Tessa rolled her eyes. “I know that. No reason you can’t make the boys drool while you’re just hanging out.” She grinned. “Right? Now come here. I’m not finished. And you do not look like a hootch.”
She pushed me onto the bed, and I gave her a meaningful glare. “Do not make me look like a clown. I mean it.”
Tessa bonked me on the top of my head with her blush brush. “You are so weird it’s not funny. Now be still.”
After a torturous hour of hair pulling, facial tugging, and an occasional punch in the arm, Tessa had me exactly like she wanted me. To my surprise, I did not look like a clown. Or a hootch. More make-up than I’d normally ever wear, but it was ok for a change. One night out. That was it.
“Your eye shadow looks smoky fab,” Marcie said as we all walked up the ramp to MacElvee’s. “You should wear it more often.”
“She is a non-believer in make-up and all things uber-girlie,” Tessa said. Then grinned at me. “But it does look stunning on you.”
I just shook my head as we pushed into the bar. Friday night, the place was packed. Wall to wall with Winston students, as well as what Tessa had deemed local infiltrates. I was sandwiched between Tessa and Kelly as we shuffled to the back. Wooden rafters stretched overhead, and the dark walls were decorated in an old western theme, with horse blankets, old saddles, and spurs. Tessa grabbed my hand as she spied an empty table and pulled me through the crowd. Already I felt out of my element, the music was thunderous, the patrons loud, and a drone of conversation and laughter made normal speech pointless. I rose on the toes of my boots to settle into the bar chair, and at the same time my hand kept the hem of my gauzy skirt from riding up too high.
Tessa laughed. “God, you should see your face! Pure terror!” She shook her head. “You’re drinking a beer, chica! You gotta loosen you up! Excuse me? Hello?” Tessa flagged down a young guy with a black apron on. Mid-twenties, cute. He gave Tessa a wide grin. “Yes, ma’am?”
“A pitcher, garcon. Pretty please.” Tessa’s smile flashed white.
His eyes drifted to me. “You girls got your ID?”
“Of course,” Tessa said. She fished hers out of her big Zebra bag, and the rest of us followed suit. After the waiter glanced at each one, he nodded. “I’m Ash, one pitcher coming up.” I watched him make his way to the bar, disappearing through a sea of people. I met Tessa’s gaze as I stuffed my ID back into my bag. She wiggled her brows.
“God he’s scrumptious,” Kelly said, and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Liv, he was checking you out big time.”
“He sure was,” Tessa agreed. “Marcie? Did you see it?”
“I did.” Marcie threw me a grin. “I think I feel a pang of jealousy.”
I laughed back. “No, he was not,” I insisted. “You guys are imagining things.” He was cute; tall, broad shoulders, shaggy brown hair that fell to his shoulders. Brown eyes. But he just wasn’t Brax. And I just wasn’t ready for this. Dammit!
“Hey, Tess, there’s that giant you’re so in love with,” Marcie said.
Without thinking about it, I turned my head. And my eyes clashed with Brax’s. I jerked my gaze back, started fumbling with a napkin.
“Shit a brick,” Tessa grumbled under her breath. “We’ve been in here a gazillion times and this is the first time I’ve seen him in here. Liv,” she said. “I’m sorry. Ignore him. But I can’t. Be right back.”
“No—Tess! What are you doing?.” But Tessa was already gone. Godalmighty, what was she up to? I drew a slow breath in and tried to calm my jittery nerves just as Ash returned with our pitcher and four glasses. I looked at him, and he was already looking at me. Smiling. He set the pitcher and glasses in the middle of the small table.
“Enjoy,” he said, but was only looking at me when he said it.
I gave him a hesitant grin. “Thanks.” Just then, Tessa returned.
He didn’t walk off. Instead, he turned directly to me. “Ash.”
“Thanks, Ash.” I had no idea why he was so puzzled by me.
“I haven’t seen you in here before,” he said. Those brown eyes were liquid pools and deep, and no doubt most girls fell right into them. I might have, had I not still been reeling from a crushed heart, and the crusher was less than twenty feet away.
I gave an embarrassed smile. “No, you haven’t.”
He cocked his head, as if studying me. “You work at the observatory.” His gaze moved from my hair to my legs unavoidably poking out from Tessa’s skirt. “I guess I didn’t recognize you at first. You know, out of uniform.”