Page 31 of The Best Wrong Move

“You chose our favorite song,” Isla announces loudly over the music. She’s grinning wildly, not budging.

“And that guy is gone now,” Rooney adds, raising her brows at me.

“We’re singing it with you,” they say in unison.

When their feet hit the stage next to mine, the crowd erupts again.

“Come on,” Isla shouts in my ear so I can hear her over the music and noise of the crowd. “Don’t let that asshole steal your thunder tonight, babe! Let’s do this!”

They pull me back to the middle of the stage, arms linked in mine, and the whole audience breaks into the first few lyrics of the song with them. Dom stands at the edge of the stage, an amused look on his face as his best friends take charge. I can tell he’s also keeping an eye on the crowd, making sure no one else starts videoing us again without permission. I’m laughing so hard I can barely form the words, but it doesn’t matter — everyone is singing so loud that we can’t be heard through the microphone anyway. I never once have to hear my own voice come through the speakers, and we manage to finish the whole song together.

I’m sweaty and grinning by the time I rack up the microphone at the end.

Isla and Rooney pull me into a three-way hug while the crowd gives us a standing ovation. Then we jog back over to the table, laughing and hitting high fives from beaming strangers along the way.

“You cheated,” Dom says into my ear, handing me an icy glass of water when I finally make it back to the table. I turn around to protest, but he plants a kiss squarely on my lips, evoking another deafening cheer from the bar. He dips me back, egging the crowd on, before slinging me up to my feet again.

“That was hot,” he whispers into my ear. Then he pushes his forehead into mine and kisses me again, before we break apart in embarrassed laughter.

I know my rendition of “Sweet Caroline” was anythingbuthot.

“Bonnie Tyler would have been very proud of your performance too.” I peck him one more time on the lips before sitting down beside him. He wraps one arm around my shoulders and pulls me into him from behind, kissing me on the cheek, like he can’t keep his hands off me. I lean into him, knowing I couldn’t smile any wider if I tried. This might be a fake-boyfriend act to keep any guys from harassing me, but I love it just the same.

“Oh, get a room, you two!” Benny shouts, before slapping Dom on the back with a grin.

Rooney winks at me across the table and holds her palms out about a foot apart, nodding her head like she’s just shared a naughty secret. Then she erupts into laughter when Isla reaches over and smacks her hand away. They tumble off the barstools together, chiding each other for being so ridiculous.

I absolutely love them all.

Chapter 20

I wake up to the sound of Rex and Juju out onmydeck the next morning, squinting my eyes at the sound of their voices, grateful they’re hidden behind a wall of curtains now, thanks to Dom.

All that vivacious gusto I felt after my night out with Dom and his friends is fading at the sound of my ex’s voice, along with my plummeting blood-alcohol level. I snatch my phone from the nightstand and text Abby from bed.

Why does Rex think he gets ownership of our SHARED deck?? He’s out there right now drinking coffee with Juju. WTF

She writes back almost immediately.

Start walking around nude. That little hangout spot of theirs will be a thing of the past real quick . . . just sayin’??

She knows what to say to make me crack a smile every time I need it. I type back.

Or it’ll make Rex live out on the deck permanently just to catch a glimpse of what he’ll never have again

I flop back onto the mattress. If I’m going to spend the next two months next door to Rex, it better not be spent listening to them making plans to go snorkeling first thing in the morning.

My phone rings.

“Good morning, or is it afternoon there?” I ask after hitting the green button.

“Does it even matter anymore?” Abby asks. “I’ve been at the office since last Monday. It’s Thursday. Or Friday? Or maybe it’s still Tuesday. I don’t even know. Thank God I found that cat walker for Toby. The office owes me a fifteen-minute personal call at this point. Are they still out there?”

I tell her they are, and we get to work, brainstorming every conceivable plan of getting my deck back. Each plan involves something outrageous. Nudity — which we’ve already considered — a blaring stereo, murder, and — my personal favorite — setting the deck on fire.

“Dom would kill me,” I sigh. “And he’s really too wonderful to do that to him.”

“I need to hear more about this date you two went on . . . Hang on.” Abby suddenly sounds muffled, but I think I can hear Brett’s voice in the background. I swear her boss gets off on ordering her around. She sounds deflated when she comes back on the line. “I need to go.”

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