Page 67 of Hunt for the Roses
When Kate says this, I can’t help but think of how ready I felt when I was touching and kissing Dane, but I can’t exactly tell her that, so I keep my response short and simple. “Yeah,” I say.
Kate raises her glass, and I smile as I clink mine with hers. After I take a sip, I’m the next to speak. “So what’s new with you? How’s the accounting firm?”
“Ugh, we’re always so busy toward the end of the month, so it’s starting to get swamped. But my boss has pretty much guaranteed me a promotion by September,” Kate answers with a wide smile.
“Oh, that’s great!” I exclaim.
Kate nods her head in agreement. “Yeah, I’m really excited. It’s definitely a long time coming. Now I can do what I do best and order people around.”
We both laugh and I’m about to say something before we’re interrupted.
“Hey, can I interest either of you in another drink when you’re finished with those?” There is a handsome stranger that has approached our table. He’s got brown hair, blue eyes, and his hair is tied back in a low man bun. He’s wearing a navy crewneck and light denim, which both fit his muscles perfectly, and Kate and I give each other a knowing smirk.
Kate is the first one to take the bait. “I think our interest is very much piqued,” Kate says with a flirtatious smile, and then she pulls her V-neck crop top down a little more.
Mystery man smiles back and puts out a hand to Kate. “Brad,” he introduces himself, and then extends a hand out to me. “Nice to meet you girls.”
Kate and I give him our names and ask him to take a seat with us, and Brad sits next to me. “So is there just one of you, or do you have any friends who would like to come join?” Kate asks.
Brad chuckles. “Sorry to disappoint, it’s just me tonight.”
I’m now the next one who speaks. “Well, you’re brave to come here outnumbered. We’ll do our best not to bore you with too much girl talk.”
We’re all taking a sip from our drinks and moving through conversation pretty easily as Brad throws some decent jokes around, and tells us stories of fishing trips gone wrong. Once Kate and I finish our drinks, Brad keeps his promise and gets up to go to the bar to buy us another round.
Kate grabs my hand. “Oh my god, he’s so hot.”
“I know, it should be sinful to look that good. I don’t even like man buns,” I say.
When Kate doesn’t respond right away, I notice she’s looking past my shoulders at something in the distance. “Well, I guess our girls' night is going to be tainted in five seconds.” I furrow my brows as I look behind me in the direction she is staring. That’s when I see Trent and Dane walking in.
Shit.
I immediately start feeling anxious. I haven’t seen or spoken to Dane since we kissed, and more than that, I found out he’s only been hanging out with me because my brother asked him too.
Fuck my life.
I don’t contain the frustration in my voice too well when I turn to Kate. “Kate, I thought you said it was just girls tonight.”
Kate defends herself. “I didn’t tell them we were here. They must have had the same idea as us.”
“Well, now they’re going to come over here,” I say in an annoyed tone.
“So? We always hang out with them anyway,” Kate asks while looking confused. I realize how ridiculous I sound from Kate’s perspective. She’s right, we always hang out. But she has no idea about anything that has happened the past week, so she still thinks everything is normal. I try my best to compose myself to save face. I lick my lips and lean back in my chair, trying to physically control my nerves as my hands play nervously in my lap.
Trent and Dane eventually make their way to our table when Trent says, “Fancy seeing you guys here. Thanks for the invite, by the way.”
Even though Trent is the one speaking, it’s Dane who I look at, and I’d be lying if I said he didn’t lookgood.So good.His dark wavy hair is tousled on the top, he’s wearing a navy button down that hugs his muscles in all the right places, with the top two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up his forearms. He’s paired his shirt with tan shorts and white sneakers, and he’s donning the perfect amount of scruff on his face. Both of us seem to be rewinding last week’s events in our heads because neither of us says a word as we hold each other’s gaze.
I finally throw Trent and Dane a tight-lipped smile and look away, hoping Kate does all the talking. But to my surprise, it’s Brad who cuts into the silence first. “Hey, can I help you two?” Brad asks as he comes up next to Trent and Dane with mine and Kate’s beers.
Trent and Dane immediately furrow their brows and look back and forth between us and Brad. Dane is the first to speak. “I think you have it backwards. Can we help you with something?”
“I was just buying these girls another round.”
“Trent and Dane, this is Brad,” Kate cuts in trying to diffuse the rising testosterone levels.
“Well they’re taken care of already,” Dane says as he steps closer, leaning one hand on the table.
