“So, my friends over there…” I trailed off, not sure how to continue.
“You girls look like you’re having fun,” he said, nodding at my friends. I glanced over my shoulder to see them both watching intently, Rose kneeling on her chair for a better look. Real subtle. I rolled my eyes before turning back. The guy looked like he was trying not to laugh now. “Let me guess—they dared you to come over here?”
“That they did,” I said, rubbing sweaty palms down my jeans.
“And what else do you have to do?”
I squared my shoulders. I could do this. “I’m supposed to give you my number.”
His chuckle was warm. “I will gladly take it.”
“I’m also supposed to, uh, sit down.”
His eyebrows went up. “Well, my friend will be back from the john soon but you’re welcome to take his seat.”
I closed my eyes. “Imsupposedtositinyourlap.” It came out in a rush, all one word, but from the twinkle in his eyes I knew he’d understood. He slid his chair back, patting his knee.
“Here you go. I promise I won’t bite.”
“This is so embarrassing,” I muttered. I started to back away from the table. “Sorry, I don’t need to drag you into this. You can just pretend you never saw me.”
He laughed and reached for my hand. “That’d be tricky, seeing as how you’re the prettiest girl in this place.”
“Are you flirting with me?” I blurted out, and the guy grinned.
“I thinkyou’resupposed to be flirting withme.” His gaze went over to the girls. “Come on, they’re still watching. You just sit for a minute, put your number in my phone, and you’ll be all set. You don’t even have to use your real number if you don’t want to—I won’t be offended.”
“You sure you don’t mind?”
“Not one bit.” His eyes twinkled up at me. “What’s the penalty if you don’t do it?”
“Shots,” I told him. “So,somany shots.”
“Come on then,” he said, patting his knee again. “I won’t get fresh.”
Now that I was actually doing this, the guy didn’t seem all that scary. He seemed nice, in fact. And hewashandsome, with his wavy brown hair and dark chocolate eyes.
“Would it help if I introduce myself first?” He held out a hand. “I’m Jason.”
I shook it. “Grace.”
“Let me help you win your game, Grace.”
Taking a deep breath, I lowered myself awkwardly to his knee, trying to keep the majority of my weight on my feet.
“That’s not so bad, is it?” he asked, clearly amused
“If it wasn’t for the soul crushing humiliation, no, not bad at all.”
Jason laughed, plucking his phone up from the table. “Put your number in and?—”
“Jesus, Jay, do you move fast or what?” another male voice asked from behind us. “I leave you alone for two minutes and you already?—”
The voice cut off sharply when Jason and I both turned around to look. It was the blond man who’d been sitting here. For a second, I was distracted by howbighe seemed. The mountain of a guy practically took up my entire field of visionwith his broad shoulders and muscular build. He had to be at least six foot five, maybe even six-six.
And then my eyes landed on his shocked face and the entire bar seemed to go very still.
“Gracie?”
