Desperate to think about anything except the first time he kissed her, he turned to Dave and made aggressively mundane conversation. “Ana stayed home tonight?”
“Yeah, how weird that she’d want to miss this.” Dave cast a fearful gaze around the crowded bar.
“You’re lucky, you know?” Aiden said. “You and Ana, you’ve got this great, comfortable relationship. She trusts you out here with the minidress brigade, and you’re obviously dying to get back home to your family. It’s nice.”
Aiden stopped talking when he noticed the shock on Dave’s face.
“I’m sorry, is Mr. ‘A Groupie in Every Port’ envious of my domestic life?” Dave’s brows lifted above the top of his glasses, and Aiden took a pull from his beer.
“Nah. It’s not for me. But it’s a nice thought.” He ran a hand through his hair, then abruptly changed the subject. “I’m empty. Anybody else need another drink?”
Dave accepted, Jake declined, and Aiden went to brave the crowded bar.
“Maybe not so fun and uncomplicated after all.” Dave whipped his glasses off to polish them.
Jake grunted. As bad as fun and uncomplicated sounded, something more serious sounded even worse. He leaned against the wall and rubbed a hand over his eyes. When he opened them again, Mabel was standing next to Dave.
“So, you scoped out my replacements yet?”
“I’m leaving that toil Duceover there.” Dave jabbed his thumb to where Brandon was laughing with two pneumatically gifted women.
“He’s certainly some kind ofDuce,” Mabel grumbled.
“Damn straight,” Dave said.
“Hi!”
All three of them jumped at the chipper voice behind them. It was Thea. Of course. Because this night wasn’t spiraling down the toilet quickly enough.
“Hi, Jakey!” She stretched up to give him a quick hug, which Jake accepted with all the pliability of a two-by-four.
Sliding his eyes to Mabel, he gestured toward the brunette pixie in the barely-there black dress. “Guys, this is Thea. My neighbor.”
“Hi, everyone!” She waved, then clapped her hands together and twisted them nervously. Three seconds later, she looked down, seemed to notice the movement, and forced her palms down against her thighs.
Mabel stepped forward. “Hi, Thea. I’m Mae Bell.” Her dangerously syrupy words poured from an insincerely smiling mouth. “Since you knowJakeyalready, can I introduce you to my former cohost Dave?”
Thea gave an excited shriek and tossed up her arms. “You’re Dave! You’re as cute as I pictured! I soooooo hope Brandon gives me an on-air tryout with you!”
She beamed up at him, and Dave, who apparently had never gotten the hang of the insincere radio personality smile, gave her a weak approximation that made him look like a man contemplating extensive dental surgery. But he recovered his composure and dodged Thea’s outstretched arms before they could wrap him in a hug too.
“Brandon’s the man with the plan, so you’ll have to chat with him about that,” he boomed in his most obnoxious Big Time Radio Host voice, pointing her in the direction of the booth. “Nice to meet you! Bye now!”
“Oooh, thanks!” Thea called, scanning the bar like a Terminator before heading off to seek new prey.
Once she was gone, Dave turned to Mabel in desperation. “We havegotto get you back on the morning show.”
Aiden rejoined the group in time to hear Mabel say, “Yeah, all that exposed flesh so early in the morning will be really distracting.”
“Doesn’t matter. Mabel’s the hottest woman here,” Aiden announced.
Mabel rolled her eyes and smacked his arm while Jake drained his bottle. If he didn’t exit this situation immediately, his jealousy might just bubble over until his fists made Aiden’s face a lot less pretty.
“I’m going to circulate,” he announced. “Dave, Mabel, good luck getting through the rest of the auditions.”
When he cut his eyes to Aiden, his hands curled into fists, and he turned and stalked away, plunging into the crowd to track down Milo and Robbie. He was willing to interrupt any amount of licking if it meant he no longer had to be part of the couple he’d just left behind.
He found his buddies standing near the station booth, Brick Babe contestants circling like june bugs. Milo hooked an elbow around Jake’s neck. “Best night ever! I think I’d like living here!”
