The jerk smiles, and heaven almighty! The man has dimples. Freakingdimples! And most refreshing of all, his teeth arereal. In a town of over-whitened, veneered, and capped smiles, the slight crookedness of a couple bottom teeth is proof in and of itself that his mouth isn’t made entirely of porcelain. Add in the tilt of his lips, and it’s officially the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.
Focus!
“Where did you even come from?” I demand.
“No one else was out here.” He motions over his shoulder to where I can now plainly see an abandoned suit jacket and tie sitting on a stone bench I hadn’t noticed before. To be fair, it’s nestled inside an alcove that is only visible from this very spot. Still, I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks.
“…Oh,” I say stupidly.
“So you’renotsuicidal?”
I glare at him. “No.”
“Depressed?”
“You mean having to behere?” I nod back up at the building. “Undoubtedly.”
To my surprise, he laughs. “Not enjoying the festivities?”
“I’d rather rip my fingernails out with pliers than go back inside.”
I’m not proud to admit it, but I totally check out his ass the moment he turns and makes his way back to the alcove. I get an even more spectacular view as he bends forward to grab something hidden behind the bench. Thankfully, I’m able to stick my eyeballs back in their sockets and my tongue back in my mouth before he turns around, revealing a bottle of what appears to be tequila.
“Why? What happened?” he asks.
“You mean besides everyone treating me like I’m the Whore of Babylon and telling me that I look like a tacky stripper in a dime store dress?” I shrug, flattening my voice to sound nothing more than bored. “I’d say my evening could be better.”
I’m not sure if it’s my deadpan delivery or my actual words, but the guy nearly chokes on the liquor as he takes a swig.
“Wait,what?” He looks appalled. “Who the hell told you that?”
I shrug again. “My family.Lovelypeople.”
“Well…fuck.” He extends the bottle out to me. “I’m pretty sure you need this more than I do.”
“I don’t need your pity.”
“But I’m already throwing a party, and it’s no fun when it’s only for one.” The smile that spreads across his face is nothing short of mischievous.
“Rough night?”
With a nod, his expression sobers to a cartoonish degree. “The worst.”
“Why?”
“On my way over here, the driver in front of me…wouldn’t turn off his blinker. Forfivemiles.” He sucks in a breath, as if the sheer recollection is too painful to relive, and for the first time since arriving in this hellhole, I actually laugh. “Being trapped in a room full of bloated aristocrats doesn’t help either.”
My name stirs at the back of my throat, but I lose my nerve to force out the word. Instead, I extend my hand and say, “Lexi.”
Hey, don’t look at me like that. It’s not a lie…technically. My name is Alexandria, so itcouldbe shortened to Lexi. Everyone’s just always called me Ali, and quite frankly, I don’t want to be her—not tonight, and definitely not with him.
The stranger’s eyes narrow ever so slightly as he studies me, like he’s trying to figure out something, but he nevertheless shakes my hand. “Michael.”
I take the bottle of liquor from him, not even bothering to read the label before helping myself to a mouthful of what tastes like fruits and paint thinner.
Yep.
Definitely tequila.
