I slide the abandoned liquor back toward the bartender, pulling out my wallet to slap a few twenty dollar bills on the counter. “Could I get two waters, please?”
He nods and he works, then I turn toward the confused blonde at my side. “I’m sorry about this, I’m going to chat with a friend of mine. I’d like to buy your drink if that’s okay.” I nod to her half-guzzled glass of wine, and her brow furrows at my abrupt exit.
Tucking my wallet back into my pocket, I grasp the two waters and make my way toward the party.
Their shots have been downed, most of the girls letting out brief hisses or grimacing faces as the liquid burns their throat. My eyes scan the group and I’m not surprised to find Annie with her face back to the glass, arms linked across her chest as she gazes at the sky.
I gently move through the crowd, nodding to those I pass as I come to stand behind Annie. The two glasses of water weigh heavy in my hands. I should have bought a round for the group, or maybe sent over an expensive bottle of champagne to impress her friends. But fueled by the knowledge I have of her, I know she’s not one to take shots, and doesn’t like booze much at all. So I pull up next to her and gently elbow her in the arm.
“You look like you might want a glass of water.”
She finally turns to me. She looks first at the glass in my outstretched hand, then up to my face, a smile cracking her perfect lips when she sees who it is.
And fuck me, if that isn’t the best feeling in the world.
She looks again at the glass in my hand, but keeps her arms crossed over her chest protectively. Her gaze shoots over her shoulder, back to the bar where I was sitting, and lands on Daphne who has turned in her chair to watch my every move. Of course she did.
“Are you sure your date doesn’t mind you coming over here?”
“She’s not my date.”
“Oh?” She unclasps her arms to finally take the water from my outstretched hand. “You two looked pretty cozy a few minutes ago, could have fooled me that it wasn’t a date.”
Shit.
Annie brings the straw to her lips, drinking nearly half the glass of water in one drink before setting it on the ledge in front of her next to her abandoned shot that’s still two-thirds full. “Thank you, I needed that.”
“She isn’t my date,” I say again, needing to drive that point home. “I just came here for a drink, and we were chatting.”
She purses her lips together, nodding once in disbelief. “You came here to have a glass of water with a stranger?” She nods to the drink in my hand.
I let out a heavy exhale, knowing that there’s no sense in lying to her. I run a palm over my jaw and turn to look out the window, noticing the mist turning into sleet against the glass.
“I came here for a specific reason, yeah. But I was just about to tuck tail and go home alone when I saw you. And you know what? I’d rather stand here and sip water with you in silence all night long then spend it with anyone else, especially her.” I tilt my head back toward the bar to reference who “her” is, and Annaliese cringes, turning back toward the window.
“Don’t let my judgment taint your evening, Colter.”
Colter.
The way she says my name is like a drug. The moment it rolls off her tongue I feel it in every vein, running through my system with palpable relief.
“She isn’t what I want,” I say, keeping my gaze firmly on her as I take a drink of water.
Annie’s eyes flick to the side at my comment. “And what do you want?”
I stare at her side profile for a while, letting my silence answer her question. She purses her lips together to temper a smile, and we stand in comfortable silence, watching the freezing rain fall heavy and hearing the pattering of each drop against the glass. I am standing so close to Annie that I can smell her perfume and the scent of her shampoo. I am filled with the relief I was so desperate to find.
She brings her hand up to her mouth to stifle a yawn, and quickly peeks over her shoulder to see if her friends noticed. I follow her eye, seeing they’ve lost themselves on the dance floor long ago.
“Having fun tonight?”
She smiles through another yawn. “Yeah, sort of. Rachel and I–Rachel being the bride, by the way – we were good friends back in high school. Talked a little bit through college, but it feels more like we’re acquaintances. Her fiance was also in our friend group, so I felt like I couldn’t say no to coming out tonight.” She yawns again, and gently draws a finger under her eye to wipe away a tired tear. “I think I’m ready to call it a night, though.” She picks up her water from the edge, bringing it to her lips for a long drink then sets it back down.
Her hand comes up to squeeze my bicep, and she lifts her head to smile at me. “I’m heading out. Thank you for the water.” Her head cocks back to the bar. “Go have a drink, have fun tonight. Pretend you didn’t see me.”
She slinks away, sliding through the patrons toward the dance floor. She grasps Rachel’s forearm and whispers something in her ear. Rachel pulls back with a fake pout, and Annie throws her arms around her shoulders in an exaggerated hug. She kisses her on the cheek and waves to the other girls with both hands. The second she turns, I see the practiced smile fall from her face.
A part of me expected her to come back this way, to say goodbye to me once more before she leaves, but as I watch her weave through the crowd, I realize she’s almost out the door.
