Page 38 of Space Junk: Houston, We Have a Hottie
“Then he should know what he’s doing,” Rose mutters under her breath as another man walks up to the table. He’s tall, and good-looking in an older man sort of way.
Without asking, he takes my hand and moves to usher me to the dance floor.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t dance.” I pull my hand from his grasp. His nice smile vanishes before he walks away.
“What a douche. Didn’t even ask, justassumedyou’d want to dance with him.” Rose snorts. “Men.”
I’m too amused to be annoyed. I find it funny how, in just a week, I’ve gone from being alone at a bar, with no friends and no one asking me to dance, to turning down men and sitting with friends.
Operation Social Life for the win.
“What are you thinking about with that smile?” Trish asks.
I pick up the least dangerous looking shot on the table, the overhead lights illuminating the red liquid. “Just thinking that I’ll have to thank Jules for blackmailing me the next time we talk.”
“Hell yeah, you do.” Rose raises her own Sex on the Beach shot and clinks it to mine. “Drink up, bitches!”
I watch her and Trish swallow the contents in one gulp.
“Why didn’t you drink? It’s bad luck to cheers and then not drink,” Trish informs me.
“It is?”
“Well, if it isn’t, it should be.” Trish gestures to my drink. “Knock it back, girl.”
“Here here!” Rose pushes the glass closer to my lips.
It smells like cough syrup, so I’m dubious. Still, I take a deep breath, tilt my head back and let the liquor slide down my throat. My eyes water a bit, but besides that, it tastes sticky sweet.
“I may need to rethink Sex on the Beach,” I say, licking my lips. “It’s delicious.”
Rose laughs. “Girl, you just need sex, be it on the beach or up against the wall over there.”
“I just need a new vibrator,” I mutter.
Trish and Rose laugh so hard they lay their heads on their folded arms on the table to try to catch their breath.
Trish lifts her head slightly and wipes the tears from under her eyes. “Listen, I am the first to praise the invention of the vibrator—I’ve got three all in different shapes, with different settings. One for every occasion, as it were. But, sugar, you’re smart and lovely. I don’t see any reason why you can’t let a man, a man who knows what he’s doing, pick up the slack in the bedroom department.”
The warmth spreading over my body is probably a combination of embarrassment and liquor. But I’m pretty sure it’s just the liquor that has me sharing, “Men suck.”
“If you ask them nicely, they might.” Trish’s mouth curls up at the side.
“And bite too.” Rose mimics a cat, clawing the air.
“Whatever,” I huff.
“Did you just ‘whatever’ us?” Rose looks at Trish. “The great and glorious smarty-pants NASA engineer ‘whatever’ed us.”
This time the warmth definitely comes from embarrassment. “Never mind.”
“Oh, no you don’t, Jackie,” Trish butts in. “I’ve been waiting for your man-story ever since I clapped eyes on you sitting alone in this bar. Give it to me, girl.”
“Man-story?”
“Don’t deflect,” Trish scolds.
I sigh and take a big sip of my drink. “Nothing to tell really. I just don’t see the appeal of men.”
