She flashes me a smile, turning her body to face me. “Hey.”
I focus on her dark brown eyes when I return her smile. I’ve always had a thing for brown eyes. There’s something about them, like warm chocolate swimming in a pool of caramel.
They remind me of—
“Hi,” I interject, wanting to give myself a night off from thinking about him. It rarely ever works. At some point, he always pops up in my mind. It’s inevitable.
“So… do I have to buy you a drink to get your name?”
I tilt my head, a playful grin spreading across my face. “Seeing as the drinks are free, I don’t think that would work. I’m Gabriella, but call me Gabi or I might not reply.”
“Gabi, got it. I’m Jess,” she says with a smirk. “I haven’t seen you before,” she says, arching a pierced brow at me. “You new?”
I let out a scoff, turning to face her. “Do I look like a freshman?” I joke. I mean, I might look young, but seriously? I’m about to start my senior year.
Her smile widens as her eyes drop to check me out. “No, you do not,” she says, slowly mapping my body with her eyes. “That was just my lame way of throwing you a compliment.”
I scrunch my nose as I take another sip of my drink. “Don’t know that being compared to a baby freshman is a compliment.”
“Fair enough.” She leans in closer, and I catch a whiff of her flowery perfume. “Then how about I just tell you that I couldn’t keep my eyes off you all night?”
I fake gag, tilting my head with a playful smirk. “That’s just cheesy,” I tease, the corner of my lips curling up.
Jess laughs. “So you’re not a fan?”
“Depends.”
“On?” She leans in, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
I lift my shoulder in a casual shrug, meeting her gaze. “Whether or not you can come up with something better in ten seconds.”
“Are you putting me under pressure?” she teases, her voice laced with humor.
“Nine,” I respond, playing along, my eyes twinkling with mischief.
Her eyes widen. “Fuck. Ok.”
“Eight,” I say with a smile.
She blows out a breath. “You really know how to stress a girl out.”
I nod, sipping the last of my drink. “I’m not easy.”
“I see that,” she replies with a grin. “But I’m still interested.”
I blink, surprised. She is? Why do I kind of wish she wasn’t? “I didn’t scare you away?”
She shakes her head, her hand lingering on my waist. “Definitely not.” I meet her gaze, feeling a flutter of anticipation in my chest. “You want to get out of here?” Her breath tickles my ear as she whispers, sending a shiver down my spine.
I think about it, really think about it. Here’s this girl, right in front of me, wanting me—even if it’s just for tonight. Jess is attractive, funny, and would undoubtedly be a hell of a good time, but…
“That’s a no, isn’t it?” she asks, removing her hand from my waist.
My throat feels dry as I swallow hard, meeting her eyes. “I’m really sorry.” I shake my head, his face flashing in my mind, as it always does. “You seem really cool, I’m just—”
“Not Available?” she interrupts with a tilt of her head, her expression understanding.
I let out a strained chuckle, feeling a pang of guilt in my stomach. “Something like that.”
