Page 77 of Finding Jess

Scarlett smiled at her, then turned, squeezing Sam’s arm. “We’ll see you in the morning at checkout.”

She turned to Jasmine, giving her a gentle tug on the arm. “Come on, let’s get out of here before I start falling asleep at the bar.”

Jasmine gave a small, sleepy smile as she followed Scarlett toward the exit. “Goodnight, Sam,” she called over her shoulder.

“Night,” Sam replied, watching them disappear into the crowd. She blew out a breath, turning back to the bar andsignaling for another drink. She wasn’t sure how long she’d have to wait, but she wasn’t planning on leaving until Jess was ready.

Sam took a slow sip from her glass, letting the cool liquid slip down her throat. Her eyes found Jess again, and this time, she could see it clearly—the way Jess subtly shifted her body away, the slight wince when Joanna’s hand landed on her arm. It was enough to make Sam’s decision for her.

With a deep breath, Sam pushed away from the bar and made her way toward them.

She weaved through the array of people, stopping beside Jess.

“Hey,” she said with a soft smile.

“Oh, hey,” Jess replied, taking a small step closer to her.

Joanna didn’t bother even glancing toward her, her eyes still clinging to Jess. In reality, she actually kind of felt bad for her. Maybe on another night, she would’ve had a fair chance. But Sam knew better than she did. That night wasn’t it.

“Where’d everyone go?” Jess asked, craning her neck past Sam to scan the crowd.

“Back to the rooms,” Sam answered, throwing a nod over her shoulder.

“Oh,” Jess muttered, disappointment painting her face. Then she looked back at Sam. “You didn’t want to go?”

Sam shrugged lightly. “Figured I’d hang out a little longer.”

Jess nodded, opening her mouth to say something before Joanna cut her off.

“Let me buy you another drink?” she asked with a wide grin.

Jess frowned, giving her a semi-apologetic smile. “That’s okay. I think I’m at my max for the night.”

The woman’s smile dropped for a moment before she quickly recovered. “Oh, yeah, I probably I am too,” she said with a chuckle. “I can definitely keep dancing, though.”

She took a step toward Jess, her hand outstretched. But Jess pulled back slightly. And that was all it took.

Sam shifted behind Jess, sliding one arm around her waist, resting her hand on her hip. Jess stiffened for a split second before she completely relaxed into the front of her body.

Sam rested her chin lightly against her shoulder. Then said in a low voice, but loud enough for Joanna to hear, “Dance with me?”

The way Jess turned to look at her left their faces only inches apart. And the look in her eyes was intense with surprise and curiosity. She swallowed, then nodded.

“Oh,” Joanna muttered, her eyes flicking between them. “I—sorry—I didn’t realize you two—”

She knew what she was asking. And yes, leaving it unsaid would be a lie. But at that moment, she didn’t care.

Jess stayed quiet too, and Sam felt her hand drift over her own, where it rested on her hip. Jess ran her thumb lightly over her wrist, and Sam instantly had to remind herself of why she was doing this in the first place. That it wasn’t real.

She held Joanna’s stare, offering a small smile she knew would give her the answer she needed to see.

Joanna looked between them once more, then gave Jess a tight smile. “Well, it was nice meeting you. Have a good night.”

Sam watched her walk away, waiting until she was far enough into the crowd that she wouldn’t be able to see them anymore. Then she loosened her grip on Jess, immediately pulling her arm away and stepping back. It was like a switch had flipped off, her boldness evaporating as quickly as it had come.

“There,” Sam said with a forced grin. “Problem solved.”

Jess didn’t respond right away. She just stared at her, eyes searching, the intensity of her gaze making Sam feel exposed in a way she hadn’t expected.

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