This date was already going terribly and adding Asher into the mix just sealed its fate. But I was here, I might as well make the best of it.
I tried to have a light conversation with Chad while, at the same time, trying to ignore the crowd that had formed around Asher and his party. They were getting ready for the kissing game—whatever that was—and a ton of women seemed eager to join. They were all holding twenties in the air while Mrs. Wolfe walked around collecting them in a jar.
There were a few women I recognized, but the rest were strangers. And I didn’t know how I felt about strangers kissing my best friend.
“Come on, party pooper.” A hand reached out and grabbed mine.
Startled, I turned to see Claire standing there with an incredulous look on her face.
“I called Shelby, and she told me that it is your responsibility as his best friend to be in that line.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a twenty. “My treat.”
My stomach flip-flopped. “I’m good. I really am.”
“What do you want her to do?” Chad asked.
Claire glanced over at him. “It’s just a kissing game. He’s blindfolded and all the single women in the bar kiss him for twenty dollars. The money goes to pay for something for the wedding night.”
“Champagne for the wedding night.” Acid rose in my throat at the thought.
“Like champagne for the wedding night,” Claire agreed as she motioned toward me.
“Why aren’t you in line, then? Isn’t he, like, your best friend?” Chad’s question had me turning to look at him.
“That’s what I’m saying,” Claire said. “You would think, as his best friend, she’d be first in line.”
I really wanted this conversation to end.
“It’s not like you have feelings for the guy.” Chad snorted.
My gaze whipped to his. Is that what people were going to think if I didn’t go over there? “I don’t have feelings for him,” I lied.
“So why aren’t you over there?” He raised his eyebrows as he tipped his beer back.
“I was worried you would feel lonely.” That seemed like a reasonable response.
Chad shook his head. “Naw, I’m good.”
“See,” Claire said as she pulled on my hand. “Now, come on.”
My body felt like it was moving on its own as I scooted out of the booth and stood. My mind was blaring warning bells, but my feet weren’t listening as I let Claire drag me across the bar over to where the line had formed. Asher was sitting on a barstool with his blindfold on, waiting for the next girl.
My heart felt like it was a horse in the Kentucky Derby, which Asher had dragged me to two years ago. It was leaping and kicking inside of my chest, ready to break free.
“Excuse me,” Claire said as she pushed through the line and brought me over to stand at the front, effectively cutting off the blonde woman who was next. She protested, but Claire just glared at her. “She gets priority,” Claire said as she grabbed my shoulders and guided me to where she wanted me to stand.
I offered the woman a sheepish smile, but she just scoffed and rolled her eyes. I turned my focus forward and watched as a brunette woman leaned in and pressed her lips to Asher’s.
Suddenly, the weight of what I was about to do came crashing down on my shoulders. I was about to kiss Asher.Asher!
I drew in my breath, hoping to squelch the desire to sprint out of the pub and run far, far away from here. Everyone else seemed to know that it was going to be a benign kiss. But I knew better. I knew that as soon as I kissed Asher, I was never going to be the same. Our relationship would permanently change, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for that.
But I also didn’t want to walk away. I wanted to stand right here because…I wanted to kiss Asher.
“You’re up,” Claire said as she grabbed my shoulders and pushed me toward Asher and shoved a twenty into Mrs. Wolfe’s jar.
Mrs. Wolfe didn’t seem startled at all to see me standing there. She had the widest smile I’d ever seen on her face. When I met her gaze, she just nodded and motioned toward Asher.
Realizing there was no way I was going to get out of this, I closed the space between me and Asher. My heart was pounding so hard that I wondered if he could hear it. It was echoing in my ears. My body felt light and flushed at the same time. Never in my life had I ever been this nervous to kiss someone.
