Even the Score(25)

“I’m looking for my friend Sadie. She’s really drunk, and I have no idea where she went,” I said, taking another step away so that he’d let go of my arm.

“When did you last see her?”

I turned to my right to answer him without realizing he’d taken another step closer to me. Our noses practically bumped. “Sorry,” I apologized awkwardly as I took another step back, trying to calm my racing heart. “Uh . . . she was here when I went to the bar to order our drinks. When I came back she was gone.”

“What’s her name? Sadie? Sadie what?”

“Sadie James,” I answered without turning my head again. “She just had a baby, and she hasn’t had a drink in a while. She can get a little . . . crazy . . . sometimes.”

“Hang on, I’ll be right back.” He squeezed my arm again and disappeared into the thick crowd.

Within a minute, a loud bell started ringing, hushing the crowd as everyone followed the sound toward the bar. Seizing the opportunity before the crowd started moving and dancing again, I stepped up onto the rung of the chair to try to get a better view of the people. That’s when I noticed Viper standing on top of the bar, ringing a cowbell.

“Yo! Shut up!” he yelled over the few people who were still talking. “I need Sadie James and Danicka Douglas to come to the roped-off booth behind the bar.”

“I’m Danicka Douglas,” an obnoxious blonde with fake tits called out from the front of the crowd as she took a step toward the bar.

“Sorry, babe. Not on your best day,” Viper teased loudly, high-fiving other patrons as he hopped off the bar.

A minute later, I stepped off the chair as Andy emerged from the crowd again. “Bright pink tank top?” he asked, leaning in close again.

I nodded like an excited bobblehead doll. “Yeah, that’s her.”

“We found her, come with me.” He reached out and took my hand, tugging me behind him.

“Hang on.” I pulled back, remembering my and Sadie’s purses still sitting on top of the table. I grabbed the bags and turned back to Andy, who held his hand out again. I put mine back in his and let him lead me through the sea of people.

Andy wove us through the crowd, keeping his hand down low so I was tucked in close right behind him. As the crowd began to thin out, I peeked around Andy’s shoulder and saw Sadie sitting at the booth with the other guys. I let go of Andy’s hand and hurried around him.

“Where the hell were you?” I blurted out as I got to that table.

“Sorry!” She giggled. “I went to the bathroom and then ended up dancing with a group of fun girls on the way back.”

“I told you not to leave the table. Our purses were sitting on top, out in the open.”

“Sorry,” she apologized again with a hiccup.

“Brody, Viper, Justin—” Andy motioned to his friends at the table. “This is Danicka Douglas, my new agent.”

“Whoa, whoa!” I spun around. “We didn’t agree on anything yet. And one thing at a time.” I turned back and held my hand out, introducing myself and shaking the guys’ hands one by one. All of them were very friendly, albeit slightly drunk, but warm in their hellos. Sadie sat next to Justin, blinking like a sleepy puppy as she swayed back and forth.

“You okay?” Brody asked nervously. He was probably scared she was gonna barf all over their table. I was, too.

Her eyes popped open, and she grinned so big I was sure her cheeks were going to hurt the next day. “Yep! I’m perfect.”

Viper’s eyes shifted from Brody’s to Sadie’s. He jumped up and disappeared into the kitchen, returning almost immediately with a plate of warm garlic bread sticks. “Here, eat a few of those.”

“Oooh, yum!” Sadie’s eyes lit up, and she licked her lips.

Viper sat back down next to Brody and stared as she grabbed a bread stick off the pile, shoving the end into her mouth.

“Down, boy,” Brody teased him, smacking his arm to get his attention. “You’re married now, remember?”

Viper shook his head. “I wasn’t staring at her. I was staring at the bread stick.” With that, he grabbed one off the stack, gobbling half of it up in one bite.

As Sadie and Viper started talking about their kids, who were almost the exact same age, Andy leaned in close to my left side.

“Can we go outside where it’s quiet and talk for a minute?”

I looked from him to Sadie and back again. “Um . . .”

He leaned forward, looking past me. “She’s fine. Viper, Brody, and Justin can sit with her. I need to talk to you alone for a minute. Please?”