Page 43 of Forbidden Puck
“Oh … oh, right.”
“That's how I knew about yourcollection.” She winked. “Remember? The picture I sent you earlier?”
I knew what she was doing; trying to direct the focus of my attention away from Ella and towards herself. She was trying to win my affection for the night, planting the image of her panties fresh in my mind.
I swallowed tensely. My eyes darted over Kara's head and I glanced at the crowd, trying to find Ella again, curious if she'd made it out.
Kara folded her arms and her tone went short and snappy. “Okay, there you go again—what's the deal with you and her, anyway?”
“She's from out of town. She's visiting from New York.”
“So?”
“I don't know if she even knows how to get back to the condo.”
“Sounds like her problem.”
“No, it'd definitely bemyproblem, since I'm the one who invited her out. She's my best friend's little sister. He'd kill me if something happened to her.”
“She's got a cell phone, doesn't she?”
“Well, yeah, of course.”
“I don't care what city the bitch is from, no one should be getting lost in 2017. And if someone does get lost, fuck 'em, they deserve whatever happens.”
I tilted my head and looked at Kara—reallylookedat her. I looked so deeply into her, I felt like I was looking into myself. Who was this girl? How did we meet? I mean, obviously we 'met' onMeatMarket,butwhywas I talking to her? What the hell was it all about?
I didn't know. All I knew was that she lookedveryannoyed that I was concerned about my buddy's little sister.
“Whoa, you're awful,” I said, staggering backward.
“Excuse me?” she panted. “You'rethe panty-collecting weirdo, you fucking pervert creep.”
I shrugged. “Hey, listen, sorry to waste your time. But I gotta run.”
“Whatever, dickhead!”
I left Kara and pushed my way through the crowd, hoping it wasn't too late to catch up with Ella.
Chapter 14
Mixed Messages
Ella
Heels clicking on the sidewalk, I hurried down the sidewalk with one arm held straight up in the air, hoping to hail a cab. But cabs in this city weren't nearly as ubiquitous as they were in New York.
The temperature was perfect when we'd left the condo—but now it wasfreezingcold. I had to keep my other arm snuggled tightly across my torso for warmth. The early morning chill was even more unbearable after being entrenched in the humid body heat of the dance floor at that stupid club.
I checked my phone and discovered yet anotherproblem: my battery was completely dead, and that meant I didn't have Lance's address. I didn't know the way back to his condo. All I could do was describe the area he lived in and hope the cabbie might recognize it.
And that was Club Regret,I thought to myself, snickering cynically as I walked.
The club had lived up to its name. I would've been better off just heading home after dinner. But I guess I fooled myself—thinking I could befriendswith Radar. Once he started flirting with me? He fucked my mind up. I might not fall for his games, but that doesn't mean I'm completely immune to the emotional bullshit a guy like him will put a girl through as he attempts to get laid.
Stupid jock,I muttered under my breath.Ugh, why are they always the same?
They had a way of creeping past your defenses and charming you with their oafish ways. But if you made the mistake of letting your guard down, and if you chose to see them as a gentle giant instead of what theyreallywere—sleazy horn-dogs with no sense of loyalty—then the punch to the gut was always lying in wait for you.
