Page 14 of Hung Up
“What’s the difference?”
Bryce and Kai chuckle as Jesse looks at me with wide eyes, appearing as if I have personally offended in some way by asking that question. “Normal dancing is a free-for-all where everyone tries too hard to be sexy. Line dancing is structure with some flair for those who are good at it.”
“There’s a very easy dig in there but I told myself this morning I’d try to be nicer to you today.” The corner of his mouth tilts as if he were hoping I would. “Although I can’t recall why.”
Before he has the chance to respond, a different woman than the one before steps up next to Jesse. She places a hand on his bicep and leans in past me to ask for a refill, her arm pressing against mine and her blonde hair falling onto my shoulder. Once she has a new bottle in her hand, she spins around, giving Jesse a very white and perfect smile. She’s got a very tight black tee on—that she clearly cut the neck of to showcase her cleavage—jean shorts and knee-high black cowboy boots.
It’s February in Utah for fuck sake.
“Hey, Jesse,” she says, using her arms to push her breasts closer together, and I involuntarily roll my eyes. “Great ride tonight.”
“Thanks.” He gives her a smile that appears forced, his attention shifting between this blonde woman and me.
She seems oblivious to his wandering eye, or chooses to ignore it, and takes a step closer, her hand landing on his abdomen. “Want to dance?”
“Oh, I appreciate the offer, but?—”
“He’d love to,” Stetson interrupts, his arm draped over Rylie’s shoulders as he joins in on our conversation. “He’s a great line dancer.”
“So am I,” she replies, looking up at him from beneath her lashes.
I avert my gaze, my eyes connecting with Bryce’s, and the concern in them has my brows furrowing.
“I’m sure you are, really,” Jesse tells her, unable to back away from her advances due to the large crowd. “But I just?—”
“We’ll join you.” Stetson reaches for Rylie’s hand like he’s going to pull her off her stool, but she refuses to budge. “Let’s go, Kai. Time to show them how it’s done.”
The woman doesn’t give Jesse the chance to try and object again. She grabs his wrist and physically drags him onto the dance floor, Kai and Stetson trailing behind them. Jesse’s eyes catch mine just before he disappears into the crowd.
“And this is why I hate going to bars,” I say, turning my attention to Rylie. “Can’t I just drink in peace?”
She laughs, taking another sip of her beverage when Bryce taps my shoulder. “I’m going to try and save him from that.”
“He’s a big boy, Bryce,” I remind him, lazily bringing the bottle to my lips. “I’m sure he can slip away if he really wants to.”
“Stetson is hard set on getting him with someone, and before you ask, I don’t have the faintest clue why.” I shrug, finally taking a swig of my beer. “But that can’t happen.”
I set my beer down at that. “What do you mean that can’t happen?”
“He’s under heat from his PR team.” Bryce doesn’t offer any more information before he too disappears.
I look at my friend once more, filing that piece of information away for later. Rylie is frantically typing away on her phone, a frown on her bright red lips and a deep crease between her brows. Resting my elbows on the bar, I look everywhere but at her as I drink—don’t be a snoop, Faith—but once she sets her phone down with a loud sigh, my curiosity gets the better of me.
“What’s that about?”
“Not sure you want to know,” she answers quietly, the music almost drowning out her words.
“I certainly do now.” Rylie scratches behind her ear, one of her tells, so I gently kick her shoe with my own. “Just tell me, Ry. I’m a big girl.”
She sighs before telling me, “Adam has been trying to get Alicia to send them out here instead of my team. Some bullshit about how the team needs to stick together.”
“And what has Alicia said?”
“That she wants them on something else for now.” My shoulders slump in relief. “I think she can tell there’s some tension there, that something is going on between you two.”
“That wouldn’t surprise me.”
Rylie stares at me for a moment, so I turn my attention to the approaching bartender and ask for a refill. I had only been in the office once since I took this assignment, and Adam made it a point to step into my office and try to get me to walk away and find something else.“It’s too embarrassing for us,”he had said.“There are such better things we could be doing.”As if there was still a ‘we’ to be considering.
