But it wasn’t the night she’d planned on. Allison had pulled a rarely-seen-the-light-of-day dress from the back of her closet and come out with the expectation of finding someone to get her mind off Darian. And to the credit of the men at this particular bar, more than one had tried to keep her company.
But each had been just slightly wrong. Too tall or too short. Too opinionated or not well enough read. Too bossy or lacking in confidence. They just weren’t…
Darian.
She sighed into her beer. Time to face the facts. If she was sitting here sighing over a man who, for all she knew, was out right now with another woman, then something had gone very wrong with her friends-with-benefits plan.
I’m not supposed to care this much, she told herself. This was supposed to be light, fun. It wasn’t supposed to make her feel like the freaking B team. So what if she couldn’t compete with a leggy model? Darian must see more in her than just her body.
Didn’t he?
More depressed, she slumped against the bar and stared into the amber depths of her beer. Alcohol was wonderful. Alcohol didn’t judge.
“Looking for answers in the bottom of the bottle?”
She glanced up to see an attractive man leaning against the bar at her side.
“Excuse me?”
He gestured to her beer. “You seemed to be thinking deep thoughts. I couldn’t help wondering what they there.”
She straightened, forcing a smile to her lips. “Nothing too interesting, I’m afraid.”
“Now see, that’s where I don’t believe you. I’m sure a woman like you has fascinating things on her mind.”
Nope, pretty much just thinking about boys. God, what had happened to her?
“What about you?” she tried. “What brings you here?”
“Out with a friend. Always up for meeting new people.” He ran a hand down her arm and she felt nothing. Not even the slightest twinge of interest. He wasn’t the man she longed to touch.
“Can I get you another drink?”
She could say yes. Try to flirt with the pretty stranger and see if he could take her mind off Darian, but the effort seemed exhausting. She really wasn’t cut out for casual.
“Thanks for the offer, but I think I’m going to call it a night.”
“Hope it wasn’t something I said.”
She shook her head. “I’m not in a very festive mood tonight. Good luck.”
He nodded his head. “You, too.”
Grabbing her coat, she went in search of Gillian, only to find her dancing with someone on the makeshift dance floor.
Pushing through the sea of bodies, she managed to wrap a hand around her friend’s arm.
“Allison?” she asked, pushing away from the stranger.
“I’m going to head out.”
“Give me a minute,” she said to her partner before grabbing Allison’s hand and dragging her off the floor.
“What’s up?”
“I don’t think I’m feeling it right now. Sorry.”
Her friend shrugged. “Everyone has those nights. Want to leave? I can grab my coat.”
“No, no, you’re having fun. Don’t let me ruin your night. The brunette looks cute.”
Gillian grinned. “He does, doesn’t he?”
“Did you get his number?”
She laughed at the question. “Girl, tonight’s aim is just to have fun. You know as well as I do I’m not looking for anything.”
How does she do it? Allison wondered. So many people excelled at casual relationships, and here she was, failing horrifically.
What was wrong with her that she couldn’t let the blonde’s visit roll off her shoulders?
“Good for you. You’re sure you don’t mind if I leave you alone?”
Gillian waved her off. “Not if you don’t mind me staying. I’ll come with if you need some girl talk.”
“No, no, I’m just going to head home. Have an early night. It’s been a long week.”
As if on cue, her phone buzzed again. Gillian’s gaze dropped to her purse.
“Everything’s fine, right?”
“Totally fine,” she said.
“Uh-huh. Look, when you go outside, don’t kill me.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” Gillian gave her a one-armed hug. “Get some rest.”
“Will do. Enjoy the brunette.”
A smile slid over her face. “Oh, I intend to.”
With a last wave, Allison turned to push her way toward the door. The pounding music and flashing lights really were going to give her a headache if she stayed. Better to go home and sleep off this awful day.
Stepping into the cool night air was a welcome relief. After setting her bag down on the sidewalk, she shrugged into her coat.