The food helps and we do manage a couple of glasses of water, but then Beth comes back with two more beers, and I decide it would be a good idea to put some music on.
I find some relatively modern music on the jukebox in the corner and make my selection, talking to myself the whole time and squealing when I find a song that I really like. When I get back to the bar, Beth is slipping her phone back into her pocket and hands me another beer. I really shouldn’t, but why not; I’m under strict instructions to have fun with Beth this weekend.
Five minutes later, Aaron appears and can’t hide his amusement as he crosses the bar.
“Baaabe,” Beth calls out. “You made it.” He shakes his head as she throws her arms around him and rests her cheek on his chest. Her eyes are drooping, and she looks like she’s fallen asleep.
“I can see you girls have had fun.” He laughs and I raise my glass but seem to have temporarily lost the power of speech.
The door opens, and over Aaron’s shoulder, I see Max walk in. His eyes find mine immediately, and my stomach flips violently at the possessive look he gives me.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” I slur slightly and set my beer down on the bar.
I guess I was a little louder than I intended when Max says, “Nice to see you, too.” And he can’t hide the amused smile that spreads over that fucking gorgeous face of his.
“What the fuck, Aaron? Him, of all people,” I complain and watch as the smile on Max’s face hardens. Oh dear, I’ve pissed him off again.
“Shut up, Storm. Who else was I going to call? I can’t handle the two of you when you’re like this,” he complains, and I stick my tongue out at him.
Beth opens her eyes and notices that Max has now joined us. “Aw, you’ve come for Storm. Good call, Aaron.” She claps him on the chest and beams at me.
“For fuck’s sake,” I mouth at her, but she just laughs harder.
“Get over it, you two. I don’t know what the hell is going on and why you keep pretending you hate each other, but it’s all bullshit. Just do it already.” She picks up her beer and drains the last of it while Max and I stare at her open mouthed. Even he looks a little shocked at her bluntness.
“Right, sexy.” She takes hold of Aaron’s hand. “You can take me home now,” she says with a wink and pulls him after her, blowing a kiss over her shoulder.
My drink sits on the bar, and I pick it up and drain half of it, feeling very hot all of a sudden. But I think that has something to do with the fact that Max’s eyes have never left mine.
“Really?” He raises an eyebrow as I set the glass down.
“What?” I shrug but that last drink wasn’t one of my brighter ideas. It’s gone straight to my head to join the other however many that I’ve lost count of. It has tipped me over the edge and now I feel really drunk.
“Come on.” He heaves a sigh of exasperation, and I climb down from the stool. He holds out his arms, and embarrassingly, I fall into them. My hands wrap around his neck, and I practically knock him off his feet. Catching me by the waist, he takes a step back to save us both from landing on our asses. Now, we are nose to nose, and my eyes stare right back at him. Tilting my head to the side, I scrutinize him from a different angle. My breath catches in my throat, and a funny expression forms on his face.
He loops an arm around my waist, and I stumble slightly and fall into his side. My hands land on lean muscle and I let them linger, not entirely unhappy about being this close to him, but I won’t tell him that.
Outside, he leans me up against his car so he can dig the keys out of his pocket. I crane my neck back to look up at the clear night sky and slide sideways down the car and land on my ass.
“Ouch.” I give a small cry when my head bangs against the car and Max looks down.
“Why’re you sitting down there?” He looks down at me sitting on the gravel.
“Needed to sit down,” I grumble and rub the back of my head.
“Let’s go.” He pulls me up to standing and doesn’t let go until I’m strapped into the passenger seat.
“Shouldn’t you be out on a date with some blond bimbo?” I ask as he fastens his seatbelt. The alcohol is making me jealous and bitchy, or maybe that’s just the way I really feel. Who knows?
The muscle in his jaw tightens along with his grip on the steering wheel and he casts me a sideways look.
“I was,” he says in a clipped tone.
“Pardon?”
“I was on a date when Aaron phoned.”
“Had you already slept with her?” It is out of my mouth before I can rein myself in and take it back. I have no right saying things like that.