“What is it, Greene?” He beams, eyes glittering.
“You’ve obviously drunk a bit tonight, and it’s refreshing to see you so full of life compared to the usual. That’s all,” I joke, staring directly into his gunmetal eyes. They seem to be twinkling tonight. “Do you come here often?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. I do. I come here a few times a week to watch sports and whatever, butI promiseI don’t usually get carried away,” he says, pushing his currently empty glass away. “In fact, I’m cutting myself off. That’s right. I don’t want to miss a moment of our time together.”
The butterflies come back unexpectedly. “I’m flattered.”
“I’ve noticed you don’t come here often. Otherwise, I would’ve met you way sooner than I did. I would’ve probably asked for your number, too,” he concludes, his eyes dropping to my lips. “So what brings you here tonight?”
“Trivia Tuesday,” I whisper, unable to stop myself from glancing at his lips, too. Suddenly, a hand yanks me out of my seat, causing me to nearly tumble to the ground. I catch myself, thankfully, but not without an attitude.
“Hey! Callie! What the hell?” In an instant, Jasper stands, narrowing his eyes at Callie.
“OMG, sorry, I didn't mean to tug you that hard.” She cackles. She clearly already took a shot. Or two. Maybe three. She is holding a full shot in her free hand out to me, though. “Brought you one!”
I drink it, masterfully if I do say so myself, and look back at her. “There, you happy?”
“Extremely.” She smirks and then looks at Jasper, seeming to notice him for the first time. “Jasper, right? I’ve heardsomuch about you already.”
I elbow her as subtly as possible. Jasper sits back down and leans back in his seat, smirking arrogantly. “Oh, I’m not surprised.”
My jaw drops and I rub my forehead. “Oh, please, for the love of everything, you two.” Out of nowhere, chiseled arms pull me in from behind. At first, I fight it, but then I find myself leaning into the embrace ever so slightly. Surprised by the gesture, I look at him over my shoulder, but welcome it nonetheless. He tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear.
“We’re just fucking with you, Greene,” he whispers, unconcerned. His hot breath on my neck gives me chills.Holy shit.
“Well, feel free to stop that at any time.” I gulp. I expect him to let go, but instead, he keeps holding on, resting his head on my shoulder.
“Have I ever told you I love the way you smell?” He takes a deep inhale and sighs, his lips hovering barely above my neck. “Well, I do. And it’s not the only thing I love about you, Greene.”
I start to feel warm and fuzzy inside, and as much as I want to attribute the feeling to the sip of alcohol I consumed, I can’t. I know, deep down, this feeling could only mean one thing.
“Hey Jasper, you should come to my art show!” Callie interrupts out of nowhere. I’m not surprised; she has been inviting every person she’s ever met to her end-of-year show. “It’s on December 9. Iris will be there too.”
“Sure, I’m always down to see new art.” He grins.
Unsure if Jasper is even aware he is still holding me, I attempt to wriggle out of his grasp, to which he holds me tighter. Ishouldbreak free of his hold. We may be friends, but he is still my client, after all.
Despite my better judgment, I make no move to do any such thing. Instead, I lean into him, allowing myself to feel a sliver of warmth in his arms, if only for a single fleeting moment.
Twenty-Two
Jasper
I’m not drunk. Buzzed? Sure. But drunk? Absolutely not. Especially not in Iris Greene’s presence. I can’t lose myself like that in front of her this early on in our… friendship. Whatever this is. I’ll admit, if she hadn't shown up when she did, I was on the road to oblivion. When I got home from work tonight, I found myself wanting company, but not just anyone’s company—hercompany. So, I hit up the bar.
As soon as she walked in those doors, Kai popped up, alerting me. “Don’t do anything stupid, Jasper. You’ve obviously been drinking.”
“Tsk, tsk, Kai,” I tutt, watching her stroll into the bar. “I told you—you can trust me, man.”
Kai shakes his head in disbelief, crossing his arms. Is he seriouslyflexingright now?“This should be good.”
I shoot Greene a text, letting her know I’m here. Clever, I know. Clever, that is, until I tell her to look to her left only to realize that was the opposite direction she needed to look. Damnit, logical, sober Jasper wouldn’t have miscalculated that.
From afar, I steal a real look at her. She’s wearing a tight top tonight that accentuates her luscious curves—a lump forms in my throat upon noticing her cleavage. And, for the first time since meeting her, she’s wearing jeans that showcase the curves of her behind. But that’s not even the best part—her radiant smilebeamswhen her eyes meet mine. To my surprise, I find myself smiling just as bright.Hell.She has no idea what she does to me.
After chatting for a few minutes, her friend comes along—Kaylee, I think? It’s been a long day; I can’t be held accountable for forgetting her name. As Kaylee chats with us, I pull Iris into my arms. My body has a mind of its own at the moment, and currently, it has no intention of letting her go anytime soon—unless she feels uncomfortable, that is.
I like Kaylee—Callie. Callie. She’s funny, and she seems to care a lot about Iris. I’m glad she has a friend in town.
