Page 60 of After 5

Ragina’s eyes grew wide. I stiffened, ready to karate chop the frisky asshole, then relaxed as the familiar scent of Marco followed.

“There you are, gorgeous, I’ve been looking for you,” Marco said as he grabbed the chair opposite Ragina.

I smiled at him.

“Who’s this?” he asked me, nodding toward Ragina.

“Oh, sorry, this is Ragina. An old friend from high school.” I turned toward Ragina. “This is Marco, my uhm…”

“Fuck buddy,” he finished my sentence.

I watched Ragina lick her lips as she took in Marco’s blue eyes and solid, muscular body.

The rich tone of Patsy Cline’s voice came over the speakers. “This one belongs to me,” he said and pointed to the dance floor.

My inner voice donned her square-dancing attire, but I held up my beer as if to protest.

He snagged the bottle from me and downed the remainder of my beer. He took my hand and led me from my chair to the dance floor.

Ragina’s mouth hung open as Marco pulled me in tight to his chest. We swayed to the music.

“What are you doing here?” I asked him.

“My sister shared the latest on Gossip Gal and I decided you needed a friend. I texted Brodie and he told me your plans for tonight. Gertie just sent me an SOS. What’s her story?” He cut his eyes toward Ragina.

“Ragina dated Jake in high school. She didn’t like our friendship, and he dumped her.”

“I take it she wasn’t happy when the two of you became a couple?”

I inhaled Marco’s freshly showered scent, and the cologne he wore made my toes tingle.

“Nope, and although we didn’t last, she still has a vendetta against me.”

“Let’s give her something to be jealous of.” Marco leaned in and kissed me. Long and deep. The kind of kiss seen on the big screen. The kiss where the couple’s lips met perfectly, and you could tell by the tilt of the hero’s head and the way he cradled the female lead, the guy was an amazing kisser.

My boy howdy lit up like a jet engine ready for takeoff. Any minute, I would turn into the Human Torch from theFantastic Four. I broke the kiss and stared into his eyes.

“I think I broke a sweat,” he cracked a smile and pulled me closer. The song’s melody played,I’m crazy, crazy for feeling so blue.

When the song ended, we returned to the table, and I was thankful Brodie had ordered another round. Ragina had deserted us for a gaggle of girlfriends at a nearby table. I sat down next to Brodie and he handed me a beer.

“You’re gonna need this to extinguish those flames, mate.”

“That was some kiss,” Gertie announced. “Reminded me of theTop GunKiss.”

“No, ya wrong. I’d say it hadGone with The Windquality,” Brodie teased.

“Just giving the school chum something to stew over,” Marco said, taking a drink of his beer then glancing over at Brodie. “You really think it was up to Rhett Butler’s standards?”

“OK, stop. The kiss was merely a ruse to make Ragina go away, and it worked.”

This statement got three bottles raised, and I clinked them with mine.

I gave Ragina a finger wave from our table. Ragina ignored me and joined her plastics typing on their phones.

“I swear she took a pic of you with Marco,” Gertie said.

Damn, maybe Ragina wasn’t the only one who’d witness the movie star kiss. Positive Caiyan didn’t follow Gossip Gal, I chastised myself for worrying over what he would think about me with another man. He was engaged to Mahlia for cripes sake, and they had set a date for the wedding. The reality the marriage might happen made my heart heavy.

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