Page 59 of Mud, Love, and Chemistry

Jackie nudges me. “See? Lisa was right. You look hot.”

“Yeah, guess so.”

Inside the garage, Jackie and Hannah take the first game while I stand to the side. I don’t mind being a spectator. It’s better than watching Lisa flirt with Brent.

But when Hannah’s body language turns sexy, I know she’s set her sights on her opponent. The guy is cute, tall with blond hair, muscular, and he’s been paying more attention to Hannah than anyone. That’s a sure way to win her heart. I must be right, because once their game is over, the two of them disappear to get better acquainted.

I track them all the way to the door, my face scrunched with concern.

“She’ll be fine,” Jackie says, grabbing my arm. “Come on, I want to play again.”

With a sigh, I accept that Hannah is an adult who can make her own decisions and saddle up to play beer pong. I’ll text her in a bit anyway. I tip up my cup, finishing my drink, and look across the table at our lone opponent.

He searches the room with his hands in the air. “Who’s up? I need a partner!”

“I’m in!” a voice shouts from the crowd.

A figure emerges, and I’m immediately distracted by his costume. This guy is wearing a suit. No, not a suit. A tuxedo. Complete with a bowtie and everything. As I scan his length, I note how well he fills out the tux. My interest piques until I turn my gaze to the face attached to the body, and my mood goes south.

Sam is here. And he’s wearing his glasses. Dammit.

I’d swallow down the sour taste at the back of my throat, but my mouth has run dry. And my cup is empty.

He fist bumps the other guy before turning to me and Jackie. When he sees us, or me, particularly, his mouth curls into that smug smirk of his. As he rakes over my costume, however, his smirk falls, and he takes his bottom lip between his teeth.

I fight the urge to squirm under his fiery gaze, but when his Adam’s apple bobs, I think this game might be fun, after all.

Since the guys won the last game, they get the first shot. The other guy steps up to shoot. He rarely missed any during the last round. He's so accurate, I've started calling him Ace in my head, so it's no surprise when his first toss plops right into the front cup.

Sam steps to the middle, moving his arm back and forth like he’s practicing. He shoots and sinks it in the same cup. Their hollers of victory ring out as they high-five each other before Sam looks at me. “Drink up, ladies.”

Gladly. Jackie picks up a corner cup as I grab the one with the ping-pong balls inside, raising it into the air. “Take a good look, boys. You won’t see us drinking much after this.” I remove the balls, and toss back the warm, cheap beer.

“And we get our balls back,” Sam says, holding out his hand.

I snort, my sinuses burning with the carbonation of the beer, and watch Sam’s cheeks redden.

He clears this throat as he pulls at his collar. “We get another turn.”

“I’m aware of the rules,” I say, bouncing the ping pong balls across the table before setting my cup to the side. “But try to hold on to your balls next time.”

Sam narrows his eyes, but I see amusement dancing on his lips.

Over the next few turns, Jackie and I make most of the shots, but the boys aren’t far behind. We now have six cups on the table. Sam and Ace have four. We’re in the lead, but I’d like a solid gain. When Ace steps up, he sinks his shot, no problem.

Shit. If Sam makes it, we’ll be tied. And if he makes it into the same cup, they have a chance to move ahead. We need a distraction.

I fluff my hair, pulling some strands over my shoulder, and tip my chin toward my cleavage. “Oh, no!” I cry. “Jackie, my hair is stuck in my zipper!”

Jackie does a double take at me, but catches on quickly. “Oh, shit. Let me see.” She turns me so I’m facing the boys, and pretends to struggle with the false tangle.

I glance up to find Sam frozen in place, his lips parted and his eyes fixed on my chest. Good.

“Come on, man. Take your shot,” Ace groans.

Jackie tugs a little more on my zipper. “I can’t get it to budge. Move a little for me.”

I do more than just move. I start bouncing on my toes, twisting my torso from side to side. When I look up again, Sam’s mouth has fallen even further, and a maniacal idea crosses my mind.

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