I reached for the drink because not reaching for it would have been insane.
“Um,” I said, because apparently all my words had abandoned me, “thank you.”Real smooth.
He gave a small nod.“Yeah.”
That was it.
One word.
Still, my skin felt too tight all of a sudden, like it didn’t fit me right.
I wrapped both hands around the glass, grateful for the cold against my palms.
Wren took a sip of hers and let out a pleased little hum.“Now this is service.”
Jude’s attention shifted to her, but not fully.I could see it.Maybe nobody else could, but I could.He answered whatever she said next, something about Penny being busy and the bar being slammed, but his focus kept cutting back to me in quick, almost irritated flickers, like he was trying not to and not doing a great job of it.
Which made no sense.
None.
“Did Penny make yours extra sweet?”Wren asked me.
I blinked at her.“What?”
“Your drink,” she said, amused.“You’re staring at it like it offended you.”
“Oh.No.”I took a sip, mostly so I’d have something to do.
The drink was tart and sweet and strong enough that I could feel it hit the back of my throat all at once.
Lark appeared at my side, eyeing Jude like she was trying to decide whether this was weird or not.“Did you become a waitress?”
Jude glanced at her.“Don’t get used to it.”
Lark grinned.“Maybe Penny can share her uniforms with you.”
Alice, of course, had no interest in letting the moment be normal.She planted her hands on her hips and looked between all of us.“Are we playing or are we turning this into a support group?”
“Play,” Wren said immediately.
“Support group,” Lark said at the same time.
“Play,” I said, too quickly.
Alice pointed at me with satisfaction.“There we go.”
Jude stepped back a little, not leaving but no longer right in the middle of it either.He said something low to Wren that made her laugh, then leaned one shoulder casually against the post at the edge of the game area.
I took another sip of my drink and tried very hard to remember how to stand like a normal person.
Lark elbowed me lightly.“You alive?”
“Yep.”
“You sure?”
“Yep.”
