Page 118 of Just One Season
Even from twenty feet away, I feel his gaze rake over me. He nods and raises his empty glass before turning back to the line at the bar. Harley and a few others stay with him, but Atticus spots us and practically skips over, Lachlan trailing behind. Atticus hasbeen desperate to hang out with us since my friends arrived and it invokes such delightful college memories.
“Hey, Luce. January. Raleigh.” He nods to each of my friends. “You all look beautiful.”
Lachlan clears his throat. “It’s terrific to meet you stunning ladies in person, although I feel like I already know you from the Committee meetings.”
“Man, shut up.” Atticus glares at Lachlan, then turns back to us. “Just so you know, he’s a total player, so don’t be impressed by his stupid accent.”
“Like you’re not?” I make a face at my brother, who ignores me.
“You’re not wearing a frat t-shirt tonight.” Raleigh deadpans.
Atticus groans. “Because I’m twenty-nine years old and no longer identify as a fraternity brother. Will I ever live down those years of my life?” He keeps his eyes on Raleigh.
“No,” we all say at once.
“What part of Australia are you from?” January asks Lachlan.
“Far North Queensland. The jungle, basically,” he says and slides closer to her.
“I spent six months in Sydney a few years ago with a client,” January says.
The two of them chat and Raleigh and Atticus tease each other, but their conversations fade into background noise as I watch Kellen, Harley, and a Blizzard player I haven’t met walk across the ballroom.
Kellen’s stopped halfway by Savannah, who is with another gorgeous woman. Both of them are in expensive-looking dresses, surprisingly conservative. Savannah doesn’t put her hands on Kellen but instead touches her friend’s arm and appears to introduce her.
The whole fake dating thing really did work. For Kellen, at least. For me? I’m not sure, but I don’t really care about what my father thinks anymore.
The night goes on and we drink champagne, then red wine, then champagne again. My feet start to hurt in the heels, and I’m envious of Raleigh’s more conservative shoe choice of flats. January seems not at all bothered by her towering heels.
Kellen and I don’t talk. We orbit around each other like moons and never end up standing side-by-side when we’re in the same group. At one point, January walks over to Lina with me, and we chat with her and Savannah. Before I know it, it’s twenty minutes before the new year.
“Where’s Raleigh?” I ask.
January hooks her arm in mine, and we scan the group for our friend.
“Where’s your brother?” she asks.
“I don’t see him.”
“Interesting combination to disappear.”
We look at each other and at the same time say, “Nah.” Then burst out laughing.
“You’re not going to find a hockey player to kiss? After all your speeches about what you and Raleigh would do when you got here?”
“Meh.”
I crack up at her nonchalance, which I’m not sure I totally believe. She’s way too chill about relationships and love. It’s not natural.
“Harley’s staring at you,” I lean in to whisper in her ear.
“Harley has a girlfriend back in Maine.” She shakes her head.
“You talked about it, huh.”
January gives me a dirty look. “We were just making conversation.”
For once in the evening, I’m not paying attention to where Kellen is. Not until he walks up to us with Harley and says my name.
