For spatial orientation purposes, of course. Nothing else.
Thankfully, everyone was where they’d left them. Slightly more buzzed but seemingly having a good time. From what she could see, Stacie appeared to be chatting with Liam while Nick was slapping Josh’s back while laughing uproariously.
Nate and Maddy rejoined the group and it was only because she was standing so close to him that Maddy noticed Liam’s distraction. He was nodding at what Stacie was saying to him but his eyes were focused somewhere on the dance floor.
And it was only then that Maddy also noticed Cooper’s absence.
But following Liam’s gaze, he was easy to locate, dancing in the middle of the throng of people with a dark-haired woman who was currently touching him like she owned him.
Maddy turned to glimpse at Liam again, just in time to see the tight clench of his jaw and the fierce glare he was aiming at the dancing couple.
Huh. That was weird.
She would have kept trying to figure out what the hell that was all about if her own gaze hadn’t been caught prisoner by the gorgeous guy right next to her who was currently downing his drink in three, big gulps.
Wow, it seemed throats could also be outrageously attractive. Or at least, Nate’s was.
And apparently, her subtlety was still non-existent.
“Is there something you need, Mads?” he asked in a tone that was probably supposed to be teasing, but in her ears sounded downright filthy.
“There are a lot of things I need, Nate.”
She saw him swallow hard.
“There are?”
Maddy nodded slowly. “Mhm.”
His pose would have looked casual as he leaned on the counter of the bar. But the tight clenching of his hands betrayed him.
“Okay, I feel like I’m intruding,” a voice interrupted her thoughts. She turned to see Cooper smirking at his best friend. He looked slightly out of breath from dancing.
“You are,” was Nate’s only reply, never taking his eyes off her.
“Now, you think I’d be insulted but I knew what I was getting into. Anyway, I’m not here to deal with your grumpy ass.” Instead, he redirected his gaze towards Maddy. “You’re probably already sick of dealing with this sour SOB.”
Maddy could only laugh. “What are you talking about? Nate’s not sour, or grumpy for that matter.”
She almost laughed again at Cooper’s befuddled expression. “He’s not?”
Maddy shook her head.
Cooper threw a confused glance, looking between the two of them.
“Huh,” was all he said, before going back to the rest of the guys.
“I think you broke him.”
Yeah. Though Maddy had a certain suspicion that what she’d said about Nate wouldn’t be the only thing in Cooper’s plate.
***
The night was awesome, and Maddy couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such a good time.
She and Stacie had gossiped endlessly with the guys from work about everything workplace-related under the sun. Cooper had joined right in with everyone as if he’d known them for years, while Liam was happy to participate when he wasn’t keeping an eye on his friend.
And Nate never left her side.
