Page 4 of Bear In Mind

She shrugged her shoulders.“Egh.Jenny is my last resort.She claims to be a prude, but get her loopy enough and the truth comes out.The girl is dirtier than horse shit.”

My brows shot upwards as I honed in on the woman.Jenny worked at the local gas station as a cashier, preaching to every customer who would listen.Every time the church doors were open, you could bet Jenny was there.Which made this bit of information all the juicier.“Seriously?”

Taking another sip of her beer, Tiffany faced me.“I said she was my last resort.”

“I’d rather you switch teams for the night.Those church ladies are not easily deterred.If they think you took advantage of one of their own, you know that will be at least a month of duck and dodge for both of us.So, please, for the love of all that’s holy, don’t do it.”I shook my head negatively, emphasizing my point.

She frowned.“You take the fun out of everything.”

“Hey!”I narrowed my gape playfully.“I resent that.”

“Okay.So not everything,” she conceded.“Ugh.But a girl has needs, B.”Now she was whining.“And batteries will never replace the real thing.”

I snickered.“Poor baby.”

She crossed her arms over her flat chest.“Damn right.It’s been three weeks.”She pouted her bottom lip.

All humor fell away as I stared incredulously at her.“Seriously?You’re complaining about three weeks?Try five years.I haven’t been with anyone since Darren.”

Her lips parted around a gasp.“Oh you poor, poor thing.Oh, honey.”She wrapped an arm around me from the side, resting her head on my shoulder.“I knew it’d been a while, but five years?Fuck.”Suddenly, she popped up.“That settles it, B.Screw celebrating.Tonight, we’re gettin’ you laid.”Hopping down from the stool, she gripped my forearm and gave it a firm tug.“Let’s go.You’ve got to show them what they’re missing.”

“Oh, God.”I gulped, fear snaking through me.Thank God I’m wearing ballet flats.It’d been years since I’d been out dancing, but I hadn’t forgotten the horrifying fact that I couldn’t dance to save my life.My only saving grace was that Tiffany was good at shaking what little she had.

Actually, that wasn’t good.That meant I would look even more inept next to her.Crap.

Chapter Four

Bryn

A solid hour.I stared at the timestamp on my phone screen.How on earth had I survived that long?My best friend was relentless.And, even now, as I slunk into the closest chair, she continued to shake her groove thing to what sounded like the same four country songs over and over.

Giving my jeans another upward tug over my more than generous stomach pudge, I slumped backwards.I knew I was going to be sore tomorrow, and I would be guilting Tiff all day long for it.

She meant well, but, sometimes she could be a bit short sighted.She couldn’t see past her own preference for curves to realize that she was the only one who found me remotely attractive.Too bad I’d always had a thing for men.

With a sigh, I stuffed my phone back in my pocket, pulled down on my top until it almost covered all of my flesh, and crossed my arms over my chest.For the most part, Tiff kept me entertained.She kept groping random people as she danced all around the scuffed wood floor with no particular person.Every time her hand would close around another person’s bits, she would peer straight at me and feign innocence.Zero shame.

“Anyone sittin’ here?”

I startled at the male voice so close to me.I snapped to attention, my gaze immediately going to the chunky guy standing beside the table.A worn camouflage hat hugged his head and a toothpick stuck out between his lips.

It took me a minute to process his question.Shaking my head, I glimpsed at the empty seat beside me before looking around the bar.It was only then that I noticed the crowd had doubled, and no other seat was available.“Um, no.You can take it.”Knowing Tiff, she would sit on a table if she had to.

He nodded, a half-smile curling his lips.“Well, alright.”His gaze cut to a few tables over before he sat down.“You here alone?”

Feeling my brows furrow, taken aback, I shook my head negatively.“No.”When he continued to stare expectantly at me, I returned the question.“You?”

“Nah.I’m here with a buncha fellas from work.Nobody I’d wanna take home, if ya know what I mean.”He wagged his brows suggestively.

Is he trying to flirt with me?It wasn’t that I discriminated against men with curves, but, you couldn’t start a fire without a spark.The stranger beside me had extra round baby cheeks, an overly chewed toothpick he tried to speak around and no sex appeal.

Calling on all my years in customer service, I smiled politely.

Abruptly, he sighed.“Sorry ‘bout that.I’m new at this.”He extended his hand towards me but pulled back at the last second when I flinched.“Um, how ‘bout I buy us a round ‘a drinks.Ya know, my way of makin’ things right.”

“Um.”I worked my bottom lip, uncertainty eating away at me.I was probably overthinking it.Heck.If Tiff was over here, she already would have agreed on my behalf.Crap.I really was uptight and in need of a good lay.

At my hesitation, he continued.“It’s just a drink.No strings attached.”

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