“Want another one?” a stranger asks.
The guy from the table is standing next to me, hovering really. I meet his intense gaze.
“I’m Charles.” He extends his hand.
Not wanting to be rude, I shake his hand. “Nice to meet you, Charles. I’m Sarah, and this is my friend Juanita.”
“Can I buy the next round?” he asks.
Juanita shakes the ice in her glass. “Sure thing, Charles.” His name rolls off her tongue in such a flirtatious manner I can’t stop laughing.
“Why don’t the two of you join my table?”
“Sorry, Charlie,” I say. “Girl’s night out. But it was nice to meet you.” I know I’m coming off too bitchy, but I’m not into college jocks. “Maybe next time.”
He slowly walks away, and I can hear his friends giving him a hard time for getting shut down.
“Ouch,” Juanita says. “I think you just destroyed that man’s self-esteem.”
“Old Charlie’s? That guy probably gets pussy whenever he wants it.” Just like Brick. Austin, the most perfect man I’ve ever known. Perfect because he went away the next day, no strings attached.
“Better clear a spot for the plates. The food is ready.”
I look up just in time to see a server with a sizzling pan piled high with fajitas and sautéed vegetables. It pops and hisses as he sets it down. Our regular server is close behind, carrying a tray containing our fresh tortillas, beans, rice, and the rest of our food. I lick my lips as I admire the feast. Food is one of the joys in life. And Juanita. That girl makes me smile so much my face hurts.
She lifts her ice water. “To us.”
I tap her glass with mine. “Cheers.”
