When we arrive to our seats, I'm struck by how attractive the two men are that are waiting for us. They look very much alike, so I assume they must be related, and they're both staring at me like they already know exactly what I'm wearing underneath my clothes. The woman extends her hand and speaks to me first.
"Hi, I'm Jade. This is Cutter and Camden. You must be the new cousin."
Interesting that he's mentioned me, but I don't know one single thing about them.
"That's me. It's nice to meet you all. I'm Elizabeth."
Roman sits down next to Jade and across from me. Maybe that's why he's so on edge all of a sudden. Maybe she's his girlfriend or at least another one of his friends with benefits. The guy named Camden is watching me carefully, and I blush because he's making me a bit uncomfortable on top of the fact that he's so good looking.
"Would you like a drink?" Camden asks while he waves down a waitress.
"She'll have a glass of merlot." Roman interjects abruptly.
Jade takes a hesitant glance at Roman and then another back to me.
"You like wine?" She asks surprised.
"Yeah, I can't really stomach the hard stuff. Thank you Camden, but actually I'll have a glass of cabernet."
Roman rolls his eyes.
"Well that's too bad because we do shots." The other hot guy named Cutter smiles brightly and says. "And we do 'em all night."
"I'll pass." I chuckle.
"She'll have one." Roman says and this time I give him a hard look. What the hell is he doing?
He shrugs his shoulders with indifference. "You need to relax a little cousin."
I want to kick him. "I can speak for myself thank you very much."
He mutters something under his breath only loud enough for him to hear.
"So what do you do Elizabeth?" Jade asks after giving Roman another long look. I think she wants to smack him too.
Please do.
"I'm an app developer. I went to Penn for computer science." I almost laugh at how I made myself sound ridiculously way more impressive than I really am. I need to take a course in small talk.
"Damn!" Cutter says. "Smart and you look like that. You ever think about the benefits of marrying young? I'm a fantastic lover." He flirts. I smile back. I can see already that there's something a bit endearing about this guy.
Roman starts to tap the heel of his foot nervously when Jade places the palm of her hand firmly on his knee to calm it. She definitely must be a friend with benefits. I don't know why I'm so surprised, although he didn't mention anything about a Jade until we were well on our way over here. I wonder if she knows that Roman rarely talks about her, that he has some crazy-ass bank manager stalking his ass, and that he just ate me out an hour ago. I wonder what would happen if I told her all of that interesting information. Of course I'm too chicken shit to ever do that.
Sloan: I'm here. Where are you?
Me: At the top of the staircase
Sloan: Is the father of my future kids there?
Me: Whatever and yes. But I think he has a date
Sloan: I brought some reinforcements with me
Me: Who?
Sloan: Carla, Tiny. Jagger
Me: OMG!
Sloan: Thank me later bitch.
"A couple of my friends are on there way up here. I hope that's okay." I say excitedly.
I make sure to stand by the banister and wave my hand so Sloan can see me.
"What friends?" Roman asks suspiciously.
"Sloan and a few friends from school."
"Oh right ... the glamazon."
"What does that mean?" Cutter asks with interest.
"Tall, thin, the usual." Roman says.
"Hot?"
It's a knee jerk reaction, but I look up to Roman to see how he'll answer the question. He looks me straight in the eyes with little expression across his face when he replies to Cutter.
"Absofuckinglutely."
If he said it to piss me off, it worked. I look at Jade to see if he's hurt her feelings at all, but I can't really read her. I think I'm the only one who's more irked by the comment, and I hate that I even care. So what he made me come like an hour ago. That doesn't mean anything. In fact I've got to get a grip. I can't just make out with my cousin and think that it means something. That it's ok. It's not. That's why I'm counting on one particular reinforcement Sloan brought to help me shake this whole Roman Masterson spell I'm falling under.
Jagger Reed is another graduate from the university swim team and was probably Ethan's main competition for a spot on the Olympic team. He's built like the quintessential All-American boy. A tall and broad swimmer's body, eyes that shine, and a crooked smile. If I could do things all over again, Jagger would’ve been the guy I went out with in school. Not Ethan. He is the only one of Ethan's friends who called to check on me after the attack. Everyone else has been avoiding me like the plague, as if I am the reason that Ethan has been kicked out of swim club and in rehab. I'm sure Sloan asked him along because she knows I've always had a little crush on him. Long before Ethan.