Page 55 of Spin The Bottle
I chuckle, watching her devour the pretzels on the table in front of us. My eyes drift to the guy standing in front of us, looking down at her with a grin on his face. “Hey,” he says, flashing her a smile. “Can I buy you a drink?” He runs his hand through his hair, messing it up.
Her eyes widen, and she smiles at him. “Sure.” She glances at me, and I bite my lip, shaking my head. Guess her plan worked. Gabi nibbles on her pretzels, smiling when the guy comes back, holding the drink of her choice, a Cosmo, dropping it in front of her and sitting on the other side of the booth.
As much as being a third wheel to my friend and a flirty guy soundssofun, I decide to get out of there and give her some privacy.
I tap Gabi on her arm, leaning in to whisper. “I need to get out.”
Her frown is instant. “Are you okay?” she asks.
I nod, reassuring her. “Just going to get a drink.”
She lifts herself off the seat, grabbing her purse. “Want me to come with you?” she asks without looking back at the guy.
I smile at her, shaking my head. “No. Stay; I’ll be right back.”
She gives me a pointed look. “If you need me…”Call me.She doesn’t finish the rest but I know. I give her a reassuring nod and head to the bar, letting out a breath when I know Aiden is probably working tonight. I don’t even know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. His comment about me seeing other guys has been running all over my mind every time I see him.
He hasn’t asked me again, and I haven’t brought it up, but it’s still there, every time he comes over, every time I see him around campus. I’m still not quite sure why I didn’t tell him the truth. There are no other guys, I’m not even thinking of other guys. And that’s the problem. This was supposed to be a fun, casual, no strings arrangement, but the more time I spend with Aiden, the more I miss when he has to leave right after.
We made the rules clear, well, I did, but they still stand, and they’re there for a reason. I don’t want to lose control or let myself repeat my past mistakes. It won’t ever happen again. But I can’t lie, the thought of Aiden with another girl makes my stomach feel all weird and jumpy. It’s not jealousy though. It can’t be.
I wave down the bartender who smiles at me when she approaches me. “What can I get you?”
“A beer please.”
“You got it.” She turns around, grabbing a glass and fills it up.
“Full house today.” I don’t really come to this bar, knowing this is where all the athletes hang out, but when Gabi showed up at my apartment, all dressed up and made up, I couldn’t say no.
“They’re celebrating,” she says. “They just won a game.”
“By 58 points,” the guy beside me says, drinking his beer. “You saw the game?” he asks me.
I nod, giving him a smile. “They were amazing today.”
He shakes his head. “Pierce is a fucking legend.”
Yeah, he is. He played so well today. I was on the edge of my seat almost the whole game, fighting the urge to shout his name.
“Here you go,” the bartender says, glancing up at me. “Word of advice, they’re giving out free drinks like candy.”
I laugh, grabbing my glass when she places it in front of me. “Yeah, I know.”Not to girls like me, though.Ipull out my wallet but she holds up her hand.
“They’ve bought so many drinks tonight,” she tells me. “This one’s on the house.”
“Really?”
She nods, shooting me a smile. “Definitely,” she says. “Now get going. You’re way too hot to be sitting here talking to me.”
I shake my head, let out a laugh, and sip on my beer. She gets called over for another drink, and I turn, looking around the packed bar.
It doesn’t take me long to find him. He’s right in the middle, surrounded by his team. Oh, and girls. Of course. I take another sip watching as he laughs, rubbing his jaw that feels stubbly when he kisses me whenever he forgets to shave. His body is sprawled out, legs wide open as he munches on the pretzels in front of him.
My eyes drift to the pair of long legs next to him. I don’t even know those girls. I don’t think I’ve seen them around the school before, but they seem to know him. The way one of the girls, with long, blonde hair, rubs his arm, smiling and giggling at him makes me realize who Aiden Pierce really is.
He’s a big deal. Not just at Redfield but everywhere. The guy can play basketball as well as some of the pros, and I have no doubt in my mind that he’s going to be famous one day. And girls like that are going to be all over him all the time.
He turns his head, his eyes landing on mine. I don’t look away; I just take another sip, craving the burn of the alcohol. His eyes stay pinned on mine, and he licks his lips, letting his gaze fall to the length of my body, plainly checking me out. I feel drunk under his ogling, my breath hitching when I watch his eyes meet mine again, a cocky smirk on his lips. I love his eyes on me, love how he’s looking at me like he can’t wait until we’re alone.
