Page 104 of Wildcat
“Oh, I don’t know. I should probably get back.”
“It’ll take two seconds,” he says.
Leo is occupied, so I nod and follow him to the bar. I don’t recognize Lawrence, but I smile and say hello. They ask about Jade and Sam, then introduce me to more people. Their names start to blur together, and I’m not really interested in remembering them anyway.
Also, it might be my imagination, but Antonio is standing awfully close. I don’t know a lot about him, aside from being a frat brother to Sam. The one night we hung out where Jade tried to hook us up, he got blitzed out of his mind and passed out in the TV room. Hey, I’m not one to judge. Been there, my friend, but he’s acting like we’re old drinking buddies instead of strangers with a shared acquaintance.
I take a step back at the same time he asks me if I’m still working at Mike’s bar.
“Occasionally, I’m filling in, but not really.”
We’re about the same height, and he leans in closer and rests a hand on my lower back. “That’s cool. I bet you make great tips.”
Umm, okay, weird. I nod noncommittally and open my stance, breaking contact as I look for my date.
Leo’s scanning the room like he’s looking for me too. I stand on my tiptoes and catch his eye. His features soften, then he takes in the guys next to me and starts toward us.
“There you are,” Leo says when he reaches me. He drops a kiss to my cheek.
I motion to Antonio and Lawrence. “These guys are friends with Jade’s boyfriend.”
Leo nods, wraps an arm around my waist, and says hello.
“Leo Lohan,” Antonio says. “It’s so cool you’re here. Stay and have a drink with us, man.”
“Sorry, another time,” he says, already stepping away and taking me with him.
I wave bye, and Leo ushers us off to the side to a less crowded area.
“Everything okay?” he asks.
“Yeah, I went to the bathroom and ran into him on the way out. You were busy, and I wanted to give you some space.”
“Well, don’t.” He pulls me closer to him and smiles. “I like you all up in my space. Plus, that guy was standing awfully close to my dream girl.”
I push up on my toes and kiss him. “Don’t worry. If I’m going to leave here tonight with someone else, it’s probably Jack.”
He smacks my ass, causing me to yelp. I lace my fingers through his, and we go back to our table. The room gets louder as the night wears on. People are getting drunk, and laughter echoes through the warehouse.
Even Leo has a happy buzz going on. He’s quicker to chuckle and getting handsier by the second. I bat his fingers away as he slips them under the hem of my dress.
He winks and places his palm over my knee.
“I think it’s time for me to get out of here,” Declan says and stands. “Does anyone need a ride?”
“Are you ready?” Leo asks me.
“Yeah.” I get up, and he stands behind me, hands still roaming all over me.
Jack laughs as he watches us. “Shotgun. I’m not sitting in the back with those two.”
Our progress toward the door is slow. Everyone that they talked to earlier in the night stops them to say goodbye.
I’m hanging off to the side, fingers still intertwined with Leo’s, even as he chats with other people. Antonio approaches us slowly.
“You’re leaving already?”
“Yeah.”
