“She’s not coming with us?”Noah asked with a frown.He lifted a hand to wipe at his sweaty brow, which lifted both his coat and his shirt to expose his muscular abs.
I…kinda lost my train of thought as I stared at the wispy trail of hair marching downward under the dimple of his belly button.
“Alice?”I blinked a few times as Noah’s hand waved in front of my face.“You okay?”
“Uh, yeah?”I answered it as a question because I honestly wasn’t sure.
“Okay.So I’m guessing Lark isn’t coming with us?”He tipped his head at Lark’s retreating back.Bailey was already off the hook once she’d started making out at the bar with her winner of her own impromptu Win-A-Date contest.Bachelor number one was a tall guy with brown hair, and that was all I could tell you about him.Mostly because I’d only seen the back of his head.But also because I spent most of my time off stage talking and laughing with Noah.
Past me, from two months ago, would’ve never believed it if I could’ve told her.
I shrugged.“Lark said something about a hot bouncer while we were loading up, so it’s just me and you.”
“Sounds good.You okay if I drive?It’s not a weird masculine thing I swear, just I’m the sober one so…”
I laughed.“You say that like I’m wasted.”
I’d had exactly one drink in the last two hours, and after all the manual labor, I wasn’t even kinda buzzed.
“Well, I’ve had zero drinks.Can you say the same?”
I groaned and shoved the keys at his chest.“Whatever you say, Captain America.”
Noah was smirking as we climbed into the cab of the van.
“That’s a mighty big smile for someone who got dumped in the middle of his date.”
Noah just shrugged.“Didn’t break my heart.The only good part of the date was when she opened the door.The second she opened her mouth it all went downhill.”
“Wow.Misogynistic much?”
“What?”Noah’s head went back like I’d slapped him.“No, I’m not.”
I scoffed.“You like your women shapely and silent?That’s essentially what you just said.”
“Within the first minute she’d squealed my name, laughed at something I’d said like it was hilarious when it wasn’t even a joke, and sneered at my suggestion of the Palms like I’d invited her to Micky D’s.The night would’ve been infinitely better if she was a deaf-mute.”
“Wow.”I shook my head sadly.“It must be so hard to be you.”
“Shut up.”Noah laughed even as he shoved a hand in my face.
I would’ve batted his hand away but since he was driving, I didn’t want to screw with him too much.I valued my life, after all.
“When’s the last time you went on a date?”
The question came out of nowhere, and it took me a second to switch gears to answer.“I can’t even remember.I don’t know if I’ve ever been on a proper date, actually.”
“Seriously?”Noah shook his head.“That’s so sad.”
“Thanks.”I laughed to myself.
Noah shrugged.“I mean you’re gorgeous.Talented.Although you do have a mean right hook, so maybe that has something to do with it.”
I laughed.“Hey, I’m two for two.That’s a personal record.”
“It’s fucking sad as hell that you even have to keep track.”Noah huffed.“Have you heard from either of them?Seen them around?Texts or calls or whatever?”
I shook my head.
