Page 36 of Merry Me
I definitely wasn’t.
CHAPTER 8
NATALIE
The bar was buzzing with holiday energy, all glitter and jingle and very loud Mariah Carey. Twinkling Christmas lights were strung across the ceiling like a net of cheer and poor electrical decisions, and garlands wrapped around every beam like the building itself had gotten stuck in a tinsel tornado. A DJ in an ugly sweater that readSleigh All Daywas spinning upbeat remixes of Christmas classics, and everyone was in such a good mood it was actually starting to feel suspicious.
My sister looked like a literal heroine, glowing with post-engagement sparkle and bridal glee as she clung to Levi, who had the dreamy smile of a man in love and was also slightly buzzed on eggnog. Their joint bachelor/bachelorette party was officially in full swing—the first stop on the week-long wedding train to matrimony. Everyone was disgustingly festive. Disgustingly in love. Disgustingly perfect.
And me? I was on the verge of needing a full-body exorcism just to stay upright.
Because Easton was here.
Somewhere.
Lurking. Like a sexy, brooding Christmas spirit of heartbreakpast.
I hadn’t seen him yet, but Ifelthim. Like some kind of soul-splitting sixth sense that whisperedYou’re about to humiliate yourself again—run.
And I wasn’t nearly drunk enough to deal with it yet.
I’d spent the rest of today successfully avoiding him while I helped Paige with wedding stuff. I was pretty sure, though, that I wouldn’t be able to avoid him tonight.
“Come on, Nat!” a bubbly voice called, and before I could escape, Ellie, one of our high school friends, slid a sparkly red cocktail into my hand like she was passing me a grenade.
“It’s called Jingle Juice,” she chirped, winking. “Basically Christmas in a cup. Drink up!”
I pasted on myI’m finesmile, nodded like a bobblehead, and threw back almost the entire glass like it was NyQuil on a sick day.
It tasted like cranberry juice, peppermint vodka, and maybe cinnamon?
And definitely regret. A lot of regret.
Then I heard it.
The giggle.
Not just any giggle.Thatgiggle. The one that sounded like high-pitched fairy bells of female thirst. It was the giggle that followed Easton Maddox around like a parade of desperate puppies.
Which meant…he had entered the building.
Mayday.Mayday.
That giggle was an obnoxious sound that also came out of my mouth when faced with his perfection, so it was best that I didn’t look over at him.
Wouldn’t want to embarrass myself any more than I already had running out of the room after I’d seen his ass.
It was a really good ass,though.
I did what any mature, grounded adult woman would do in that moment.
I fled.
Okay, notfled, exactly…but I did speed-walk to the nearest bar like my heels were on fire and the bartender had a fire extinguisher.
The man behind the counter looked up as I approached, offering a smile so dazzling I felt like I should be paying admission. Blonde, tan, and clearly someone who’d rehearsed his smolder in front of the mirror, he leaned forward with practiced ease.
“What can I get you?” he asked, his voice like melted caramel and confidence.
