Page 166 of Keep This Promise
“I’m not like you, Jo!” I yell over the music.
“I know. So, try it. It’s fun.”
“I don’t even know what to do,” I admit.
“See that guy?” She points to a tall man with dark hair and broad shoulders. “Go kiss him.”
That’s not going to happen. “Jo!”
“What? It’s what I would do.”
I huff. “You know that won’t happen.”
She smiles and sways her hips. “Fine, then chug your drink.”
That’s a much better option than kissing some random man in a club. I lift my glass in a sign of cheers and then let the liquid flow down my throat.
Jo screams and then laughs. “Who is going to buy my mate a drink?”
A few guys raise their hand, and one dashes off to the bar. Jo seems to relish in the attention while everyone laughs and has a good time, but I stand back a bit. I always do. Theo always gives me shit for it, claiming that I’m a wallflower and if this were the Regency era, I would die a spinster. Thankfully, it’s not a hundred years ago, and I am able to be shy without it destroying my life.
Still, I envy Jo. She doesn’t care what people think. She lives out loud and is unafraid of what her parents or society think. I would give anything to let my walls down, just once, and be bold. To do something reckless and be completely free, but I never will. It’s just not who I am. Although after the discussion with my mother before we came here, it’s rather appealing to break some rules for once.
“Here you go, gorgeous,” the tall man who went to the bar says, handing me my drink.
“Oh, thank you.”
I don’t really want to drink this since I didn’t see the bartender make it. Theo was adamant that I at least be smart. I smile, place the drink to my lips, and pretend to taste it.
Jo, who has been watching the whole exchange, reaches for the drink. “You don’t drink that.” She takes it from me, and it sloshes all over. “Fuck!” Her laughter grows as she’s wiping it off her arm. “I’m a sloppy drunk. And I just wasted your time. I’m sorry about that.”
“No worries,” he replies, but the tight set of his jaw says he’s annoyed that he just spent way too much money on a drink that ended up all over the floor.
Jo wraps her arm around me, her lips against my ear. “No way were you drinking that. I don’t trust any of these men.”
I smile, loving that my friend protected me in a veryherway. “I don’t want to get wasted.”
She scoffs. “Too bad, darling.” Jo grabs the man beside her and says, “You get to buy me and my friend here a shot. If you’re very nice about it, I might just dance with you.”
He goes along with her flirty demand and buys us both two shots. We quickly take them, and the alcohol from earlier mixes with it, causing my head to spin. I’m not drunk, but I am feeling a little loose.
Jo kisses my cheek. “I’ll be back. I’m going to dance with him.”
I nod, order myself another drink, and then stand with my back to the bar. I slowly sip the vodka and coke before walking toward the dance floor, watching her dance without a care in the world. The music is loud, the bass pumping in a sexy rhythm that has me moving my hips a bit.
A warm body presses against me from behind. The cologne is musky and strong, burning my nose a little. “Do you want to dance?”
I turn and come face-to-face with the man who bought me the drink that Jo spilled. He towers over me, and I can’t quite explain it, but I don’t feel right. My gut is screaming at me to get away from him.
“You scared me.” Forcing a smile, I step back, but he tugs me against him, causing my free hand to fly to his chest.
“You okay there?” he asks, as though I were falling or something. “Did you trip?”
I push against his chest a little. “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you for catching me.”
Instead of releasing me, he pushes more. “I thought you wanted to dance?”
“I’d rather not, thank you, though.”
