Page 25 of No One But Us

When he pulls back, he looks James in the eye and raises a brow. “Who’s yourbodyguard?”

I introduce them, but neither makes a motion to shake the other’s hand. Just a quick nod on both sides, each slightlythreatening.

“The guys want to see you,” says Ryan, turning back to me. “Can you rally or are you tootired?”

“It’s late,” barks James. “And she just worked nearly eighthours.”

Ginny laughs. “Jesus, James, you sound like you’re 90.” She turns to me and Ryan. “I want to come if his bandmates are as hot as heis.”

“We’re all irresistible,” Ryan says, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Right,babe?”

I laugh. “No comment. But yeah, Ginny, you’d probably want to come, if you didn’t already have aboyfriend.”

She stands anyway, and there’s a gleam in her eye that probably shouldn’t be there. I’m not sure if I’m a worse friend if I let her go, or if I discourage it. But I have a feeling she’s about to do something she’llregret.

Upstairs she sits on the toilet lid, talking a blue streak while I shower. “Those pictures you sent don’t do him justice. If I’d known how completely delicious he was, I would have told you not to break up withhim.”

“He can be a complete dick,” Icounter.

“Mmmm. I’d be willing to live withthat.”

I poke my head around the curtain. “Why is it that you keep acting like you don’t have a boyfriend you’re crazyabout?”

“I’m not,” she replies testily. “Why am I not allowed to enjoy myself like a regular college sophomore without everyone assuming there’s aproblem?”

When I emerge from the bathroom, she hands me a dress. “You’re wearingthis.”

It’s her dress, and she’s a lot shorter than me. “That dress is gonna end just under my ass,” I tellher.

She giggles. “I know. But someone needs to sleep with your ex tonight, and it won’t beme.”

“It won’t be me either,” I reply. “And you need to stay right by my side so Ryan doesn’t get achance.”

Her smile fades, replaced by something unhappy and a little suspicious. “What would be so terrible about sleeping with him?” she asks. “It’s not like you’d be cheating on someone,right?”

“No,” I say. “I just don’t want to go down that roadagain.”

She doesn’t look entirely appeased. “Fine,” she says. “James’ head would explode if you walked out wearing itanyway.”

I decide to wear the dress afterall.

We get downstairs to find James looking as every bit as grim as he did earlier—apparently my ex’s charm doesn’t work on everyone—and his face falls entirely when he looks towardus.

“Damn, babe,” says Ryan, walking toward me slowly. “I’ve never seen that dressbefore.”

“It’sGinny’s.”

“Ginny,” says Ryan, “you’re in charge of her wardrobe from nowon.”

“That’s not a dress. It’s a shirt,” grumbles James. “And not even a longone.”

Max shouts at us to have fun as we head to the front door. I can still hear his slightly maniacal laughter when we stepoutside.

* * *

Ryan’s bandmates make room for us when we get to the bar. All five of them met at Cornell—where I met them as well—and they seem to be on the five-to-eight-year plan. Despite what I consider excessive ambivalence about the Ivy League educations their parents are underwriting, they’re all pretty goodguys.

Once Ginny is happily situated with the boys, Ryan pulls me aside. “So what’s the deal with herbrother?”

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