Page 1 of Wrong Number, Right Soldier
One
Saylis
“Hey, body-ody over here!” Stasia says to me, practically whistling.
I tug down on the hem of my too-tight dress. “It feels wrong to be dressed like this. What if one of my future students’ parents sees me like this?”
“That just means one of your future students’ parents was atthisclub,” Cleo says to me. “Relax, you’re not a teacheryet. Enjoy your last days of freedom!”
“Why is that giving ‘bachelorette party’ and I’m not even getting married,” I pout.
“Aw, honey. Listen, seriously, you’re an adult. Your life doesn’t end after you get the job,” Kim tosses in, all reason and rationale.
“IfI get a teaching job,” I remind her, flashing the bouncer my ID. “I still have to finish the study courseandpass the state exam.”
“Good thing you’re a genius and have literally nothing to worry about.”
“Cleo’s right, girly pop,” Stasia says, raising her voice as we file into the club.
“So say theactualgenius lab scientist and the ridiculously popular fitness mogul? Thanks, guys, your compliments are…gallant.”
“Can we not do this, you guys?” Kim pipes up. “Look at us. Look. At. Us! We’re all hot. We’reallfucking smart.”
“Kim’s so right,” Stasia agrees, an expression on her face like she’s completely fired up and ready to tear the club up from just that sprinkle of encouragement. “Let’s fuck this night up!”
See—what’d I tell ya.
Lights and music and energy pulse throughout the space as the four of us head for the bar. Kim and Cleo quickly lose me in a discussion on the Singularity. Stasia waves down the bartender. I…just wait.
“Wow, you’re gorgeous,” a smooth, male voice cuts in. I swivel my head to discover that he’s actually talking tome. What?Weird.
“She’s really smart, too!” Cleo screams out over the music.
“Yeah, no really, she reads tons of books!” Stasia says, also screaming, alsonot helping.
“Big ones!” Cleo spreads her palms away from each other to indicate a length of…very long length.
My face is at least one billion degrees, and I promptly drop it into my hands, my elbows finding purchase on the bar top. “Oh. My.Godyou guys.”
“I’m so sorry, dude, they’re drunk,” Kim cuts in, rescuing me by stealing our other two friends away, right after she slides me my vodka-cran. “We’ll just be going.”
I turn my face and peek through my fingers to check that they’re gone, then barely spreading my fingers apart wider, I peer up at the stranger. To my great shock, he’s smiling.
“They’re a riot. Those your friends?”
“At the moment? Not so much.” I manage a smile. Somehow his is so disarming, I let my hands fall completely away. And then the vodka still pre-gaming through my system says to him, “So. You were saying?”
“That you’re gorgeous. My name’s Derek. What’s yours?”
“Saylis.”
“Sailor, cool name for a chick. Like Sailor Moon! Well Sailor, I’m actually heading out now with my boys but I wanted to at least give you my number.”
“Oh, sure…”
He’s already sliding a business card out of his wallet and handing it to me. “That’s my cell. Call me anytime,cutie.” He tacks on the endearment with oh-so-much ease. “I mean it.Anytime.” He throws me a blue-eyed wink, as he turns to leave, all swagger.
I’m left stunned. That was…What was that? He was smooth—too smooth. Minus the whole getting-my-name-wrong thing. Getting my name wrongtwice. But he was handsome. Or is the vodka doing the seeing for me now, too?
