s nothing horrible but it’s time sensitive and I wanted to talk rather than text.”
“Okay?” I say, frowning because she has me worried still.
“Do you still have space in your apartment, now that Cam’s roaming Europe?”
The mention of my ex-fiancé has me scrunching my nose.
“Yeah, his old room that we used as an office is still open. We’re looking for someone to rent it to. Why, are you thinking of running away here?” I laugh.
“No, but you remember Ben, right?”
“Your brother?”
“That would be the one. You know he plays ball for Highland, right?”
I frown. I guess I remember her saying that at one point or another, but I’d been too busy with grad school to pay much attention to the athletics department roster. I also can’t imagine Ben being old enough to be at the university since the last time I remember seeing him, he was a scrawny teenager.
“I think I remember you saying that.”
“Well, he got himself into some deep shit on his birthday.”
