Page 30 of Bourbon Bliss
“And your facial capillaries fill with blood, resulting in warmth and redness?”
“You blush, yeah. Have you been experiencing those things?”
I nodded, almost afraid to admit it.
“Then June Bug, you have a good old-fashioned crush on GT Thompson.”
Was she right? Was that what was wrong with me? I had a crush on George?
The intense whirl of emotions was too overwhelming for me to process. I pulled away from it, mentally distancing myself from the feelings I was experiencing. It was almost as if I could see them, a jumbled mass of colors, like a thick ball of multicolored yarn.
Part of me couldn’t understand why people put themselves through this on purpose. The anxiety and fear involved in the human pairing process was unpleasant.
But it was also exhilarating. Alongside my nervousness for the evening was a sense of anticipation. A tingle of excitement at the thought of seeing George again soon. The memory of his lips brushing the backs of my fingers was still fresh, and I found myself gazing down at my hand.
He’d touched this hand. Held it. Kissed it lightly. And I’d enjoyed it very much.
“June?”
“I’m sorry, what did you say?”
Cassidy smiled again. “I said I know you’re probably nervous, but you don’t need to be. And you also need to let me do your makeup.”
“I don’t wear makeup.”
“Just a little.” She clasped her hands to her chest. “Please, June Bug. Pretty please with a heaping pile of sugar and a cherry on top.”
“In most other animal species, it’s the males who are expected to impress the females with displays of physical attractiveness. From an evolutionary standpoint, it makes more sense for the male to be adorned with features that render them beautiful as a means of attracting a mate, and for females to possess traits that allow them to better protect their young.”
“Well, we ain’t peacocks, so how about you let me at you with a little eyeliner.”
“All right. But not too much.”
She clapped and squealed.
The front door opened, and Jonah came inside. “Hey, what are you girls up to?”
“I’m helping June get ready for her date.”
“A date? Good for you, Juney.”
“What about you, Jonah?” Cassidy asked, raising her eyebrows. “Plans tonight?”
“No, no plans.” He jerked his thumb toward the stairs. “I’m going to go shower.”
Cassidy looked like she might say something else, but she closed her mouth. She narrowed her eyes as Jonah walked upstairs. “We need to get that man a date.”
“We, as in me and you? Because I think Scarlett is more suited to matchmaking activities than I am.”
“I meant generic we,” she said. “Scarlett’s already muttering about him still being single. Do you think he’s out here mending a broken heart or something? Has he said anything to you?”
“He hasn’t shared many details of his life before Bootleg,” I said.
“Hmm,” she said, crossing her arms. “He’s a tough nut to crack, that one. We’ll get to him, though. For now, sit your cute self down so I can get started.”
She sat me down at the dining table and after a lot of instructions—look up, look down, part your lips, rub them together—she stepped back and nodded.
“You’re gorgeous. Go look.”
