Page 36 of Hexed & Hazy

I narrow my eyes. “You look nervous.”

He sets the bottle down with a clink. “Yeah, because… things with Dave didn’t end as easily as with Victoria.”

“Really?” I lift an eyebrow. “It seems to me that you’re on good terms. He practically asked me for a threesome when I texted him.”

His eyes widen, lips parting. “He—what?”

Hm… Seth is sort of cute when he’s flustered.

I want to smile, but I opt to roll my eyes instead. “Don’t look so shocked, or you may offend me. Do you think this is the first time I’ve been propositioned for a three-way?”

It is. Definitely is, but he doesn’t have to know that.

He clears his throat. “I’m not… not shocked. I can see why someone would want that, like you’re—and I’m—but I mean, what did you tell him?”

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him look so out of sorts. Any confidence he’s carried disappears as he flounders at the thought of—what? Being with me? Sharing me?

I shouldn’t be thinking about that either.

I stare at him, any hint of my smile disappearing. “Seth. Relax. He was probably joking.”

“Right. Sorry.” He runs his fingers through his hair, his chest puffing with each ragged, anxious breath.

The tavern hasn’t yet reached peak busy hours, and when someone enters, I easily catch sight of David’s tall, slender frame. He slides into the booth across from us and peers back and forth, locking eyes with each of us.

David is handsome—I can understand Seth’s interest in him—with brown skin and dark, shoulder-length locs. He’s always been intelligent, too. As far as I know, he’s responsible, having taken over the family business. He’s not the sort of man I would treat as a one-night stand, and perhaps that’s where the trouble comes in; Seth doesn’t appear to have gotten that memo.

“I still don’t know what I’m doing here,” David says, chuckling.

“I know, but thank you for showing up.” I sit up straighter. “I imagine you’d prefer us to be blunt?”

“Yes. Please.” He winks. “But buy me a drink first.”

Seth is all smiles, scrambling to his feet. “You got it, man.”

He all but runs off, and David lets out a long sigh.

I lean across the table, my face and neck blazing. “This isn’t a sex thing, I promise. The last thing I want is to make you uncomfortable.”

“Trust me. That wouldn’t make me uncomfortable.” He smiles at me, back to the friendly energy he had been texting me with earlier.

Perhaps I should have come without Seth. I look away, fighting off a smile. After a stressful few days, it’s… nice to receive a compliment from someone like David. He’s a catch.

“I’m sure he would be interested if you picked someone else to do that with,” I say, lifting my drink.

“But what if I’m interested in you?”

I choke on my drink. “I⁠—”

His brows furrow. “Are you and Seth really seeing each other? Is it serious? I would have thought the Starbrook rumor mill would have gotten that back to me by now.”

He’s right. It would have. That’s but one of the many problems with living in such a small town.

“No,” I squeak. “We’re—we’re just friends. Hardly that, really. Family friends.”

“Then you’re just not interested in me?” He nods, still as good-natured as ever. “No problem. I can take a hint.”

“I didn’t say that.”