Page 53 of That One Night
Hendrix frowned. “No, why would I?”
“Because the way I see it, there’s one of two reasons for his absence.” Marley grabbed the rack, lining the plastic triangle up in the center of the blue baize. “Either he doesn’t want to see her, which means their relationship is in trouble. Or…” He hunkered down to pull the ball release, the sound of them rolling to the front of the table echoing through the room.
“Or?” Hendrix prompted. Not because he was interested, or at least that’s what he was telling himself. But because he wanted this conversation to be over.
“Or she doesn’t want him to come see her. Which also means their relationship is in trouble.” Marley filled the triangle with the balls. “Now who’s up next?”
“You go again,” Hendrix told Pres.
“You sure?”
“He just wants to see you pout when you lose again,” Marley teased.
Sure, that was the reason. Not because Hendrix wanted to think about what Marley had just said. Marley was the quieter of the twins, but not because he didn’t have things to communicate. But because he thought a lot. Pres, on the other hand, tended to blurt things out before they even reached his brain.
“Either way, she’s still engaged,” Pres pointed out.
“Can we shut up about it now?” Hendrix asked them. “If somebody overhears they’ll think you’re being serious. And I don’t want rumors flying around about things that aren’t true. She deserves better than that.”
Pres and Marley exchanged one of those stupidly annoying glances he could remember from growing up with them.
“What?” Hendrix asked, shaking his head.
“You’re fucked, man,” Marley murmured.
“Absolutely and completely,” Pres agreed, grinning.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” A frown pulled at Hendrix’s brow. He should have stayed home. Hell, he would have, if she wasn’t here.
And no, he wasn’t her keeper. He just cared, that was all.
As a damn friend, in case you were wondering.
“It means you’re not worried about us spreading gossip because it might harm you. Or stop you from getting some female action,” Marley said, still unable to hide his enjoyment. “But because you’reworried about her reputation.”
“Shut the hell up and play the game,” Hendrix muttered.
“Completely fucking besotted,” Marley agreed.
Before Hendrix could tell them they were delusional, the door to the pool room opened, and a young guy ran in.
“There’s some girls going full on stripper in there,” he shouted to his friends playing at another pool table. “They’re dancing on the bar. You gotta come see.”
Marley froze. His eyes met Pres’ again. At exactly the same time they both said, “Sabrina.”
And then all three of them rushed to the bar area like the whole place was going up in fire.
Chapter
Fifteen
Maybe makinga fool out of yourself in front of a full bar of revelers wasn’t everybody’s idea of fun, but Emery actually found herself smiling and enjoying this.
And she got to mark another item off her list. There was no way Maisie would believe she’d actually gone through with number five on the fuck-Trenton list, but dammit she had.
The loud throb of music had her hips swinging to the rhythm. Next to her Sabrina was dancing like she was made for it, getting down low, lifting up again, causing the guys to whoop and reach out for her every time she leaned over to blow them a kiss.
Emery, on the other hand, was happy to dance with her hands raised up, her dress swishing around her thighs as some talented guy with the mic sang out the chorus to Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On a Prayer”.
