Page 26 of Friends With Benefits

“Everyone looks so young!” Kerri looked around at people who barely seemed old enough to legally be in the bar. The bass of the music vibrated through her body. She and her friends hadn’t been to Ventana’s for a long time.

“Oh come on, we’re not that old,” Hailey said. They found a table in the back with room for four and settled in.

In no time, guys were hitting on all of them.

“I can’t believe this!” Hailed wailed. “I’m getting married in two weeks!Nowthe guys notice me!”

Kerri, too, was surprised. Maybe a bar wasn’t the best place to meet guys, but it was definitely effective. She loved dancing so she took advantage of the male interest a few times to dance with different guys. But yet…it seemed hollow. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe she really was too old for this kind of scene.

She returned to the table and her glass of wine, feeling empty and a bit let down.

“Oh man,” Hailey said suddenly. “I can’t believe this.”

“What?”

“Miguel’s here. Over there! With the guys! This was supposed to be a girls’ night out!”

Kerri searched the room and spotted Miguel with his posse of friends, including, yes, Mitch. The guys hadn’t spotted them yet. They stood at the bar, attracting considerable female interest, especially Mitch. He was the tallest, so he stood out, but he was also completely unaware of the interest in him. Kerri watched as he accepted the beer from the female bartender with a smile and tipped it up to his lips, turning to survey the room. Unerringly, like a heat-seeking missile, his eyes immediately met hers across the room. Her body tightened.

It was as if he’d reached out and touched her. For a long moment they just looked at each other. Then she lifted a hand.

While Mitch spoke to the others and gestured to the girls, Kerri put her hands to her hot cheeks. “Why did they come here of all places?”

Hailey glanced at her. “Hey, it’s okay. I don’t mind that much.” They all shifted around the table to make room for more chairs so the guys could join them.

Mitch ended up sitting beside Kerri.

“Hey,” he said. “How was your date?”

“It wasn’t a date,” she answered shortly. “What are you guys doing here? I thought you were going to watch the game.”

“We did.” He shrugged. “Dodgers lost. Nothing was going on there so we came here.”

“But why did you comehere? It’s supposed to be Hailey’s night out.”

He raised his brows and looked at her.

“How is she supposed to have fun with her fiancé here?” Kerri continued heatedly.

“What exactly was she planning to do?” He lifted one brow, giving him that goddamn devilish charming look. Damn him.

Kerri scowled. “Nothing, of course. I’m just saying.”

He smiled, then deliberately turned away from her to talk to Hailey.

Kerri fumed sulkily. Although she’d protested on Hailey’s behalf, she was the one who didn’t want Mitch there tonight. Damn him again.

She finished her wine and searched the bar for a waiter so she could order another drink. While she waited, she gazed around the room and tapped her fingers on the table. Then, one of the guys she’d danced with earlier appeared and asked her to dance again.

She jumped to her feet and shot Mitch a glance as she took the man’s hand and followed him onto the dance floor. Mitch was busy talking to Hailey but she knew he’d noticed her leave.

The guy, whose name she’d forgotten, was okay-looking and pleasant and thankfully a good dancer, and he seemed surprised that this time Kerri was so much more animated. She laughed and flirted her way through that song and another one, tossing her hair back and smiling into his eyes. Oh yeah, his name was Paul. As they moved around the dance floor, she glanced back at her table.

Mitch wasn’t there.

She pressed her lips together, then smiled at Paul again. The music changed to a slow song and she let him pull her close for the next dance.

Where was he, damn it?

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