“See that bartender?” Brynn nudges my arm and whispers into my ear, “That’s James. Samantha’s boyfriend.”
I follow her gaze to where a bleach-blond bartender with tattooed sleeves leans across the counter, his face inches from a redhead who’s twirling her hair around her finger. Behind her, two other girls hover close, laughing at something he says as he pours their shots with a theatrical flourish, noticing the way his hands linger as he passes their drinks.
Um . .. I swallow, unsure of what to say when I slide my gaze toward Samantha who’s watching me closely, waiting for myreaction. And whatever she sees on my face must confirm her feelings because she takes another swallow of beer, then waves her cup in the direction of the bar.
“He used to flirt with me like that,” she says, her tone flat. “In the beginning, anyway. But lately . . .” She worries her lower lip with her teeth, then waves a hand out in front of her. “Anyway, I promised myself I wouldn’t talk about my problems tonight, and you never come out with us, so we’re not going to waste this night on psychoanalyzing my relationship.”
“True.” Brynn turns to me with a wide smile. “I think this is the first time you’ve hung out with us when the boys aren’t around.”
Charlotte rests her chin on her hand, dark eyes sparkling as she says, “Which means we finally get to pick your brain.”
“Uh oh. Should I be scared?” I ask, suddenly intimidated.
“Very.” Liz nods, her expression solemn.
“Now spill.” Charlotte grins. “Because we wanna know all about Brandon Lambert and how you became besties.”
Chapter 13
TATUM
Sweat clings to my skin in packed bar, sweetened by the scent of my perfume and the assortment of fruity cocktails littered across the table. I check my watch, surprised to find more than an hour has passed. My Sex on the Beach is long gone, replaced by a tall glass of tonic water with lime that fizzes pleasantly as I take another sip. The bar has grown even more crowded, the music louder, but our little corner feels intimate as the girls lean in, hanging on my every word.
The girls erupt in laughter, Charlotte practically spitting out her Cosmo while Avery clutches her stomach. “Oh my god,” Liz gasps between giggles. “That’s epic.”
“I have so many embarrassing stories about that boy,” I say, wiping tears from my eyes. “We’ve been through everything together.”
“Speaking of boys,” Avery leans forward, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “You have a boyfriend, right? I feel awful that we haven’t even asked about him.”
I nod, feeling a pang of guilt that I’d yet to mention him. “Ethan.”
“Is it serious?” Liz asks, and I can tell she’s genuinely curious.
I think about it for a moment before I wonder why I need time to consider my answer. Ethan loves me, and I’m on the path to loving him back. I’m planning on transferring schools for him, for heaven’s sake. If that’s not serious, then I don’t know what is.
“Yeah, it is. Things have moved kind of fast, but”—I shrug—“it just feels right.”
“Well, you know what they say,” Brynn says. “When you know, you know. I think deep down, I always knew there was something there with Jace. I just buried all that attraction and sexual tension with loathing.” She laughs.
“I definitely knew with Damon, too,” Avery chimes in. “I mean, we started as friends, but it wasn’t long until we became more.”
Charlotte nods her agreement. “Once I let my guard down with Chris, I was hopeless.”
“If I’m not being too nosy, can I ask how Ethan feels about you and Brandon being so close?” Samantha asks with a frown, and I wonder if she’s thinking about her own relationship with James. “I mean, with you having a male best friend and spendingso much time with him, while Ethan’s at an entirely different school. I can imagine he might get a little jealous.”
The table suddenly goes quiet, all eyes on me as I shift uncomfortably in my seat, the question catching me off guard.
“I’m sure he’d rather I have a girl for a best friend.” I shrug. “But I think it’s fine.”
Charlotte raises an eyebrow. “Youthink?”
I nod, tracing the condensation on my glass with my finger. “The Sigma Alpha party last week was the first time they’ve spent more than a few minutes together and it could’ve been better,” I say for lack of better words.
The truth is, there was a lot of tension between them, but I still haven’t quite figured out why. Shouldn’t Brandon be happy I found someone?
“Well, if you ever want to hang out with just us girls, we’re here for you,” Charlotte says, reaching out and giving my hand a squeeze.
“And I’m the only one without a boyfriend, so I’m always free.” Liz sighs.
