A well-stocked bar set off to the right of the first level of the room, once you were completely inside and could see it. In front of the bar itself sat three stools. The brunette that Drake had brought to Signed Sips was sitting on the middle stool, wearing a black zebra print bikini. I was overdressed in my blue sundress.
The guy behind the bar making a drink was not Drake, but it was clear she was flirting with him. The guy noticed us and grinned.
“Rio, where’ve you been?” he asked, then ran his hand through his shaggy dark blond hair.
“Work,” he replied. “When did you get in town?” Rio asked, and I followed him as he walked over to the bar.
“This morning. Packed up the rest of my shit from Baylor Friday and headed this way, but I had a stop to make yesterday,” he said.
“You’re the girl from the coffee shop,” the brunette said and I nodded. She then turned back to the guy behind the bar and said, “she makes a fab cappuccino.”
“I’ll remember that,” he replied, his brown eyes now focused on me.
“Benji, this is Henley, Henley this is Benji,” Rio said by way of introduction. “He’s Drake’s older brother by one whole year and the academic of the family.”
I could see the resemblance now. They had the same facial features minus the eye color. Benji’s were brown.
“Where are you from, Henley?” Benji asked.
“Chattanooga,” I replied simply. I seriously doubted he wanted a full rundown.
“Here for the summer?” he asked me.
“I think,” I replied because I wasn’t sure when I would leave.
“Summer girl,” he replied with a chuckle.
“Not what you’re thinking,” Rio said then and Benji raised his eyebrows and shifted his gaze back to me.
“I wish I could stay for the summer,” the girl pouted and leaned forward just enough for her cleavage to be on display.
“You want a drink?” Rio asked me then and I almost said no when I decided having something to hold in my hand may make me feel less awkward.
“Sure.”
Benji held his arms out wide. “We’ve got it all. What’s your poison?” he asked dramatically.
“Uh, club soda?” I asked and his face fell.
“Please tell me you want Titos with that,” Benji replied.
I shook my head no.
“I’ll get it,” Rio said and went around the bar to start making my drink.
“So, she’s your DD. I get it,” Benji said as if it made sense. “Pops making you ride with a DD after the last DUI? Or does he know? Saul said he handled it. Did someone leak it to the old man?”
Rio shook his head but said nothing. Benji shrugged and turned his attention back to the brunette. “You need another?” he asked her. “I’m about to head out to the deck. I need some salty air.”
The girl jumped down off her stool. “I’m good,” she said, ready to go with him it would seem. “I want to see the sunset.”
His gaze shifted back to me and he smirked then picked up his drink. “See y’all outside,” he said before walking around the bar.
Once they were gone, Rio slid the club soda across the bar. “Guess you know why I had to be bailed out of jail now,” he said with a crooked grin. “Not my best moment.”
It didn’t sound like it was his only moment either but I didn’t point that out. I took a drink of the soda and he reached into the ice bucket and pulled out a bottle of beer.
We walked down the three steps to the second level of the large room and Rio didn’t even glance over at the couple on the sofa. He kept walking toward the doors leading outside to the deck. I wished I had taken one shot of vodka in my soda now. It would have relaxed me enough for this. There were at least ten people from what I could see out there and I was going to have to meet several of them and face the one who wouldn’t be happy I was here.
The door hadn’t even closed behind us when my eyes found Saul, leaning against the railing with his gaze locked on me. I quickly looked away from him, now more nervous than ever. Rio, however, walked directly to the one person I was trying to avoid. I wanted to grab his arm and pull him back then beg him to go talk to anyone else out here. Anyone. I did not care.
Now that we were outside I could see that the railing Saul was leaning against had an opening that went down to a second deck with a swimming pool. The pool had an unobstructed view of the beach. I was surprised the majority of the people weren’t enjoying the pool.
“Henley!” Drake’s voice called out and I found him sitting on a lounge chair with a different brunette in his lap. I wondered if he had asked her about blow jobs yet.