Page 62 of Inviting Trouble
Ethan laughed. “Nice to see you all again.” He scanned the group. “Some of you are new to me.” He went over and introduced himself to the new women. Then he took them all in, a small smirk on his face. Some women found that smirk sexy. Mad had no idea why. “I remember most of you from the wedding. Especially you, Charlotte.” He bumped Charlotte with his hip. “You got the moves on the dance floor.”
Hailey laughed. “I wish I had a chance to dance with you too.”
Ethan turned, a smile slowly spreading across his face. “Oh yeah?”
Hailey hid a smile by sipping her mojito, her eyes lighting up. “Yup.”
Ethan crossed to Hailey, getting close enough to whisper in her ear.
“Maybe later,” Hailey said.
Ethan held out a hand. “Or maybe right now.”
Hailey looked to Mad and raised her brows in a gesture ofand that is how you do it.
Hailey took Ethan’s hand and he turned her in a slow twirl and brought her close, his arm wrapped around her waist. He leaned down and smiled at her.
“Yo, Eth!” Josh called from behind the bar. “Want a beer?”
Ethan looked over at him. “You paying?” He grinned down at Hailey, who beamed back as he twirled her back around.
“Yeah,” Josh called.
“Come take my place,” Ethan said to Josh. “I can’t leave the woman hanging mid-dance.”
Mad choked on a laugh. Ethan was onto Josh and calling him on it.
Josh raised his palms. “Can’t leave my post.”
Hailey put her hand on Ethan’s arm. “Another time. Thanks.”
Ethan took them all in. “Ladies, excuse me, I could use a beer. Long day with a bunch of nuts. Thankfully I didn’t get the late shift. That’s when the real crazies come out.”
“Like us,” Mad said.
Ethan laughed. He snagged Park, one hand on the back of his neck, and brought him along to the bar.
Hailey finished her mojito with a bigaah. “And that, my dear Madison, is how flirting is done.” She did a big twirling flourish with her hand. “Your turn.”
“So let me get this straight, I’m just supposed to go over there, mimic your performance, and wait for your critique?”
Hailey beamed. “Exactly.”
“At least she’s honest,” Charlotte put in.
Mad squared her shoulders and marched over to the bar, her tiara firmly in place. “Can I get another scotch?”
“Yup,” Josh said, serving it up.
Ethan and Park were talking to each other a short distance away, paying her no mind.
She reached for the glass, but Josh held it. She met his eyes. “What?”
“Sip it. You’ve still got two hours until midnight.”
“I binged on fried chicken earlier. It’s absorbing all the alcohol.”
“Over at Jimmy’s?”
