Page 129 of Call Me Baby 2: Side B

Did he—was that a flirt?

Ice clinks in the shaker, tiny glass bones rattling through the mic.

A splash of gin.

The pop of champagne.

He pours slow, foam spilling over the top, eyes probably drifting between her mouth and the drink. Then he leans in, the mic catching his next breath. “French 75—bubbly on top, hits hard underneath. Thought you could handle that.”

She takes a sip and licks her lips. “Ahh, so you test me. I like this.”

After Celie texts her, the glow of her phone catches her cheekbones.

She glances down, a small gasp slipping out. “Oh no…” she frowns, looking up at him, wounded. “He say… he not coming. Think I am… a scam?” Her bottom lip pushes out, eyes big with a fake pout. “You think I look scam?”

He uses a towel to his hands.

“Sweetheart, if you’re a scam, you’re the reason guys fall for ‘em.” He rests his hand on the edge of the counter, glancing at her phone, then back at her.

“Stay anyway, yeah?”

He slides her another grin.

“I’ll keep that glass full, see if I can make you forget all about him.”

My mouth falls open.

I snap my head back.

Celie and I stare wide at each other.

“Oh, shit, girl. I think I’m fucked.”

I bury myself back into the binoculars.

Jasmine’s gone statue-still—marble skin, stone eyes, every inch of her frozen.

Shit. He’s got her tongue-tied.

“Jasmine, speak,” I snap, and she jolts like I cracked a whip. “C’mon, girl. He’s smooth, but you’re the most beautiful woman in the world. Get it together.”

I grind my eyes into the binoculars until the bruise on my cheekbone is bruised.

Celie folds over the driver’s side and laughs into the mic. “Go ‘head, mama, drop somethin’ wild. Make him sweat. I want Six-Point-Five trippin’ over his own dick.”

I slump, groaning loud.

“Celie, please⁠—”

She sits back. “What?

“I live for watchin’ boys get shook.”

Andrew tops off someone’s drink with a lemon twist.

Jasmine traces a fingertip along the stem of her glass, eyes never leaving his. “You make very dangerous drink,” she says, licking a drop from her lip. “Now I wonder… what else about you is dangerous?”

I nearly choke on my own spit.