“What now?” I ask. “I can’t keep drinking or I’ll stop functioning. And no more stories for a stranger. Unless said stranger is going to start sharing a few of hisown.”
Isaac watches me, and for a moment I think maybe he’s going to tell me why he’s there, but instead he says “I have an idea, but you’re going to have to stop calling me a stranger. Considering I know more about you than most of the world, I’m pretty sure that makes me your second-bestfriend.”
I frown as I consider what he has said. “You’reright.”
“I like thosewords.”
I laugh and nearly fall off my barstool. Isaac catches my arm and steadiesme.
“See what I mean?” I point at myself. “No more shots for thisgirl.”
Isaac laughs. “I’mconvinced.”
His grip on my arm loosens, but he doesn’t let mego.
“Do you want to go somewhere with me?” heasks.
“Are you planning on killing me and tossing my body in a dumpster?” I squint at him as if I’ll be able to tell by his facial expression if he’s amadman.
He makes a disgusted face and releases me. For a second I think I’ve upset him, but he grins as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet. Tossing a few bills on the tab, he turns to me. “My job is to do the very opposite of hurting people. And I have no plans to hurt you.” His thumb runs over the sensitive length of skin on the inside of my forearm. “Unless you want me to, of course.” His voice is deep and low, his eyes burning intomine.
All I want to do is play it cool, but I can’t stop the widening of my eyes. He laughs softly when he sees my response, and his Adam’s applebobs.
I want to know why he’s still here. Why he isn’t running in fear of the woman who caused not only her first boyfriend, but also her mother, to leave and never look back. I’m too afraid to ask, because I don’t want him to change hismind.
I catch his hand and run my fingertips across the top of it. Something twists in my stomach, and thanks to Owen, I recognize the feeling.That may be the only thing I ever thank himfor.
“I’ve never been hurt before… not likethat, anyway. But I wouldn’t mind if you did other things…” My upper teeth catch my lower lip, and heat burns across myface.
His ever-ready smile is back before I’ve finished my thought. I wonder what makes a person smile so readily? He probably has the perfect life. Raised in the perfect home with a mom who made him cookies after school and helped him with homework and a dad who played catch with him in the front yard. A perfect little sister who’s the perfect amount of sweet and sassy. No doubt his parents have the perfectmarriage.
Perfect, perfect, perfect. That must be why his smiles are always ready, lined up and waiting in his body like candy in a Pezdispenser.
Tonight, I want a taste ofperfect.
Before I can rethinkmy decision, Isaac holds out his hand. “Do you want to find your friends and let them know you’re leaving? I mean, assuming you’ve decided to leave with me. A non-killer.” He laughs at his ownjoke.
I take his hand and pull him away from the bar. I’ve already made up my mind abouthim.
I find Britt line dancing with a different cowboy than the one who first asked her to dance. I think, anyway. It’s hard to tell what they really look like with their cowboy hats on. I wave at her, and she ducks out of the dance and comes to my side. She has a sheen of sweat on her chest, and her cheeks arepink.
“What’s going on?” she asks breathlessly, glancing from me to Isaac with excitedcuriosity.
“I just wanted to let you know I’m leaving.” I clear my throat, my nervousness getting bigger by thesecond.
Britt evaluates Isaac. “Leavingleaving?” She asks me without looking myway.
“Yes.”
She sticks her hand out to Isaac. “I’m Britt, Aubrey’sroommate.”
Isaac shakes her hand. “I’m Isaac. Non-killer.”
Britt makes a face, and looks at me with worried eyes. “Inside joke,” I explain. “We've established he's not amurderer.”
She nods and walks to Isaac’s other side. She lifts her face to his ear, and he bends down to listen. I watch him nod as she talks, then he says something to her. I can’t hear him, and I can’t read his lips, because he’s turned his head to look ather.
Britt points a playful warning finger at him while she walks around him and pulls me in for a hug. Isaac still has a hold of my hand. “Have fun tonight.” Her voice is a whisper in myear.
