When Lisa begins pulling something from her bag, I immediately want to run, but instead I’m forced to smile and look happy about the fact they’ve got me a happy birthday sash and flashing badge.
Brilliant. Now I really will attract unwanted attention. It’s like they don’t know me at all, or more so that they do and they’re all finding this hilarious.
Tara hands me a drink and I stupidly take a sip assuming it’s my usual Malibu and Coke. Huge mistake. “What the fuck is that?” I shout as I try to scrape the taste off my tongue with my teeth.
“Jagerbomb,” Frankie announces proudly as she knocks hers back.
“That’s disgusting, Kiki.” And to think I was under the impression vodka Red Bull was the worst mix of drinks in the world!
“Here,” Lisa says handing me another glass after I shove my previous excuse for a drink at Frankie. I sniff it this time, just in case, but I know I’m safe because I can smell coconut.
“Thank you,” I say, before quickly taking a swig to hopefully remove the lingering aftertaste of the Jagerbomb.
The three of them stand and shout at each other for a few minutes. Every now and then, Tara and Lisa look around, I guess hoping to spot their soldiers. I can see Frankie’s excitement waning as the minutes go by. I told her not to get her hopes up.
When the latest Pitbull song starts pounding through the speakers, Frankie perks up, grabs mine and Lisa’s hands, and pulls us to the dance floor. We end up in the middle of the of the crowd, exactly where I don’t want to be, just as the smoke fills the dance floor, blocking my vision of what people are doing around me.
I stand and dance a little but I’m still relatively sober compared to my friends so I don’t quite get into the flow of it like them. When the smoke begins to lift, all three of them are bumping and grinding away without a care in the world. As I stand and watch, I realise I’m jealous. They are all able to put everything to one side and just enjoy themselves. I need that; I need to forget everything for just a few hours and chill out, but no matter what I do I can feel it all weighing down on my shoulders. Mum’s business isn’t really my problem, but I’m not the kind of person who can just let her deal with it. She’s been my rock my entire life, and now I feel like it’s time for me to return the favour.
I’m smiling at my friends’ antics when I feel the need to look over to the bar. I don’t know what it is but it’s like something’s calling me. When I look over, there’s a guy staring right at me. Thinking I must be wrong, I look over my shoulder expecting to see someone looking back at him, but everyone’s too engrossed in their dancing.
When I glance back, he’s still looking my way. I’m just about to turn when one of his friends put his hand on his shoulder and distracts him.
I continue watching them for a few seconds before I hear Lisa. “Oh my god, they’re here,” she squeals, making Frankie immediately stop dancing and look around.
“Where?”
“Over there, by the bar. That group of lads.”
“The hot ones?”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
I stand back and allow Frankie and Lisa to force their way through the crowd towards the bar. Tara and I follow behind, neither of us sharing their excitement. Tara has a serious long-term boyfriend and only comes out to spend time with us, unlike Frankie and Lisa, whose only reason for coming is to pull.
I watch from a few feet away as Lisa walks directly up to the guy who was just staring in my direction. I’m not going to say staring at me, because that can’t possibly be the case, unless he’s also amused by the girl wearing the bright pink sash and flashing badge. Frankie latches herself onto his friend and leans into his side shamelessly.
Tara and I continue to stand slightly out of the way and just watch as Frankie and Lisa make drunken fools out of themselves.
The four of them stand together talking, or shouting, for a few minutes before I see Frankie look up and point our way. It’s the first time the guy has glanced up since they approached, and when he does, his eyes widen slightly as he looks at me before they drop and run down the length of my body. Tara moves when Frankie gestures for her but I’m frozen to the spot as the guy continues taking me all in. Usually, I hate being ogled by men but there’s something about this one that doesn’t want to make me kick him in the balls for looking at me the way he is.
Frankie scares the shit out of me when I feel her slide her arm through mine and tug me towards the group.
“What the hell is up with you? I know you’re not interested in a soldier, but they won’t bite,” she says, coming to a stop when we’re directly in front of him.
“I…I know,” I stutter when I look up to find him still staring at me. Lisa’s practically dry humping his leg but he doesn’t seem to be noticing it.
“Bax,” one of the guys shouts. “Hey, Bax,” he repeats, until the guy looking at me rips his eyes away.
“What?” he snaps.
“Here,” his mate says, handing him a small glass full of golden liquid.
He nods his chin at him before bringing his gaze back to me, continuing to hold my eyes as he slowly tips the glass up to his lips and drinks it down in one. My eyes break from his as he swallows, distracted by the movement of the muscles in his neck. I continue downward, taking in his grey striped shirt, stretched over his shoulders and chest, before dropping down to his black, almost skinny, jeans. I’m not interested for two reasons:
he’s a soldier, and
I have enough drama in my life right now,
but even I can admit this guy’s hot.
Telling myself those things is all good and well, but I don’t think my body believes a single word of it. My pulse is racing and my palms are sweating from just looking at this guy. When my eyes connect with his again it’s like everything around me fades away and it’s just me and him.
“OH MY GOD!” Frankie squeals as the four of us walk into the toilets a while later. “Dean’s so fucking hot. I mean, have you seen those arms? What I wouldn’t give to see him in action, all army man,” she says as she fans herself in front of the mirror.
I leave her to it and make use of the toilet. I smile to myself the whole time when she doesn’t even stop for breath talking about him. Lisa is much less enthusiastic because, after getting the cold shoulder from Bax, she moved onto another of his friends, who also doesn’t seem all that interested.
An hour or so later, I leave everyone dancing in favour of getting a glass of water. Frankie and Lisa managed to convince Bax, Dean and their friends to join us all on the dance floor. It’s clear Dean is loving all the attention from Frankie, and Lisa has at last found herself a friend who is interested. Tara and I have kept ourselves to ourselves and danced with each other, but that doesn’t mean I’ve lost Bax’s interest. He still seems way too intrigued for my liking. I could feel his gaze while we were dancing and every time I looked up those dark eyes were on me.
“Thanks, E, I needed that,” Frankie says, taking the glass of cold water from my hands and downing it in one. “Bax totally has the hots for you. You should go for it.”
“I’m good, thanks.”
“Oh, come one. You need someone to pop that cherry. I think it’s got his name written all over it. Plus, not every woman can say she had her cherry popped by an incredibly sexy soldier; I bet he’s well good with his hands.”
“Enough,” I snap. I really don’t need her shouting the details of my love life—or lack thereof—out to all the strangers I’m stood at the bar with.
“A night with him will chill you right out.” At that moment, Dean appears from nowhere and runs his hands down Frankie’s sides. She spins in his arms and they both disappear into the crowd together. I shake my head and turn back to the bar to order another glass of water.
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Falling for Nicole: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Angel Book 8) Page 27
