I stepped inside and he placed his hand on the small of my back as we weaved through the crowded bar, seeking out Logan and Izzy. I was suddenly ultra-aware of his touch. Like the way his gaze had lingered as it ran over me.
“There,” he said, leaning down until his chin grazed my cheekbone. His warm breath against my ear had heat pooling low in my belly. “In the corner.”
He led me to the right and I spotted the couple at a high top.
Logan smirked. “Wasn’t sure if you guys were actually going to come.”
Seth grumbled as he pulled out a chair and I climbed up on it.
“What do you want to drink?” he asked, so close a mix of leather and wood enveloped me.
“Cranberry and vodka.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Probably should order an appetizer too.” He lifted his hand, attempting to flag down a waitress.
Once we all ordered drinks and a plate of nachos, I fiddled with the light pink pendant hanging around my neck.
Izzy tipped her chin in my direction. “My friend Lyla has a few of your crystal pieces. That one you’re wearing is pretty. What is it?”
“Rose quartz.” I still couldn’t believe I listened to Hattie and wore it tonight.
“Lyla said she just ordered a black tourmaline pendant because of its protective and resilient benefits.” Izzy angled her head to the side. “What does rose quartz do?”
“Oh, umm…” I could feel Seth’s eyes trained on me. “It can do a lot. Helps with emotional pain, eases stress, enhances confidence.”
“You make those?” Logan asked.
“She has a shop on Etsy,” Seth answered quickly.
I glanced over at him, again wondering how he knew that, and made a mental note to ask him. “I’ve been making them since I was a teenager. My mom was really into essential oils, healing crystals, and incense, so I learned from her and started designing jewelry with them.”
The waitress appeared, setting the nachos and our drinks down.
“What would you suggest for me?” Izzy asked as the waitress walked away.
I studied her carefully, only knowing a little bit about her. But her wide smile and carefree attitude was enough for me to give her a suggestion. “I would suggest citrine. It’s my personal favorite. It’s literally called the happy stone because it promotes joy and positivity. You could pair it with an amethyst that will offer calm among chaos.”
“That’s the one she needs.” Logan smirked as he brought a piece of nacho to his mouth.
She swatted at his chest. “Are you trying to say I’m chaotic?”
“You signed us up for ten dozen cookies for the bake sale tomorrow.”
She rolled her eyes. “And the girls and I got them all done today, didn’t we?”
“You sure did.” He kissed her temple, and I couldn’t help but smile. They were too cute.
“So are the girls back in school now?” I grabbed another nacho from the plate, popping it in my mouth.
“There’s a back-to-school thing and bake sale tomorrow. School starts Monday.” Izzy took a sip from her cider before placing it back down on the table.
Seth was quiet as usual as we chatted, only adding in here and there, but his presence next to me was unmoving. It was comforting to know he was attentive, even if not talkative.
As I finished the last of my drink, Izzy suddenly jumped up from the table. “Oh. I love this song.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me off my stool. “Come on, let’s dance.”
Was Logan not much of a dancer either?
We left them behind to find a good spot on the crowded dance floor. The music was a good mix, and we were having agreat time in our own little bubble, until two guys slowly made their way into our space.
