Page 59 of Inviting Trouble
Park lifted one shoulder and turned to Josh. “Can I get a Corona?”
“I’ll have scotch,” Mad said. “The good stuff.”
“You got it,” Josh said, fetching the beer.
“You drink scotch?” Park asked.
Mad set her teeth, tired of the way the men in her life judged her every move. “Watch me.”
Park straightened to his full height and glowered down at her. “Isn’t it a little early to start with the hard stuff?”
She gave him a long, obvious once-over. “I like hard stuff.”
Josh choked on a laugh before serving up the beer with a slice of lime. “Better watch yourself, Park.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mad asked.
Josh went to get her scotch. He returned and poured a small amount in a tumbler. “Ty told me to keep an eye on him.” He jerked his chin at Park. “But I’m thinking maybe I need to keep an eye on you.” He set the scotch in front of her.
Mad sipped her drink rather than snap at Josh. He’d done too much for her to tell him to fuck off, even if she wanted to.
Josh pointed to his own eyes with two fingers and back to her.
Whatever. He had his eye on her. So did all of her big overprotective brothers. Even now she could feel Park’s eyes on her, probably all set to take the next drink out of her hands because he’d deemed she’d had enough. She shook out her shoulders. Fuck ’em. Tonight was for fun.
“Mad, over here!” Hailey said, waving wildly.
Park gave Mad a small salute. “Time for your tiara.”
She sensed sarcasm and ignored it, joining her friends where they were gathered around Hailey, who held a large shopping bag. “For you, princess Charlotte,” Hailey said, presenting a plastic silver tiara to Charlotte.
Charlotte put it on. “Now where to find a prince?”
The women laughed.
Hailey distributed them to the others. Her friends looked super cute—Lauren, Carrie, Ally, and newcomers Missy, Sabrina, and Lexi too. Hailey had an impressive way of making friends. They’d just met Missy, Sabrina, and Lexi last Thursday for the first time at self-defense class. They’d returned to the Saturday self-defense class, where everyone was considerably more amped up, and now here they were celebrating New Year’s Eve together. She had to think it was more than Hailey just wanting to find new clients for her wedding planning business. More than being an overly romantic matchmaker. She just loved people and loved connecting the people she met to each other.
“Quite a group you got here,” Mad told Hailey. “Here.” She handed the tiara back. She knew she could never pull off the princess look.
“Oh, you,” Hailey said, settling the tiara on Mad’s head for her. “We’re Happy Endings Book Club sisters in solidarity.”
Mad got a lump in her throat. How many times had she wished for a sister? Now she had the book club and, legally by marriage, Claire too. “Does it look weird on me?”
“Just a minute,” Hailey said, adjusting the tiara and fussing with Mad’s hair. “There.”
“You look cute!” Lauren said. She pulled out her cell, took a picture, and showed Mad. Huh. She didn’t look as weird as she’d thought. In fact, she kinda blended with the other women. She never thought she could fit in so easily. Why did she always feel so different? It was like her awkward teen years when she’d tried and failed to be one of the girls was constantly biting her in the ass.
“Let’s mingle!” Hailey said, linking her arm with Mad’s and pulling her along.
Hailey was a natural at working a room. She brought Mad and the whole group along with her, introducing them to people they didn’t know. She seemed to know everyone in Clover Park. Well, she had grown up there. Mad listened as Hailey told everyone about the Happy Endings Book Club and all the great books they’d read there as well as her work as a wedding planner. The word of mouth for Hailey’s business, based on her motormouth, must be amazing, but Mad started thinking of what else Hailey could do to expand. Some of her new marketing knowledge filtered through her head, coming up with new ways to get the word out. She’d mention it once Hailey was sober again. The woman was exuberantly happy-tipsy right now.
Mad felt someone staring and looked over to see Park leaning against the bar, watching her. He jerked his chin at her in acknowledgment. She returned the gesture.
“Girl, he’s been staring at you all night,” Charlotte said, fanning herself.
“No, he hasn’t.” Mad felt her cheeks heat. “He said I’m not his type.”
“What?” Hailey exclaimed.
