Itry to give away nothing as Eden and I drink our expresso martinis and devour lobster, shrimp, and crab with steak fries. Whenever my eyes gravitate toward Hercules, I see that he’s downing drink after drink. Something isn’t right. His shoulders slouch, and his demeanor is starkly different from that of his drinking partner, who occasionally hangs onto Hercules’s shoulder as he talks in his ear and then pulls away to let out a loud hoot.
Damn it. I wish I dressed better and wore makeup.
Eden has just articulated a long list of tasks Dandi fails to do as a roommate, including taking the trash out of her bedroom and buying her own tampons.
“She does make a mean Pop-Tart, though,” I say.
Eden snorts. “Now she makes jokes.”
I roll my eyes as I chew on a succulent piece of crab leg. The food here is really good.
“Then we’re on the same page, right?” Eden asks.
The guy who’s with Hercules lets out a loud laugh, and suddenly, Eden sounds like she’s speaking to me from across the room. “Huh?”
“Who do you keep looking at over there?” she asks, louder than I’m comfortable with. “That guy?”
I swallow a gasp as she points toward Hercules and his friend, who catches sight of Eden and grins at her with googly eyes. He says something to Hercules.
I reach for Eden’s hand and squeeze it. “Will you stop pointing at strangers? Has anyone ever told you that’s rude?”
“I know you never go out to meet anybody, but as they say, the best way to get over a dick like what's-his-name is to get under a dick like his.” She’s looking directly at Hercules.
Making a stink face, I throw up my hands. “Okay, that’s gross.”
“Oh my God, Paisley. You really are a Pollyanna.”
I shrug as I casually take a swig of my cocktail. “And I’m not ashamed of it. And you know what? I had sex, and the act really didn’t live up to the hype. You ever watch them going at it in movies and see all the overdramatization? Well, real sex wasn’t like that for me. I didn’t experience anything that made me want to go ooh, ah, ah…”
“Hey there,” a deep voice says.
Eden presses her lips to stifle a laugh as my eyes grow wide. “Hey there,” she finally says, way too amused.
Embarrassed, I slowly turn to find the guy who was sitting with Hercules positioned next to my shoulder. He beams at Eden. Hercules, who appears as if he can barely keep his eyes open, stands behind him and leans forward as if he’s on the verge of tipping over.
* * *
Seating is settledas soon as the shorter guy introduces himself and Hercules. Nero is his name, and he’s not as fit and handsome as his friend but makes up for those deficiencies with charisma. Nero slides into the empty space next to Eden. Hercules is beside me. Our shoulders are touching. He feels so warm, and all I want to do is sink into his skin.
Nero drums on the table. His eyes glisten. Either he, too, has had too much to drink, or he’s just an excited person. “So, what are your names?” He glances at me, but his curiosity stays stuck on Eden.
“She’s Tabatha, and I’m Glory.” Eden pops a shrimp into her mouth.
I love how she’s able to still eat. I couldn’t consume another morsel of food ever since Hercules sat down beside me. I’m too nervous to eat.
“Glory, you’re beautiful.” Nero glances at me. “The both of you are. But Tabs over there is his type, and you’re my type.”
Eden raises her eyebrows at me. “Hear that, Tabs? You’re his type.”
A flushed sensation creeps over my face. I’m shocked she chose to give us fake names.
“What about me makes me your type, other than the fact that I’m blond and cute?” Eden asks.
“Well, that’s a start, isn’t it?” Nero says.
Eden chuckles. “That makes you superficial. And by the way, he’s my type.”
“Him?” Nero says, pointing at Hercules, who I can feel staring at me with his lidded gaze. “He’s everybody’s type.”
