Page 23 of Property of Fox

“I’m here with some friends who are working the event.”

“Oh, I don’t want to keep you from them,” I mutter. “Let me pay for your drink, and then you can get back to them.”

“They’ll be fine without me. Besides, what kind of gentleman would I be to leave a beautiful woman all alone at the bar.”

“You don’t have to do that. I’ll be fine.”

“I know you are, firefly.” He leans even closer now, our faces mere inches apart. “Want to get out of here and go somewhere a little quieter?” he whispers conspiratorially.

The way he says it sends another shiver racing through me. Every part of me screams to jump at the chance. Just say yes and see what happens next. But before I can respond or before common sense can ruin this moment, a figure emerges breaking our bubble. The man strides up with a look that seems tingedwith urgency. His brow is set in, irritation radiating off him, as if he's been searching forever for Fox.

“Hey! We need you over here,” he barks, interrupting us like an unwanted wakeup call from a dream too sweet to end.

Fox turns slowly back toward him, but not without one last lingering glance shot directly my way. “Wait here,” he murmurs as if marking his territory around me before turning away completely. “This won’t take long.”

Disappointment catches hold as anticipation coils tighter inside of me. Adrenaline continues swirling through my veins thanks to whiskey courage bolstering my confidence. All these feelings blending together uncomfortably sweet yet bitter.

As Fox follows after the other guy who drags him off towards a large group of women, Keira finally appears from the thickest part of the crowd.

“Where did you go, B?”

I blink at her sudden presence, eyes narrowing as I try to gauge her tone. “I was...uh, just getting a drink,” I stammer, betraying a weird mix of resentment for having been pulled away from that intoxicating moment with Fox. “You left me out there.”

“I’m so sorry. I thought you were right there, and when I turned around, you were gone. But you’re not going to guess who I just met. Eden Anderson…and Ares. He’s real, B, and he’s so fucking hot. He puts the model on the cover to shame.”

“Abandoned for a book boyfriend,” I laugh. “I don’t know whether to be angry or depressed by your admission.”

“B, he’s still over there. You should go meet him and Eden.”

“That’s okay,” I offer. “There are a ton of people over there, and the last thing I want to do is add to her crowd. I’m sure they’re here to enjoy themselves. Not get mobbed.”

Keira raises an eyebrow, crossing her arms defiantly. “Come on! One of your favorite authors is right there, and you don’t want to meet her?”

But I shake my head firmly. “I’m more comfortable here. Besides, I’ll meet her tomorrow.”

Keira starts to argue, but she stops, staring off at something on the bar. “Brea, why are there two whiskey glasses next to me?” she asks. “Did you… were you with someone?”

My pulse quickens reflexively under scrutiny as if caught sneaking extra cookies when grandma isn’t watching. “I spilled a drink on a guy when you abandoned me, so I bought him another one.”

“Is that so? Is he hot?”

I can feel my face reddens at her question.

“Oh my god, you’re blushing. He is hot. Which guy is it? Show me,” she squeals.

“A guy came to get him. He’ll be back.”

“For someone who didn’t want to come to the party, it sure seems like you’re enjoying yourself. My girl is growing up so fast,” she laughs, pretending to wipe a tear from her face. “I’m so proud of you.”

I roll my eyes, feigning annoyance, but a smile slips through despite myself. Keira's enthusiasm is infectious. It’s just that I can’t shake the lingering thoughts of Fox from my mind. “Really, Kiera? Can we not turn this into some dramatic coming-of-age moment?”

“Fine! No drama,” she says dramatically before leaning in closer and lowering her voice conspiratorially. “But seriously…what’s his name? You know you’re dying to tell me.”

I hesitate for too long. It's just enough time for doubt to creep in. She'll pry if given half the chance.

“I told you. It was nothing.” The words slip out more defensively than intended.

Keira folds her arms tighter across herself now. "Look," she continues earnestly but gently after sensing the tension simmering up inside me. "You really should open yourself up abit more. You’ve been locked up for so long that seeing you step out of your comfort zone is honestly really nice. You should go find him. Make a rash decision. Go live it up, B.”

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