Page 84 of The Hearts We've Broken
This trade show wasn’t too large, with four different rows to walk down and about fifteen businesses in each one. The products ranged from paintings to handmade crafts to sourdough bread.
I had to admit, I wasn’t a big patron of trade shows or farmers markets. A lot of the big rodeos we went to offered them as events, but I tended to avoid them because of the crowds.
This one was nice, though.
Juniper stopped at almost every booth, meticulously looking at what everyone had to offer. Occasionally, she’d strike up a conversation with the vendors like they were old friends.
“Pick out something that you want,” I told her after we’d walked through two of the rows. I’d caught her staring at some silver jewelry, looking like she was debating whether or not she wanted to get it.
“What do you mean?”
“Can’t I buy something for my girl?” I flashed her a smile.
Juniper put her hands on her hips, leaning her weight on one side of her body. “I seem to recall you saying you didn’t want to spend money on me.”
“What can I say? I’m a changed man,” I joked, but then added more seriously, “You’re worth it. You could tellme you wanted one of everything, and I’d gladly spend every penny.”
She snorted, rolling her eyes. “Okay, Romeo, no need to get ahead of yourself. Thank you, that’s very nice of you, but you don’t have to do that. I truly don’t need anything.”
When she wasn’t paying attention, I ended up buying some of the things she spent the most time admiring. A simple silver necklace with a small sapphire pendant and a handmade copper bracelet. I threw them in my pocket for safekeeping until I wanted to surprise her with them.
That night we went to Lucky Sevens, the college bar that Juniper worked at when she was in school. It wasn’t the same one the boys and I had gone to last year for Colter’s bachelor party, but it was fairly close by.
Goldfinch had three main college bars, all nestled in the same triangular area of downtown. Each bar was a point of the triangle, and it made for an easy way to bar hop.
Of course, there were other bars, but Lucky Sevens, Sippers, and The Sapphire Bar were the big three and very popular with the students at SGU.
The DJ was playing the classic nightclub selection—a mix of hip-hop, rap, and top twenty pop hits. A few bold people were on top of the bar shaking their hips, and the small dance floor was packed with bodies.
“Wanna brave the dance floor with me?” I asked, extending a hand.
She playfully slapped it away with a laugh. “No, not really.” Taking a sip of her drink, she surveyed the room.
Beer in hand, I watched her look around, scoping everything out.
“See anyone you know?”
Something flickered in her eyes at that. I wasn’t sure what it was, but her entire demeanor shifted.
“W-why do you ask that?”
I shrugged. “You just keep looking around like you’re trying to find someone.”
“Actually, I changed my mind. Let’s dance.” After throwing back the rest of her drink, she hopped down from her barstool, grabbing my hand to drag me onto the dance floor.
The bass thumped, echoing off the walls as she turned her back to me and I pulled her close. She ground her hips against my front, and blood rushed to my cock. Leaning in, I brushed my lips along the crook of her neck, breathing in her peachy floral perfume.
She tilted her head to look at me, and I gave her a quick peck, brushing her hair out of her face.
Still, despite being here with me, she seemed distracted, like her mind was preoccupied.
I didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to sense that something was off with her, but I also wasn’t sure I wanted to know what it was.
So, I tried to distract my mind, losing myself to the music and her body pressed against mine.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
juniper
