And I… I don’t want to let her go.
Not ever.
Track 11
“Lush Life” Nat KingCole, 1961
December–ALANA
“SO, ANYWAY, I told Avery to shove it, and I quit.”
“You did?” My voice hikes up with my surprise in Lia’s announcement.
We’re at Donn’s on account of Jake working tonight and promising free drinks. I haven’t seen her much this semester—her class schedule clashes with my overbooked one. And not that I’m looking to admit it, but my new friendship with Jake has taken up most of my free time. Needless to say, I missed my girl. It’s refreshing just being around her. To know that some people really are exactly who they seem to be.
“Yes, I left. Fuck that guy,” she yells over the live country band. “Trying to give me the crap shifts because I wouldn’t go out with him. That’s a dick move.”
“Totally! Screw that guy!” I agree.
She nods in approval then takes a long sip before she raises her glass, her cherry-painted smile wide as ever.
I laugh as I clink my glass to hers. “To telling dicks to shove it!”
“Shove it, dicks!” I agree. Our glasses are still midair when Jake appears at our table with a plate of loaded nachos.
“What is it we’re shoving now?” His playful downward grin compliments the mischievous glimmer in his eyes. He’s wearing a backward black snapback and a maroon T-shirt with dark jeans. The sleeves are rolled up to his shoulders, exposing the full sculpt of his deeply grooved arms.
“Dicks!” Lia yells, using her tongue to toy with her straw.
“Ah, yes.” He nods in understanding. “Who doesn’t love a good, shoved dick?” he says in agreement, sending Lia and I into a fit of giggles that lingers with our alcohol-induced buzz.
“These are on the house,” he says, pointing to the nachos. He smiles politely at Lia before sending me a wink. And holy shit, my whole damn body tingles.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I say with a shake of my head, feeling a little bit of the room spin with it.
He shrugs. “Figured it’s a good idea considering the massive amount of alcohol you two have consumed.”
“And you keep ‘em comin,’ Big Daddy,” Lia nearly sings as she finishes the rest of her drink and grabs a chip off the platter. I laugh as Jake’s eyebrows hike, and his lips dip into an amused grin. His attention is back on me in a second.
“I’m closing in, like, an hour, maybe less,” he says as he scans the scarce crowd. “The band usually hangs around until just before lights go out. If you wanna wait, I’ll walk you home.”
My chest warms, and I try my best not to show it on my face, even though I can feel it turning pink.
“Sure, I’ll wait,” I hum with a smile. He nods once, smile set in place, before turning away and heading back to his work at the bar.
Once he’s out of earshot, Lia’s teasing begins.
“Sure, I’ll wait,” she mocks. “I’ll wait all night long, and then I’ll tell you where you can shove your big, beautiful cock. Right in my—”
“Lia!”
She snorts. “Girl, I was thinking you, but fine,I’lltake him.”
“Oh mygosh.” My head falls to my hands as I nearly die of embarrassment. There are thoughts I can’t allow myself to think, places I can’t allow myself to wander. I pull up the memory of the conversation Jake and I had in my kitchen—the one where I forced myself to say I was fine with just being friends and nothing more. Because that’s all I can offer, if anything at all.
“Okay, but seriously. What’s up with him? Are you guys like—”
“No. We’re just friends,” I say too quickly.
