Page 85 of Role Play
“Is he?” I played innocent, moving my chicken tenders around my plate somemore.
“I mean, don’t look now… but yeah. He hasn’t stopped staring since you brought the shots over. No… scratch that. Not staring.Glaring.”
I snorted. Well, he can glare away. I reached across the table, grabbing the half-finished tequila in front of Miguel and held it up. “Can’t let this go to waste.” I tipped it back, relishing in the biting sting as it surged down myesophagus.
Two drinks faded into three. Faded into four. And soon I was on the dance floor with Miguel. The night was a blur of laughing and dancing and I had almost forgotten all about Ash and the way he kept watching me. I loved dancing. It was one of the few things I missed from my sorority days, and though occasionally Andrea and I hosted epic dance parties in our living room, it wasn’t quite the same as spinning and moving in a sea of other people lost in themusic.
After several songs, Miguel leaned into me and shouted over the music. “I think I’m going to call it a nightsoon.”
“No!” I cried. I moved my hands to his shoulders, using him to steady myself as I lost my balance. “It’s too early! The night’s only beginning.” My head felt buzzy and I was thirsty. Like, really, reallythirsty.
Miguel laughed and shook his head, checking his phone. “Girl, it is one-thirty in the morning. You, me, and Ash are the only people left from thecrew.”
My heart pumped and I snapped my gaze back to our abandoned table. Half-empty water glasses and food plates littered the table, but sure enough, Ash was still there at the end of the table, sipping water through a straw. “Whyis he stillhere?”
Miguel looked at me, not answering, his lips pressed into a firm line. “You tellme.”
Even through the fog of alcohol, I could hear the innuendo in histone.
“Look,” Miguel sighed. “I know we only met a couple weeks ago, and really only started becoming friends like a fewdaysago, but… be careful. If you can help it, I wouldn’t get involved withhim.”
My cheeks burned and I nodded, still moving my hips to the music… only less aggressively than before. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s probably wiseadvice.”
“Aw, fuck,” Miguel murmured. “You already did, didn’tyou?”
How the hell was he doing this? “Are you psychic orsomething?”
Miguel sighed. “I’ve got three sisters. And really good intuition.” He held out his hand. “Give me yourphone.”
“Why?” I clutched my black wristlet where my phone was tightly zipped up against mychest.
“Because I’m going to give you my number. You should have it… just incase.”
My eyes shifted to Ash once more and his glower darkened as he studied Miguel and me from across theroom.
“In case ofwhat?”
Miguel shrugged. “Just… in case. In case you ever need it. Or you need a ride home. Or in case you need me to bust my fist on Livingston’sface.”
I raised a brow and despite the graphic and violent offer, something warmed in my chest. And it wasn’t just the tequila. “You’d punch your boss? The director of yourmovie?”
He grinned, looking up from where he tapped numbers into my phone. “Sisters, remember? And I’d only do it if hereallydeserved it.” After his phone buzzed in his hand, he handed me back mine. “Now,” he said, “I should not be driving tonight either. I’m going to Lyft back to Long Beach. Wanna shareone?”
I shook my head. “I’m in West Hollywood.” They were totally opposite directions. Damn. Would have been nice to split that cab fare. I looked over and our table was finally empty. Ash free. I breathed easier, a heavy sigh releasing from my chest. “I’ll get an Uber. I’m just going to use the bathroomfirst.”
Wash the sweat off my face. Maybe throw up a little. Theusual.
“Want somehelp?”
I shook my head no, but the quick movement left me light-headed. As I gripped his arm yet again for balance, Miguel caught me around the waist. “Whoa. Okay. Easy,Lucy.”
“I got her,” a deep voicestated.
I stared up at Ash, open-mouthed. Then, I lifted my hand, brushing it down his chiseled jaw. Whiskers rasped against my fingertips, spiky and coarse. “You’re stupid handsome,” I slurred. Aw, shit. I hadn’t meant to say thataloud.
Miguel gaped at me, and an amused smirk twisted Ash’s fulllips.
Miguel squeezed my hip. “It’s okay Mr. Livingston. I can takeher—”
