Page 117 of Right Number, Wrong Man
Ugh, that dimple is killing me.
I nod. “Yes. Lots of it.”
44
HAILEY
Sippingon my second raspberry daiquiri, I can finally look at Colt again. Somewhat. At least out of the corner of my eye.
After getting our drinks, we found a spot by the side of the dance floor and made small talk, discussing other guests’ fashion choices and dance styles. Thank fuck he didn’t bring up Andrea’s inappropriate comments, because I wouldn’t know how to respond.
She’s right, we’d make a great couple. And by the way, even though I’ve hated you for the longest time, I think I have a crush on you now. Surprise!
That’s what I’d say if I wanted to embarrass myself so badly I’d have to go to that sunflower field and put a bullet in my head. At least then I’d have a use for the revolver.
Colt leans in, his arm brushing mine and I twitch like I touched an exposed wire. “Do you ever think ‘bout us?” he asks, bourbon on his breath.
I gasp into my straw and my drink bubbles. “E-excuseme?Us?”
“Yeah, I mean when we were young. Cause I think about the past all the time. I miss it.”
“I didn’t take you for a nostalgic man.”
Colt lets out a wry laugh. He sips on his drink, watching me over the edge of his glass as if he’s trying to read my mind. I hope he can’t tell that I wonder what the bourbon would taste like straight from his lips. Would his beard be scratchy if we kissed?
“What do you miss about the past?” I ask to stop myself from thinking about kissing.
His shoulder rises in a shrug. “The simplicity, I guess. All my mistakes were unwritten and I didn’t have to carry the weight of their consequences every day.”
Mistakes? My head tilts. From what I know, Colt’s career was exceptional so far. What kind of regrets could an accomplished man like him have?
I’m about to ask when the music cuts out. The DJ’s mic screeches before Andrea’s voice blares through the speakers.
“Dearestestest guests,” she slurs. “I’d like to—” She hiccups and giggles. “I want to dedicate a song to a super-duper special person. My bestie Hails!”
She points the mic in my direction and the room turns toward me in a surge of applause.
Oh, no.Hell to the no.
I give an awkward wave, baring my teeth in a forced grin. If I didn’t know that this woman loves me, I’d think she was trying to humiliate me to death tonight.
Andrea laughs. “Hails, you’ve been my friend forever, but you’re so much more than that. You’re the peanut butter to my jelly, the yin to my yang, and my number one emergency contact… mostly because you’d want to be the first to hear the piping hot tea before you come to my rescue.”
My eyes get misty and I blow Andrea a kiss. “Love you!” I yell, earning a warm chuckle from the crowd.
Andrea catches the kiss, leaning so far over the railing of the DJ’s podium that the guy has to physically stop her from falling off.
“Love you, too!” she shouts. “You’re the sister I never had and I don’t know where I’d be without you. You pushed me to ask out Steve when he was a regular at the coffee shop. If you didn’t force me to bring him a muffin on the house, I never would’ve had the courage to say a word. And now that I’m officially off the market, I want to return the favor. This song is for you… and your handsome cowboy.”
Guests cheer and roughly 300 pairs of eyes fix on Colt and me, freezing me with their stare. The first notes of an upbeat country song drift from the speakers and somebody whistles.
Colt leans in. “You remember that year our parents gave us joint Christmas presents?”
I blink up at him. “Uh, yes. Dancing lessons. Seventeen-year-old me thought that was super lame.”
He takes my drink and puts our glasses on the nearest table. Then he holds out his hand. “Do you recall the two-step?”
I laugh nervously. “Either way, I don’t think we get much of a choice here. We have to give the people what they want or they’ll start a riot by the looks of it.”
