Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
“Exactly the look I’m going for. You don’t clean up so bad yourself.”
“My jeans and button-up shirt are cleaning up?”
“Usually, you’re in a tee. The car’s on its way.”
“Your brother gonna kick my ass for going out with you tonight?”
“My brother thinks he’s the boss of me, but he’s not. I called you because it’s a responsible decision.”
Not really. I’m supposed to hate you. I could always use you instead of Tiernan to get back at your family …
My gut burns with hatred at myself for the thought. Aislin has been nothing but nice to me, but she’s still one of them, and I don’t know how to reconcile those feelings.
“Come on. Let’s go.” She takes my hand and drags me toward the vehicle pulling up.
The whole ride, Aislin talks about how excited but nervous she is, and I try my best to say the right things, but I’m not sure I succeed.
Before I know it, the driver is dropping us off in front of a nondescript building with a sign that does, in fact, say THE BAR. “You’re sure we can get in?”
“Yes. You’ll find that there’s not many places I can’t get what I want. But this place will be full of underage drinkers.”
“And no one turns them in?”
She just shrugs.
Aislin is right, and we don’t have any trouble sitting at the counter and ordering beers.
“What time is he supposed to be here?” I take a drink of the bitter, wheaty beverage.
“Nine thirty. What about you? Have you met anyone interesting? Other than Tiernan, that is.” She winks.
“Not sure interesting is the word I’d use for him.”
“Good point.” She holds up her mug. “Cheers.”
We clank our glasses together and finish our drink, then another. I notice the time slipping by but don’t bring it up. It’s 10:15 when Aislin sighs and says, “I can’t believe I got stood up.”
“His loss,” I try to soothe her.
“Obviously. Still fucking sucks. And that guy sitting down the bar won’t stop looking at you, by the way.”
Which is something else I was pretending not to notice. He’s hot, with cornrows in his black hair, sultry eyes, and a lean but muscular body. He’s got pretty brown skin and is wearing a cut-off shirt that when he moves away from the counter shows me his sexy abs. “Yeah, but I’m here with you.”
“Oh no you don’t. You’re not missing out for me. Plus, fuck Will. I’m not going to sit around here pouting all night. You go talk to him, and I’m going to dance.” She lifts her mug, downs the rest of her drink, then slams it on the counter before disappearing through the crowd.
She’s a force to be reckoned with, that’s for sure. I don’t, however, go talk to the guy, but then he doesn’t give me much of a chance to. Before I know it, he’s sitting down beside me.
“I guessed that look you gave me correctly, right?” he asks.
It’s not always easy to know who swings your way.
“Yeah.”
“Good. Not in the mood to get my ass kicked tonight.”
“I think you could hold your own,” I flirt.
“Yeah, but then I might chip my nail polish,” he says, and I smile. “I’m Omari.”
“Dean.”
The bartender comes over, and I order both of us a drink.
“Is this your first year at Ashford?” he asks.
“Yep.”
“Second for me.”
We talk, and I feel like I do okay keeping the conversation going while also glancing over his shoulder every now and again to check on Aislin. She danced by herself the first couple of songs, but she was joined by a guy with sandy hair two songs ago. She’s got her arms around his shoulders, the two of them grinding against each other.
“You guys good friends?” Omari asks. He must have noticed I keep looking at her.
“I don’t know if I’d say good friends.”
He chuckles. “You don’t say a lot, do you?”
I could tell him that if he were an asshole to me, I’d talk more. Seems to work with Tiernan, but I’m really fucking tired of thinking about him when I shouldn’t. “Sorry. Not real good at that.”
“It’s okay. I bet you’re good at other things.”
It doesn’t take a genius to know what he’s talking about. “I can’t leave until she does.” I trust the handsy guy she’s dancing with even less than the guy she was talking to online. At least there’s some kind of trail there.
“I can wait.” And maybe this is exactly what I need, to hook up with someone else and get Tiernan out of my system. I still have to figure out how to get close to him, but I sure as shit don’t need his hand on my dick to do that.
“Good.” I look up again, but I don’t see Aislin on the dance floor anymore. My heart jumps into my throat, this honest-to-God fucking fear that I shouldn’t feel for someone I hardly know, and definitely not for her, but…she reminds me of my mom. So fucking much. She’s kind, cares about her family, and she’s strong, the type of person to befriend someone like me.