Page 28 of Trial and Error

“So, what’s this I hear about you having a fiancée?”

Avery looks up from under my arm, slack-jawed and wide eyes. “Fiancée?”

I groan, looking up. I debate telling them the truth and letting them in on my little secret, but as I’m about to say it, the words get lodged in the back of throat, and the thought of them knowing I’m lying to my mom has this wave of anxiety overwhelming me.

“Yeah,” I hum. “We’ve been trying to keep it low-key.”

Zac rolls his eyes. “Yeah, keeping it low-key usually means telling close friends and family, not no one.”

Avery nods in agreement and ducks out from under my arm to stand by her brother. “Yeah, dickhead.” She folds her arms over her chest. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell us.”

Zac rubs his hands together. “So when do we get to meet the lucky lady then?”

I shrug. “She’s visiting her family at the moment.” The lies rolls off my tongue far too easily. “Hopefully when she’s back.”

They give each other a look like they’re not convinced, but before either of them can say anything, the bouncer calls us forward and Avery drags the two of us inside.

The club is filled to the brim with people and the heat washes over us as soon as we walk through the doors, a musty smell hangs in the air, and I immediately want to go home. Avery takes my hand in her own and drags me through the endless throngs of people and over to the bar.

A blond bartender is flirting with some brunette on the other side of the bar, lifting her hand and bringing it to his lips. She blushes profusely, and he winks at her before sliding in our direction. Avery looks him up and down and a dismissive puff of air passes through her lips.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he schmoozes. “What can I get a pretty little thing like you?”

Zac’s ears twitch from beside her and he slides in between his sister and the bozo in front of us and grins. “I’d like a scotch on the rocks.” The bartender scowls. “Thanks for asking, sweetheart.”

Avery laughs. “A mojito for me.” She then points to me and adds, “And he’ll have a martini—the dirtier the better.”

I nod in agreement before letting my eyes wander around the crowded space. In the far corner, I see a familiar flash of blonde hair, and the sight has my heart racing. I wrap my knuckles against the bar two times before I step away.

“Be right back,” I say over the music, but they don’t pay attention as I squeeze past a couple who are going at it in the middle of the dance floor.

It’s not until I’m farther in the crowd that I realize I can’t find the blonde. I shake my head and tug at the sleeves of my jacket as I turn on my heel, ready to make my way back to the bar, when I crash into someone.

Lavender and musk invade my senses almost immediately, and I feel my body relax at the familiarity. Two hands fist the front of my jacket tightly, and when the blonde hair comes to view, a small smirk tugs at my lips.

Baby blues roam over my face and a shy smile pulls at the plump lips that have been living rent free in my head since our kiss back at my parents’ place.

“Well…” She clears her throat, and I have to tilt my head to hear her over the sound of the heavy bass. “Fancy seeing you here.”

I take a moment to take in her appearance and an unexpected growl forms at the back of my throat at the sight of her in this deep red dress. The neckline is open and shows the plump swells of her breasts, and my mouth goes dry at the sight. Her petite waist is cinched in tightly and flares out into a flowy material around her hips. The silky material falls mid-thigh and her long, pale legs look smooth to the touch.

I move my hands from her shoulders and let them roam down her arms and release her hands from my jacket. She gives my hands a squeeze before letting one go to tuck her hair behind her ear.

“You look beautiful,” I say, pressing my lips to the shell of her ear.

Her ruby lips pull up into a grin. “Likewise, handsome.”

Is she flirting with me? God, I fucking hope so.

“Who are you here with?” she asks as she looks around. “A woman?”

I shake my head and frown. I nod in the direction of my cousins who are looking over here curiously. “No, I’m here with my cousins,” I say. “They want to meet you.”

She blushes slightly. “You told them about me?”

“I didn’t,” I tell her, but I wish I had just so I could be the one to make her smile like that. “But I’m sure my mom was on the phone with her sister as soon as we stepped out the front door.”

Bridget laughs, and I feel myself lean in closer at the sound. She points over at the two men on the dance floor and grins. “I’m out with my co-workers.”