Page 81 of Home Field Advantage
Hearing him say my name makes my skin crawl because I know this is his way of flirting with me outside of school whenwe’re working. It’s never made me uncomfortable before because I’ve never felt anything toward him. I still don’t. I’ve been immune to his light attempts at flirting, and now it makes me feel sick over the way his eyes travel my body.
I know I’m just as safe here as I am at school because this is my brother’s bar, but I still hate it.
“Thank you,” I finally reply, averting my gaze in hopes he picks up on my disinterest.
“Let me buy you a drink?” he says in a questioning tone as he places one hand on my shoulder.
Absolutely not.
“Thank you, but my sister is grabbing me one.” I point somewhere in the direction of the bar, scanning the area and looking for Lily to be my saving grace right now.
“Then maybe you can save me a dance tonight?”
I don’t answer him while I still look for my sister, but my eyes latch onto Dallas over Ben’s shoulders. There’s venom in his stare as he leans one elbow on the bar, his jaw set in a sharp line. But he’s not looking at me, he’s looking at the back of Ben’s head.
Is Dallas jealous?
“I’m actually here with my sister and friends tonight,” I reply, still staring at Dallas.
“Well, I’ll be here all night if you change your mind.” He winks and turns to walk away.
I watch him retreat, only to look back at Dallas and see that he’s no longer watching me. He’s now engaged in a conversation with Mindy, who’s laughing next to him, likely over something he’s said. She’s standing so close, and I trail their movements. He stands there with a drink in one hand and his elbow resting on the bar top. She has her hand on his forearm, and he doesn’t seem to be making a move to back away.
Is he into her?
Are they flirting with each other?
Am I jealous now?
Yes. I’m irrationally jealous. I’ve told him we had to keep things professional, but so much has changed. I felt the shift earlier today when I opened up to him. He’s holding back because he respects my boundaries. He seemed to understand.
Lily returns with a drink for me, and I welcome it, sipping it through the straw as if the liquid is the air that I need to breathe.
“Jesus, Pop.” She laughs. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you finish a Moscow mule that fast before.
She’s right. I feel dizzy from drinking it so fast.
“You said it’s a winter party, no?” I smirk at her. “Anddd you told me I need to have some fun tonight. So this is me having fun tonight.
“There’s my sister. I’ve been waiting for this side of you to come out for a long time. You’ve kept it hidden for too long, babe.”
Again, she’s right.
Now’s not the time to tell her why, though. After everything today, I feel the urge to open up to her, too. I’m mildly addicted to the free feeling I’ve felt all day of not hiding from the world. While I still am in a sense, putting it out there to Dallas seemed to flip a switch inside of me. I want people to see me for who I am, the way he did. I want my sister to understand why I’ve been this way for so long.
“Let’s get you another.” She drags me to the bar, and of course, it’s almost directly next to where Dallas and Mindy stand. The hairs on my arm stand tall being this close. I can’t help but watch him out of the corner of my eye.
Tucker wipes the bar top in front of us. “There’s my favorite cousin.”
“Tucker,” Lily warns.
“Oh, hey. I didn’t see you there.” He chuckles.
“Liar.”
I laugh at the two of them before holding up my drink, signaling I’ll take another.
“So it’s that kind of night, huh?” Tucker nods his head repeatedly in approval. “Anything for you, Poppy.”
