slurred from the booze. For the first time since he planted himself in front of me, I gave him a good look. Sure, he wasn’t the type of guy I normally went for, but was that really so bad?
Maybe I should take Nana’s advice, not to get laid, but to stop being so uptight.
Making a hasty decision, I slipped my tongue inside the shallow plastic cup, twisting it in my hand and loosening the Jell-O. The guy stared, slack-jawed, as I sucked the shot down my throat and crushed the cup in my fist.
“Damn, girl. That’s so hot,” he said.
Across the room, Cash stood, removing his arm from the redhead as he began walking. His tall body twisted and turned, avoiding the dancing teenagers, a murderous scowl on his face.
Did this guy think one sexy grin was his way of laying some sort of claim on me?
That thought alone pissed me off.
“Hey, let me pop your collar.” I reached out and popped the collar of his über-preppy polo shirt.
Cash grew closer, his body creeping into my vision. I denied myself the privilege of looking up at the handsome boy. Instead, I focused on the lusty face of the guy now touching my thighs as Cash rounded the bar and passed me by without a second glance. He left a hint of spicy cologne in his wake. Out of my peripheral, I saw him grab a red cup and head to the keg behind me.
Cash’s proximity was overwhelming. My body crawled, my blood churned in my veins, and my stomach clenched in nervousness. I’d never felt this way before, and it was terrifying. All I wanted was to get away.
All thoughts of seducing the more than willing stranger in front of me flew from my mind. I slid down from the bar, cringing as the wrong guy’s erection brushed against my thigh. A muttered, feeble excuse for fresh air left my mouth, and I darted across the room, hurrying through an open door leading outside.
My feet hit a large, wooden deck. The river that separated Birchwood from Mayhaw stood a good distance away near the woods. A few strangers laughed and lounged outside, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes. No one noticed me as I eased by them, hiding my face with my long wig. I jogged down the wooden walkway leading to the grass below. When I reached the grass I slowed down, noticing a pier ahead of me jutting out into the river.
Once my boots touched the pier, I gazed up at the huge, white, full moon shadowed only by its own deep valleys and crevices. It hung surprisingly low in the sky and seemed to dip down toward the Earth’s surface. The sky was the color of ink and peppered with white, twinkling stars.
I lay back on the pier and let my blonde wig spill out around me. Closing my eyes, I lost myself in the sound of water lapping against the shore, the crickets singing, and the frogs croaking their song of the South. Calmness overtook me, and I opened my eyes, searching the patterns of stars for my favorite constellations.
Heavy boots caused the wooden boards of the pier to creak and groan. I was instantly aware of him. I tried to ignore the warm current that flowed through my veins and the tiny sense of panic of the unknown. After a deep, soothing breath, I disregarded the effect of this stranger and stared into the night sky. His dark boots arrived nearby, and I avoided his face that hovered above me, right next to the moon. An unfathomable amount of time passed before he sat down beside me.
From the corner of my eye I watched as he lay back, his face only inches from mine and eyes fixed on the sky. It took all my strength to fight the urge to stare at him, for he really was the most beautiful guy I’d ever seen. I turned my attention back to the sky to avoid being caught.
We said nothing for a long time. We simply stared at the stars as they flashed in the inky blackness. He eventually turned to me, and my breath caught in my throat as I reached for a lock of hair to twirl around my finger. It was me who broke the silence.
“I was looking for Orion,” I said, taking a deep, shaky breath,
Maybe I should take Nana’s advice, not to get laid, but to stop being so uptight.
Making a hasty decision, I slipped my tongue inside the shallow plastic cup, twisting it in my hand and loosening the Jell-O. The guy stared, slack-jawed, as I sucked the shot down my throat and crushed the cup in my fist.
“Damn, girl. That’s so hot,” he said.
Across the room, Cash stood, removing his arm from the redhead as he began walking. His tall body twisted and turned, avoiding the dancing teenagers, a murderous scowl on his face.
Did this guy think one sexy grin was his way of laying some sort of claim on me?
That thought alone pissed me off.
“Hey, let me pop your collar.” I reached out and popped the collar of his über-preppy polo shirt.
Cash grew closer, his body creeping into my vision. I denied myself the privilege of looking up at the handsome boy. Instead, I focused on the lusty face of the guy now touching my thighs as Cash rounded the bar and passed me by without a second glance. He left a hint of spicy cologne in his wake. Out of my peripheral, I saw him grab a red cup and head to the keg behind me.
Cash’s proximity was overwhelming. My body crawled, my blood churned in my veins, and my stomach clenched in nervousness. I’d never felt this way before, and it was terrifying. All I wanted was to get away.
All thoughts of seducing the more than willing stranger in front of me flew from my mind. I slid down from the bar, cringing as the wrong guy’s erection brushed against my thigh. A muttered, feeble excuse for fresh air left my mouth, and I darted across the room, hurrying through an open door leading outside.
My feet hit a large, wooden deck. The river that separated Birchwood from Mayhaw stood a good distance away near the woods. A few strangers laughed and lounged outside, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes. No one noticed me as I eased by them, hiding my face with my long wig. I jogged down the wooden walkway leading to the grass below. When I reached the grass I slowed down, noticing a pier ahead of me jutting out into the river.
Once my boots touched the pier, I gazed up at the huge, white, full moon shadowed only by its own deep valleys and crevices. It hung surprisingly low in the sky and seemed to dip down toward the Earth’s surface. The sky was the color of ink and peppered with white, twinkling stars.
I lay back on the pier and let my blonde wig spill out around me. Closing my eyes, I lost myself in the sound of water lapping against the shore, the crickets singing, and the frogs croaking their song of the South. Calmness overtook me, and I opened my eyes, searching the patterns of stars for my favorite constellations.
Heavy boots caused the wooden boards of the pier to creak and groan. I was instantly aware of him. I tried to ignore the warm current that flowed through my veins and the tiny sense of panic of the unknown. After a deep, soothing breath, I disregarded the effect of this stranger and stared into the night sky. His dark boots arrived nearby, and I avoided his face that hovered above me, right next to the moon. An unfathomable amount of time passed before he sat down beside me.
From the corner of my eye I watched as he lay back, his face only inches from mine and eyes fixed on the sky. It took all my strength to fight the urge to stare at him, for he really was the most beautiful guy I’d ever seen. I turned my attention back to the sky to avoid being caught.
We said nothing for a long time. We simply stared at the stars as they flashed in the inky blackness. He eventually turned to me, and my breath caught in my throat as I reached for a lock of hair to twirl around my finger. It was me who broke the silence.
“I was looking for Orion,” I said, taking a deep, shaky breath,
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