Page 58 of Touch Me

He squirms in his seat. “They’re all shiny.”

The girls and I exchange glances, lips pursed for exactly four seconds before we burst into laughter.

“Wait.” I twirl my straw through the pink drink. “So... you never touched one? Weren’t you ever curious at all?”

“No. Were you ever curious enough to touch one and see if you liked it?” Alex retorts.

“Touché.”

He pushes my shoulder. “Oh, shut up. Back to Ashley and her gaggle of men.”

“No, not back to Ashley. I don’t even want to think about it, or him, or lottery tickets for some reason,” she adds.

“Uh oh, he has eyes on you. Coming up at three o’clock,” Jen singsongs.

“Nice,” Alex says.

“I know. I watchedBlack Hawk Downlast night. Throw Josh Hartnett in some camo and hand him a gun and he’s hot as hell.”

“So hot,” Alex says, the two of them high-five across the table.

Ashley smacks their hands out of the air while simultaneously trying to sink down in her seat. “Will you two shut up. Just pretend you don’t know him.”

“Hey, Ash,” the blond surfer-looking dude in a three-piece suit says.

“Blaine.” Ashley straightens in her seat. “Hi.”

Blaine?I mouth to Ashley, and she kicks me under the booth.

“Ow!” She gives me the mom in the store who is ready to murder her kids if they don’t stop acting like heathens look. “Sorry,” I mumble. Alex and Jen both have their mouths pursed around their straws.

Surfer Suit clears his throat. “So, how have you been?”

Ashley nods while staring into her cup. No eye contact for Surfer Suit. “Oh, you know. Busy.”

Two more guys in suits come and stand at Blaine’s back, surrounding the opening to the booth.

Is this backup?

Does he need backup?

He widens his stance and whips his head to the side like he’s getting hair out of his face. The poor idiot must’ve forgotten his hair is tied back. “I thought after our night a few weeks ago, you would’ve been knocking down my door.”

All his buddies nudge him, and there’s a chorus ofyeahandoooh. Ashley’s face instantly tints red, and my heart sinks at the thought of this douche embarrassing her. But then I see the look in her eyes.

Oh shit.

“Shit’s about to get real,” Alex whispers, trying to crawl over me. “Let me out.”

“What?” I look to my left and find a sea of crotches. “No. I can’t get out. There are penises everywhere,” I whisper harshly, and he slowly sinks down into the booth as my eyes ping around looking for the nearest exit.

Ashley clears her throat and when my eyes land on her face, her lips smooth out and a sweet look of serenity and calmness takes over her face.

Oh, this is going to be a bloodbath.

“Oh yeah?” She throws her dark hair over her shoulder. “Why’s that?”

“Come on. You want me to say it in front of your friends?”

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