Page 100 of Stay with Me

“I have no idea what she’s doing with Brock. Well, okay, I have a couple of ideas, but I have no idea why she isherewith Brock.”

And now I was starting to get a real bad feeling about this, especially because several guys crowded Brock, and Aimee with twoe’s wasn’t even paying attention to him. She was starting around the huddle.

Roxy looked like she’d just walked into a spiderweb and was about to start flailing, and there were people who needed to be served, but my gaze was tracking Aimee, and as she made it halfway across the length of the bar, I looked at Jax.

Leaning against the counter, he was handing over two mixed drinks to a group of giggling girls, and as he straightened and looked over, his gaze moved past Aimee with aniand then bounced back. He blinked, straightened as if someone had grabbed his ass, and my stomach sank a little.

Oh no.

“Oh no,” echoed Roxy.

Aimee with twoe’s squeezed in between the giggling girls and an older guy, planted her hands on the bar top, and stretched up, which made her boobalicious boobs strain against the tank top.

Then she spoke in a deep, throaty way. “Jax, baby, I’ve missed you.”

Twenty

Jax babystared at Aimee for a moment and then he gave her a half smile—not the half smile, but a lopsided grin that twisted up my insides. He said something and she tossed her head back and laughed huskily.

I turned away and focused on the people waiting for drinks. I wasn’t sure how many minutes went by, and I didn’t even try to stop myself from glancing over at them, but they were still chatting.

No big deal.

When I looked up for Brock, the guy she had walked in with, I didn’t see him anywhere, but there was a huge group surrounding the pool tables, and I figured that was where he was.

Feeling weird and like I had swallowed a bunch of energy pills, I was overly smiley and happy while I helped out the customers until Nick returned. By then, I was ready to get out on the floor and I eased past Roxy, who was shooting me “we need to talk” looks and to which I shot back a “we don’t need to talk” look.

I was hurrying out from behind the bar, eyes focused on Pearl, whose blond hair was escaping the twist, when I was snagged from around the waist and pulled to the side. Swallowing a squeal as I was spun around, I found myself between Jax and the end of the bar, facing Aimee.

Um.

Aimee looked as confused as I felt as she glanced between Jax and me, and then her gaze dropped to the arm around my waist.

“Aimee, I’m not sure if you’ve had a chance to meet Calla,” Jax said, and his arm was like a brand around my waist. “She’s from here, but has been gone at college. She’s back for—”

“I know who she is,” she replied, and her tone wasn’t cold or snotty or anything really.

My brows rose. I had no idea who she was, and I had a feeling I would know her if I did.

Aimee smiled as she brushed her hair over one shoulder. “You obviously don’t remember me. It wasagesago when we knew each other.”

Jax shifted and his entire side pressed against mine. “How do you know her? You grew up like a county over.”

I so did not care that he knew that Aimee with twoe’s grew up a county away.

“It was a long time ago,” she said, raising her voice as a loud cheer went off toward the pool tables. “We did some of the same pageants together.”

Holy shit.

I stiffened as I stared at her.Aimee ... ? Aimee ... ?“Aimee Grant?”

Her smile spread, and damn she was breathtaking. Perfect freaking teeth, like she was still wearing flippers. “Yes! You do remember. Oh my God, Jax.” Her eyes flipped to him as she reached over the bar, placing her hand on his other arm like she’d done it a million times. “Calla and I practically grew up together.”

Uh, I wouldn’t have gone that far. We’d probably run into each other every other month at the pageants and we weren’t friends. If I remembered correctly, our mothers hated each other with the passion of all stage mothers. Mom was considered lowbrow for owning a bar, and Aimee’s mom was stay-at-home, married to a doctor, or by the look of those perfect choppers, a dentist.

“Is that so?” Jax slid his hand to my lower back, and I pressed my lips together. He’d angled his body into mine, drawing back so her hand was no longer resting on his arm, and even though I hadn’t done the relationship thing, I knew what he was saying with his body. I’d seen Jase do it. I’d seen Cam do it.

I got a happy feeling inside.

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