“We do both have tomorrow night off. What did you have in mind?” Sterling bites the bait she was reeling in, and before she knows it, she has a good catchonhim.
“How about the Beach Fire?”Jadeasks.
“Ya, that’ll be a good time. Does seven work?” Sterling asks me, rather than Jade. It’s almost as if he doesn’t want there to be any confusion as to who will be whose date tomorrownight.
“Sure,” I say while plunging the straw from my drink between my pursed lips. Taking a few pausing sips, I remove the straw and clear my throat. “Should I have any concerns about you?” Nothing like a little liquid honesty to keepmesafe.
Sterling leans in, bringing his lips close to my ear. “Concerns? If I can hold myself steady on a board while riding the choppy east coast waves, I don’t think you have anything to be concernedabout.”
Riding.
Waves.
Riding.
My thighs clench at the sentiment of his words, which were intended to describe the sport of surfing, but at the same time,I know he’s so not talking aboutsurfing.
“Are you a player?” I ask almost as softly as his whisper enteredmyear.
“A player? No, surfers don’t play, but youshouldknow. . .”
I instinctually scoot back on my stool, causing my butt to almost slide off the other side.That would be super cute in adress.
Somehow, I manage to pry my focus off the serious composure Sterling has maintained and glance at Jade, whose mouth is agape, in combination with herbulgingeyes.
“What is it I should know?” I put my big girl voice to the test, doing my best to hide the effect Sterling has on my pulse andpanties.
“We’re fierce competitors, which means I’m good at riding long . . . deep, and hard waves until I come to shore.” That was not what I meant by being a player, and he’s still not talking about surfing. It’s a night. I mean, I need to call it anight.
“Jade, it’s time to go.”I hop off the bar stool and grab my purse, quickly remembering the dull pain lingering in my ankle. Shit. Where the heck did she go now? I was so entranced . . . err . . . shocked by Sterling’s hot . . . no, inappropriate words that I didn’t notice Jadewanderoff.
There are less than a dozen people in here, and I can’t see her so she must be in the bathroom. She better be in the goddamnbathroom.
Sterling’s hand shoots up and takes my wrist. “Hey, I was joking around with you. You know that, right?” He does appear a bit concerned, probably for whatever ghostly look has taken up residence on my alreadypaleface.
“Of course,” I say with a hitch in my throat. There is no way he wouldn’t see right through my answer because I don’t think he was joking. “For the record, in case there was any serious intent behind your cute analogies, I’m not that kind of girl.” Well, maybe I was that kind of girl during freshman and sophomore year of college, but that led me nowhere good so now I make smarter decisions. Now, I’m making smarter decisions, which doesn’t include riding some long, hard . . . wave. I forgot deep. That either. No. I don’t need to be riding waves. Plus, I can’t swim . . . so there we go. Fate has made the decision for me. No morebeautifulmen.
“Good,” he says as the corner of his lips twitch. “I’m not into those kinds ofgirls.”
Jade’s hot pink dress catches the corner of my eye as she steps out of the bathroom, and I wave her over, but she doesn’t speed up her step. She’s too busy making googly eyes with some guy at the other end of the bar. “Jade!” Ishout.
By the time she reaches me, Sterling is really pouring on the apologeticpuppypout.
“Honestly, I was just kidding. It’s been a long night here, and I should get some sleep. I promise to keep my thoughts to myself tomorrow night, even if they justsoundinappropriate.Okay?”
“We will be there,” Jade agrees for me as she grabs my hand. “It was a pleasuremeetingyou.”
With a fake grin and faker squinty smiling eyes, I follow Jade out of the restaurant, bar, lover’s lane place we were in. “Um, I’m pretty sure he is only looking for a little action,” I tell Jade as we stepoutside.
“Well, good . . . because you probably have cobwebs all up in yourladybits.”
I slap her shoulder. “Shut up. Idonot.”
“Unless you met some ugly dude with a big dick in the past month, there are cobwebs. Cob. Webs.” She isn’t aware of my assortment of vibrators, or the Shermanator for that matter, so I’ll let her keep running with herthoughts.
Jade aims her finger at my nose, but misses and pokes me in the eye while attempting to walk backwards, and in frontofme.
“Ugh, Jade.” I press my palm against my closed eyelid, rubbing at the pain. “You need to go to bed, and I need to find my way back toKennebunkport.”
