“Not if I can help it,” I retorted as he strode out of the room.
“You two,” Leslie turned to me, exasperated.
I rolled my eyes. I’d never understood why Leslie put up with Jerry for all these years. She was beautiful with her sand-colored skin tone, curly hair, and light green eyes that so many men ogled over, but she’d been loyal to Jerry from day one. As loyal to him as I’d been to my own husband. The main difference was, once I found out about Darryl’s infidelities, I dropped him like a sack of hot potatoes and never bothered to look back. That wasn’t the case for Leslie. But then again, maybe Jerry’s cheating had never caused Leslie to lose a child, as evidenced by the three kids the couple had together. Some things a relationship just couldn’t get past.
“Tell your husband to keep my name out of his mouth and we’ll be fine.”
“You know he’s just teasing. He doesn’t mean anything by it.”
I waved Leslie off. She always defended him and I wasn’t in the mood to get into an argument with one of my best friends over her dumbass husband.
“Anyway, let’s discuss something that really matters. Like, what are we wearing tonight toIndigo?” I asked, changing the subject. As much as I’d protested earlier, I was looking forward to a night out.
“Yes!” Leslie clapped. “I’ll text Jackie and Stacey so they can join us.”
Jackie and Stacey were also friends of ours from college who’d made their way to Williamsport in the years since we’d graduated.
Leslie got dressed in a pair of black leather shorts that showed off her long legs, and a dark, sleeveless top that displayed a risky level of cleavage. Once she was ready we took a Lyft over to my place where I chose to adorn myself in my orange shorts romper that criss-crossed at the neck, exposing both my arms and shoulders. It was going on the beginning of August and the weather was still in the high eighties.
“Ready?” Leslie questioned once I had on my six-inch strappy heels.
“Ready.”
We made it toIndigoabout twenty minutes later. As soon as we entered, I spotted Jackie and Stacey waving us over from one of the corner tables. We made our way to the two women who greeted us with champagne flutes that were filled to the top.
“To a night out with no kids, no men, and no work!” Leslie cheered, and we all laughed and clinked our glasses together before tossing them back as if we were taking shots. While I’d enjoyed the toast, my heart ached when Leslie mentioned no kids. I knew she loved her children with her whole heart. She was a stay-at-home mom who deserved a break. But the little pang of envy that moved through me couldn’t be helped.
I shook my head, not allowing myself to slink down into the mire of self-pity for what I’d lost in the past. I had a great life and I wasn’t about to let myself forget it.
“Oh, I love this song!” I cheered to the table once Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You” came on.
“You always did like that type of music,” Jackie chided, laughing.
I tossed my head back, laughing, because although Jackie herself was a strawberry blonde, blue eyed, white woman herself, she loved hip hop over anything. Our musical tastes were very different. Maroon 5 was one of my favorite groups and I had a special thing for Adam Levine.
“Leave my girl alone. You know she wants to put it on Adam Levine something fierce!” Leslie teased.
“I sure do!”
Placing my glass down on the table, I tossed my arms in the air, and began singing at the top of my lungs.
“’Cause girls like you run around with guys like me!” I sang and danced, swinging my hips in time with the music. The rest of the three women laughed and cheered me on. I was in my element, feeling happy that I’d conceded to Leslie’s wishes and went out for the evening instead of staying home or catching a movie in her hotel suite.
Maroon 5 soon gave way to Bruno Mars’ “That’s What I Like” and I continued dancing, swinging my arms in the air and doing the same dance moves Bruno performed in the video for the song.
“Woohoo! And you didn’t want to come out tonight!” Leslie chided over the music, now dancing herself.
“That truly would’ve been a shame.”
My dancing faltered at the sound of the deep, male voice behind me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I glanced up at Jackie and Leslie to see their eyes widen with delight as they gazed at the man behind me. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was; but, on its own accord, my body did a one-eighty to see a glaring Tyler Townsend staring down at me. The same hunger I’d seen in his eyes on more than one occasion was apparent again that night.
A smile eased its way over his pink lips and not for the first time my fingers twitched to run through the strands of his low-cut beard.
“Destiny McDonald. Imagine my surprise to see you out on the dancefloor.”
My jaw flapped open but no response came out.
“Are you kidding? Back in our cheerleading days Destiny was the first one on the floor!”
