Biting my lip, I looked at his hopeful face. “I can do backing vocals.”
“Fuck backing vocals, you’re the lead singer.”
“Can I think about it?”
“Yes!” Wade was positively glowing.
Nodding at him and hoping he may be too drunk to remember, I turned at the soft touch to my elbow. Denzel stood beside me. “Hi.”
“Hey.” His smile was warm, and I liked it. “Saw you looking over at me. Name’s Denzel.”
“I remember, and I was only looking back at youlookingat me.”
His smile became wider as he took a drink of his beer. His eyes ran over me appreciatively, and I took the chance to take in his jeans and tight T-shirt, showing off his slim frame, but I knew he wasn’t skinny. His arms had definition, and I did not compare them to any footballers I may have known. “I was trying to decide if I preferred you blue,” he said playfully.
“I thought it was the assassin that got you hot?” I teased, referring to his obvious come-on to Quinn on Halloween.
“If I remember correctly, I think I said I was hot for blue,” he countered easily.
He had, and then he had immediately hit on Quinn, but I wasn’t one to hold a grudge. “Fair enough.”
“Party’s getting wild,” Denzel said as we saw someone fall over a table.
“Yeah, all we need is Mayhem,” I said and heard the bitterness in my own voice.
“Bullshit,” Denzel scoffed as he took a drink. He looked at me and then past me to Wade, who was now telling Bea I was his new singer, a conversation I wanted to avoid as I saw her look at me in surprise. “Want to get out of here?”
Knowing Bea would have questions and also that Bea would remember that I told Wade I would sing, I nodded enthusiastically.
I was getting very adept at dodge and avoid.
Denzel walked me home, and halfway there, he took my hand. It didn’t feel right, and I was unsure of how this was going to play out, but I let him hold my hand, for now. I knew Ash was wherever Ash was, and we had said no hookups, but if he was out . . . did it count? Did I even want to hook up?
When we got to the bottom of my stairs, I still didn’t know the answer. So, when Denzel turned me to look up at him, I didn’t know if I was going to let him kiss me. Did I want him to?
“So, here we are,” Denzel said as he looked at me and then at the apartment door. “Home?”
Nodding, I glanced at my apartment. Had I left the light on?
“Yeah.” I kept nodding. No, I had switched it off.
“You okay?”
Snapping my attention back to Denzel, I hesitated. Was Ash home? “Um, I think my roommate’s home,” I said as I suddenly felt nervous.
“The blonde?”
“Um, no.” Well, this was awkward. “Ash.”
“Okay, well, I don’t mind if you don’t mind.” He grinned at me, and I felt skeevy because he obviously didn’t know I meantAsh Santo.
“Yeah, we’re not allowed to bring dates home.” Could this be any more embarrassing?
“Oh.” Denzel looked at me and then the apartment door. “Do you want to come to my room?” He leaned down with a conspiratorial whisper. “I’m allowed to bring dates home.”
I huffed out a laugh as my gaze flicked to the apartment again. I really hadn’t left the light on. “Okay, I just need to check something.”
“Sure.”
