Page 2 of Calling the Shots

Pete: It was nice to meet you. I had to jet. Take care

This is a first, even for me. A shock rolls through my system, with cool relief following close behind. Aggravation squeezes in there, too, because what the hell?

Pixel Pete couldn’t even wait for me to get out of the bathroom before he bolted. At least we can avoid the awkward end-of-date pleasantries and the “I’ll call you later” lies.

“Lover boy texting you already?” Jamie angles her head, trying to read the message. I shove the cell deep into my pocket. No need for her to know Pete has left the building.

“No. Just Sloane, checking in with me. We always text each other when we go out, to be on the safe side. The old buddy system, ya know? Oh—you probably don’t know because you don’t have any close girlfriends.”

Jamie purses her lips but doesn’t take the bait.

“I’d love to meet your date, Gracie. Care to introduce me?” She smooths an imaginary wrinkle out of her satin top, thrusting out her perfect breasts.

Under ordinary circumstances, I’d say no to this request. Now that Pixel Pete is M.I.A., it’s a hard fucking no.

“It’s early days, Jamie. Maybe another time.”

“Oh, right. I’m threatening, I get it. Happens to me a lot.” She fans her long, delicate fingers over her chest.

Oh, brother.

“No, not threatening.” I smooth my hair over my shoulder, locking eyes with her in the mirror. “More like aggravating as hell.”

She scowls at me and a long second passes, neither of us backing down. I silently will her to walk out first because I have no plan, other than ducking out the emergency exit and calling an Uber.

The door to the restroom crashes open, banging against the wall, and two women stumble in. Still, Jamie doesn’t budge as the ladies crowd us at the sink, giggling and talking loudly about the bartender. One of them turns on the faucet and water sprays me again, this time thoroughly dousing the lower half of my shirt.

“Ohmygosh, I’m so sorry.” She grabs at a stack of paper towels and starts awkwardly blotting my midsection.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” I ease away from her and the geyser of a faucet, Jamie hot on my heels. She’s so freaking close to me the heavy scent of her perfume stings my eyes.

Pushing out into the dim hallway, I frantically try to figure a way out of this jam. There’s no way in hell I want to admit to Jamie my date bailed on me. I can’t very well walk back to the empty table. That will be a dead giveaway.

Slowing my steps, I cast a quick glance over the crowd in the bar. Sure as shit, Pixel Pete is gone, our table sitting vacant in the corner. A large group of college-aged kids dance in the center of the room, high top tables shoved to the side of the makeshift dance floor. The bar’s packed, but I don’t see anyone I know.

Except Mack.

Sloane’s dad’s best friend and my mom’s next-door neighbor. He’s sitting alone near the end of the bar, drinking a beer and watching football on the television. A head taller than everyone else, with impossibly broad shoulders, he’s easy to spot. His arm flexes as he casually lifts his drink, his square jaw outlined by the neon lights behind the bar.

With a deep breath, I straighten my shoulders and strut confidently in his direction, Jamie right behind me like a fricking drug dog. Hopefully she can’t smell bullshit.

“Hey, babe.” I sidle up close to Mack, resting my hand on his forearm as if we’ve known each other for years.

Which technically we kind-of-sort-of have, but not in a touchy-feely dating kind of way.

He stares down at my hand for a second, and I silently will him to play along.

“Hey, Gracelyn. Everything okay?” He cocks an eyebrow, a smirk dancing on his full lips.

“Yeah, bathroom was fine. Clean. All good. The bartender didn’t come back with my drink yet?” I wave at the server, leaning over the wooden bar in Mack’s direction.

“Just go with it, okay? I’ll pay you back,” I whisper in his ear, the clean scent of his aftershave tickling my nose. I’ve never been this close to Mack before, never noticed how muscular he is, how he fills out his T-shirt in all the right ways.

“Ahem.” Jamie clears her throat, and I glance over my shoulder.

“Oh, you’re still here?” I wrinkle my nose and she stiffens, tipping her chin up.

“Hey. I’m Jamie.” She purrs her name, popping her lips out in a sultry pout, and thrusts her hand in Mack’s direction.

---