Bristol held up her wine. “I’m good but thank you.”
“Perhaps you’d like somethin’ a little stronger,” he suggested.
Still wouldn’t make me go home with you.Bristol shook her head. “I think I’ll stick to my wine, thanks.”
Again, she turned back, just in time to see her traitorous friends giggling.
When the man’s hand landed on her arm, Bristol found herself jerking away from him, frowning. She hadn’t given him permission to touch her, and nothing pissed her off more than a man who couldn’t take a hint.
“How about a dance?”
“No, thank you,” she said as politely as she could. “I’m not here to dance tonight. Just to hang out with my friends. But thank you for the offer.” Her polite tone was quickly fizzling.
Bristol turned and gave the man her back again, hoping she wouldn’t have to punch him.
“Persistent, isn’t he?” Bianca asked with a fake smile.
None of her friends were amused anymore. The man’s ignorant determination had put them all off.
“Can’t take a hint, either,” Kayla added under her breath.
It was times like these when Bristol wished there was a gay bar in Coyote Ridge. A place a woman could go simply to hang out with friends and not have to worry about men trying to pick them up. That was one thing she loved about hanging around the Walkers. Every one of Curtis and Lorrie’s sons was married, so Bristol had the opportunity to relax, chill with friends, laugh and joke without worrying about someone hitting on her.
Not that she considered herself some royal beauty or anything. But it was inevitable around these parts. Figuring the ratio of men to women was somewhere along the lines of four to one, it was almost a given that at least one would hit on her.
“Hey, there’s a table opening up. Let’s grab it,” Bianca stated, taking Bristol’s arm and steering her away from the bar. Kayla, Jamie, and Adeline fell into step.
When she realized they were moving toward Kaden and Keegan, Bristol held her breath, prayed Bianca wasn’t going to do something to embarrass her.
Luckily, her friend was making a beeline for the table near the wall, a few feet away from the group of men who seemed caught up in what appeared to be a relatively serious conversation. As Bristol slid into her seat, she made the mistake of glancing over just in time to see Kaden and Keegan were both looking her way.
Neither of them appeared happy.
Bristol immediately turned away, glancing over at Bianca and Jamie, who had taken seats across from her. Thankfully, Adeline moved a chair to the end of the table, blocking her view of the twins, while Kayla pulled out the chair beside Bristol.
“Remind me why we came here tonight,” Jamie prompted when she got settled.
“Because Bristol needs some adult conversation,” Adeline said simply. “Isn’t that why we always get together?”
Bristol laughed. It was a brittle sound, but hopefully not noticeable. It was true. She definitely spent more time with the under-five set than anything, which meant adult conversation was lacking in her life. When she wasn’t at work, or volunteering to babysit for someone, she was home alone, usually binge-watching whatever television drama was popular. This month, she found herself hooked onRiverdale.
It wasn’t the most glamorous life, but Bristol couldn’t complain. She had a thriving business, lived in a small town she loved, had great friends. She didn’t dwell on the fact that she was single. Well, mostly. There were definitely times she got lonely, especially when she thought about her dad. Ever since he’d died seven years ago, Bristol had felt the hole he’d left in her heart and her life.
“We do have one thing to celebrate,” Bristol announced, aiming for something positive.
“The auction?”
“Nope.”
It was clear Bianca was doing a mental skim to figure it out for herself.
“Kayla’s gonna come work with me,” she said, purposely not using the wordfor.
“Really?” A grin broke out on Bianca’s face. “That’s fantastic. What brought that on?”
Bristol could see the blush already creeping up Kayla’s neck. She never did want to be the center of attention.
“She got her degree,” Bristol announced, wanting everyone to be as proud as she was.
