"How about something unusual? Fitzwilliam?" Well, that's flattering. It also signifies that she's read or at least seen Pride and Prejudice. She racks up another point in the sexy category. Bookish girls are the best.
"Can I get a hint?" she says. She stirs her water with the straw.
"Nope."
Her eyes narrow. "You're kind of a jerk, you know that?" Now it's my turn to shrug. She's only just met me, but the assessment is more accurate than she knows.
"Okay . . . something even weirder? Slade?" That one makes me laugh.
"One guess left," I say with a triumphant smile, holding up one finger.
She shakes her head. "I have to give you credit, this has been less pathetic than the normal pickup lines," she says, and I can tell that even though I'm irritating her, underneath it all, she likes it too. I hope.
"I do what I can to be original," I say.
"Fine, your name is . . . Nick?" Ugh, so boring.
"Nope, I win." I slam my hand on the bar to get the bartender's attention.
"Two Jack and gingers," I say, and he goes to make the drinks. I turn back to find her looking like she wants to toss her water in my face. Winding her up is fun as hell, and we've only been talking for a few minutes.
"You might be buying me a drink, but that doesn't mean I'm going to consume it," she says. "I might just give it to someone else. Or pour it down the drain in the bathroom."
"Whatever gets you off," I say as the drinks arrive and I push one toward her.
She rolls her eyes, but she puts down her water and picks up the glass.
"You're not going to get me wasted and then take me home. If that's what your game is," she says before she sips. "I'm not that easy."
"That's not my style. I like a girl to be completely aware of everything I do to her. Every touch, every kiss, everything." She freezes, and I think her drink is headed for my face, but she just snorts and turns her head a fraction to the side.
"You're also pretty confident."
I sip my drink slowly.
"Not denying it."
Before I realize what's happening, she's downed the drink and slammed the empty glass down on the bar, ice rattling around.
"So, what is your name, Mystery Man?" she asks, raising one blond eyebrow.
I'm doomed.
I lean in and speak in her ear.
"What's yours?" She inhales through her nose, and I can't tell if she wants me to move away or not. What I really want to do is nip at her earlobe. She smells incredible up close.
"I asked you first," she says.
Before I can answer, someone speaks.
"This is very cozy." I look up and see one of her friends glaring at me and standing with her hand on her hip. Clearly not impressed.
"Oh, hey, I was just, um . . ." she acts like she's been caught doing something bad. Very, very bad.
"Yeah, I thought the rule was no dicks tonight?" her friend says. She has short brown choppy hair and is much taller than her blond friend. I keep waiting for someone to use her name. I'm dying to know what it is. Even though I haven't told her mine.
The cute blonde turns and looks me up and down again.
"You're right. No dicks. Bye, Mystery Man!" They flounce back to the dance floor, and I head back to Jem, just a tiny bit rejected.
Freya
He's tall and rugged and looks like he should be posing in an L.L. Bean catalog while chopping wood or something. Between the dark hair, the beard, and the flannel shirt, he's got the look down. He's also so tall that it kind of throws me off at first. That and the fact that he's speaking to me. Usually my friend Tobi is the one picking up that kind of attention.
Then there's the line about his name. At least it's original. I let him buy me a drink, but then Tobi drags me away, reminding me of our "no dicks" rule for the night. It's purely a girls' night, which totally works out for two of my friends, Willow and Carrie, because they're a couple. Whatever. The point is still made. For the rest of us straight girls, we're not dealing with guys tonight.
I go back to the dance floor, thinking that's the end of it, but then I feel him watching me. It's somewhat unnerving. Every time I look through the gloom of the bar, I find his blue eyes staring right back at me.
As a result, I drink to forget about the Mystery Man. And since I'm on the small side, the booze goes right to my head, and I'm feeling pretty sloshy. It's great.
"I think we need to get you home," Tobi says when I trip over my normally steady feet for the fourth time.
"I'm fine," I say, even though I know that I'm not really. The floor is moving in waves.