Page 92 of Consumed By You
“I am not. I am completely coherent. I got through that entire word so I must be.”
“I’m here with you, babe. I’m not hunting today.” He puts his arm around my shoulders, kissing my forehead.
“That could be your soul mate!” I argue. “Go! I’ll be fine. I’m gonna dance.”
“Dance?You?”
“Yep.”
He looks over at the buff blond guy in the corner then back at me. “Don’t leave without telling me though, okay? Because I know you will.” He narrows his eyes playfully and I raise my arms in surrender.
“I promise.”
He presses his lips to my forehead and strides confidently to the now-beaming man in the corner.
If only I had that confidence…
I lay three bucks on the bar and look up at the bartender. “Water, please.”
He finally smiles, obviously pleased to see even a hint of shame taking hold of my instincts, and hands me a cold one from the fridge below him. I find a spare seat in a corner and sip it slowly, feeling the pulsing in my skull reducing minute by minute.
“Can I hide out here with you?”
I whirl to my left, noticing a tall man next to me. He’s wearing a complete suit. A tan suit…to the club. I gesture nonchalantly to the seat and go back to sipping my water.
“Thanks.” He sits down. “And your name is?” he says after a minute.
“Uh, Darcy. Yours?”
He studies me closely, his features kind. “Luke Hemingway.”
He reaches his hand out courteously and I take it, returning the shake with a firm tug. “Nice to meet you, Luke.”
“Having fun?”
“I was. Now I’m just waiting for the room to stop spinning.”
Why are you saying these things? He could be a rapist.
“I noticed. Tequila will do that to you.” He sips his beer, gazing at the people around us.
“How do you know it was tequila?”
“I saw you.” He chuckles.
I turn away.Maybe heisa rapist…“Why are you hiding out?”
“I’m with my friends.” He points to a large group of guys, all accompanied by a dance partner clearly asking for it.
“You don’t have someone to dance with?” I ask, sipping my water slowly. I’m too drunk to be thinking this much.
“I did. My ex. She’s right there.” He points to a blonde that’s grinding pretty fiercely against one of the other suits in the group.
“Ex?”
“Yep.”
“When did you break up?”
