Our faces are mere inches apart, our eyes not straying from the other’s. My senses start sharpening, and I realize that his hand is no longer on my chin. Then I notice that I have a hand on his chest. Levi seems completely unfazed by my touch. Meanwhile, I’m perplexed.
I quickly remove my hand and beg my heart rate to slow down. “Okay, I’ll stay, for now, but we’re not done talking about the list,” I mutter quickly. If he saw thewholething, it means he saw the last thing on the list. I cringe internally.
“Good enough for me.”
We head to the table, and I try to ignore whatever it was that just happened.
“Hey, you’re here!” Em jumps up to hug me. Her five-foot frame tugging on my five-foot-seven one.
“Hey, thanks for inviting me.” I hug Jake before sitting next to Em.
Jake waves a hand in the air. “You’re welcome any time, Stevie.”
Nodding, I look at our surroundings with my heart still racing, but now for an entirely different reason. While we were lucky to snag a table with a good view of whoever comes up to sing, the place is packed, so packed that every corner is filled with groups of people standing and watching intensely.
The person onstage is singing a terrible rendition of some country song, but they don’t seem to care about the waythey’re singing at all. Instead, they’re laughing with the crowd while pointing to their friends. Em starts whooping and making comments that make me snort, while Levi and Jake have their own conversation. The tension slowly leaves my body as I focus on having some fun. I’ve never done anything like this before, not with any of my previous friends. It’s nice.
“I’m surprised you guys don’t have dates for tonight,” I voice honestly.
Em shrugs. “I got some offers, but nobody I was interested in.”
“And I,” Jake interrupts, “don’t do dates on Valentine’s Day. Unless it’s serious, I won’t ask a girl out on a holiday.”
I nod, respecting his decision…until he opens his mouth again.
“Why, Stevie? You available?”
Rolling my eyes, I give him a side-glance, checking to see whether he’s serious. Jake’s hot…
“Roommate is off-limits, Jacob,” Levi chides, seeming annoyed.
Both my brows rise so high, I feel them touch the top of my head. “Wow, didn’t know I was off-limits to your friends, Hotshot.”
Jake puts his hands up in surrender, then smiles. “Hotshot?” He turns to his friend. “I like her.”
My cheeks heat slightly at the nickname slip in front of his friends. Meanwhile, Levi and Jake are staring at each other, as if having some silent conversation.
Em taps my shoulder and rolls her eyes. “Men.”
“Yeah, men,” I repeat, ignoring the boys.
“Jake, we’re next!” Em chirps beside me, pointing at the screen. Swiveling my head to see what’s on the TV, I see their names in bright purple letters at the bottom.
“You guys are going to make everyone else look like shit.” Levi shakes his head.
My eyes shift back and forth between everyone. “Do you guys sing regularly?”
My roommate snorts. “Emma has a gorgeous voice. Jake fucking sucks, though?—”
“Dude, I can carry a decent tune?—”
“But they’re going to look hot as hell together onstage, is what I was going to say,” Levi finishes.
Jake pauses. “I’ll take hot as hell.”
I laugh at their bickering.
“It’s our turn.” Em grabs Jake’s hand and practically pushes him out of the booth along with Levi, who sits closer to me.
