At least twenty bodies stood between us, the crowd packed shoulder to sweaty shoulder in the overheated venue. Still, I felt his gaze. Each time I glanced back, he looked away quickly and resumed a blank expression, stuffing his fists into his pockets.
My interest rose as I cataloged little details. He was shorter than most of the guys in the room, close to my own height of five feet, six inches. His pale skin glowed in the crowd, stark beneath a head of dark curls. Thick lashes framed striking gray eyes, making them look as though they’d been lined. But something else was in his enigmatic features, a softness underneath.
I was intrigued. This guy might be just the thing to help me forget myself for a while. The next time I caught him staring, I attempted to hold his gaze. He tried to look away again, but I persisted, determined to bring this little dance to a head. I smiled—cheeks lifting just a fraction—enough to let him know I was open to a conversation.
He held my stare another moment before making a move in my direction. Abruptly, he stopped and shook his head. His face dropped into a scowl, and his jaw clenched. Turning away, he headed toward the back of the venue.
What the hell? I didn’t think I’d read that wrong. Hehadbeen checking me out.
I sighed as I watched him retreat. Disappointing, but whatever. The guy was sexy, no doubt, but he had zero chance of me chasing him. Especially not tonight. Besides just returning from an exhausting trip, I had a new job starting soon, so there was plenty on my plate already.
If I wanted to hook up, there were other men here. Or I could just enjoy the music. At the least, my position near the speakers would get me out of my head for a while. With the way my ears already rang, I’d be half deaf tomorrow.
Bren returned from a mission to the bar, handing me a bottle of water.
“Where’d he go?” she shouted, doing her best to be heard over the amplifiers.
“Who?”
“The guy who’s had his eyes on you all night. The short king with that killer black hair.”
I shrugged. “Dunno. I got tired of waiting for him to come over, so I gave him my bestI’d be downlook, and he walked away.”
“Fucker.”
“It’s okay. Band’s good, though.”
Bren and I faced the stage. Musicbox had grown famous for its acoustics—a charitable way of saying it was inexcusably loud. Despite the rainbow-colored foam plugs in my ears, my teeth still rattled with every guitar strum.
I noticed another guy a few feet away. He dipped his chin forward, eyeing me with a leer. With his muscular build, backward baseball cap, and loose-fitting Levi’s under a Guinness T-shirt, he looked like he’d just wandered in from frat row. I knew this sort of obvious interest and generic handsomeness appealed to a lot of women, but unsubtle dude bro wasn’t my type at all.
He stared at me. I looked away, hoping he’d get the message.
Meanwhile, Bren had been proactive about ensuring she’d have someone to go home with. I saw Chase pushing his way through the crowd halfway through the main act’s first set. He and my best friend had been close since high school, and he was one of her regular booty calls, her friend-with-benefits, or whatever she labeled it this week.
I smirked at her. “Chase is here.”
“What can I say?” She winked. “I needed a sure thing.”
“That poor guy. You realize he’d marry you tomorrow if you’d let him, right?” It came out slightly more admonishing than I’d meant, but it was hard not to feel sorry for Chase when he looked at Bren with such clear adoration.
She had no patience for my opinion. “He’s a big boy, Maureen. And I’ve been honest with him about where I stand. If he’s willing to accept thelimited arrangementI’m offering, that’s on him.”
Accurate, of course. “Is he taking you to his apartment?”
“If that’s okay?”
“Sure. I can Uber back to our place on my own.”
“Alright. But we’ll stay with you until the end of the show, or at least until you’re ready to leave. Make sure you get in the car safe and sound.”
“Thanks.”
Chase wrapped himself around Bren from behind like a koala, resting his chin on her head.
“I’m gonna grab a soda.” I had to yell even though Bren stood right next to me. She nodded in reply, squeezing Chase’s arms around her ribs.
I made my way to the bar with minimal shoving. While I waited to grab the bartender’s attention, a prickle of awareness ghosted across the skin of my neck.
