I smile at him, hoping he can see all the words I am trying to say with my eyes. “Thank you for coming with me today.”
Before I allow him to respond, I hop in the back seat next to Haylee. He looks at me, unsure of what to say. I see a slight smile appear on his face as he closes the door and gets in his seat. I don’t know what it is about him, but with trying to move forward, I think maybe I’m not afraid to see what’s next…especially if I have him by my side to help me.
“How on earth did you guys find this place?” Dani asks as I hold the door open for her to our favorite restaurant/bar, Lucky’s. They have amazing food, and yeah, it’s a total dive, but those are usually the best places. Tonight was $2 taco night and $5 margaritas. It also happens to be karaoke night. I have a few tricks up my sleeve to get Danielle up on the stage—I just haven’t shared that with her. I had hoped I would hear her sing again since that day we had overheard her in the shower, but no such luck. She seriously has a voice of an angel. I figure good food, great company, and a little liquid courage should be a good combination to get her up there.
I spot Zach and Haylee over at our usual table and place my hand on Dani’s lower back to escort her over. She doesn’t flinch at my touch now. I’d say that’s a good sign, right? Things were a little tense at first, post-kitchen-kiss, but things have gotten better. Neither of us has brought it up though. I don’t know about her, but I sure as hell want to do it again. That kiss…that kiss was better than I dreamed.
“You going to join us, or are you just going to stand there all night like a coatrack,” Zach jokes. I realize that Dani has had time to sit down and I’m still standing here at my seat, lost in my thoughts of my mouth on hers.
“Asshole,” I mutter under my breath but loud enough so he can hear me, and everyone laughs as I take a seat next to Dani. I look over to her, and she seems nervous. The cool, calm, and collected girl that was with me on the ride over here has been replaced by the nervous, closed-off girl I had initially met. Is it because we’re out in public with Zach and Haylee? I see her hands fidgeting in her lap, so I reach over to her hand and give her a smile and wink, showing her that it’s okay, but she gives me only one of those weak smiles. Oh no, that just won’t do. But on a positive note, she doesn’t pull her hand away. So that’s progress.
The waiter comes over and we order the usual: two pitchers of margaritas and a variety of tacos—chicken, shrimp, fish, steak, barbacoa. While they aren’t huge, they aren’t small either. I am proud to say I know how to get down on tacos. Haylee was extremely grossed out by how much we ate the first night Zach brought her with us. She told me she couldn’t look at me for a week—hell, I couldn’t look at me for a week either.
The waiter brings us our pitchers and four glasses. “I propose a toast,” Zach says as he holds up his glass. I can’t help but notice the choice of words he used there. I know for a fact that Zach has been carting around an engagement ring to ask Haylee to marry him, but he held off when Dani randomly appeared back in his life. For her, he has put it off while she adjusted getting used to them being together. I guess he doesn’t want to freak her out so she runs away again, which I can’t blame him for because I’m not ready for her to leave.
“How lucky am I right now to have my girl”—he smiles at Haylee—“my sister back, and my best friend out on the town. To love, family, and friendship.”
“Cheers!” we all say in unison as we clink our glasses together.
Dani’s eyes go wide, and I can’t help but let out a laugh at her expression when the waiter delivers our food. We probably have about twenty tacos, and I’d say there won’t be any leftovers by the end of the night. Dani grabs a steak taco first and puts extra sour cream on it and a little salsa before taking a bite.
“Mmmmmmmmm. Oh my God.” She moans.
“Good, huh?” Haylee laughs, covering her mouth after taking a bite of her shrimp taco. That girl can get down on some seafood, let me tell you. Our last trip to Baltimore, we had steamed crabs at this restaurant, and I thought for sure she’d put them out of business. I have no idea where she puts it all, although I’m sure she works it all off—sadly, I have had the pleasure of hearing her and Zach at times.
We sit a few minutes without speaking, but the silence is quickly overtaken when the head bartender, Scott, steps up to the stage and everyone cheers. Dani looks around, a little confused as to where we brought her.
“Hey, hey, how’s everyone doing tonight?” Scott yells into the microphone. “Thirsty Taco Night wouldn’t be the same without our favorite part of the evening…karaoke!”
The color drains from Dani’s face, and she begins to shake her head as if we just asked her to get up there. Little does she know that I do have a plan to get her up there. She takes a big swig of her margarita and laughs. “Well, this night just got a little more interesting.”
She’s playing right into my plan. “Yeah, I don’t know why anyone would ever want to get up there. That’s just ridiculous.”
Zach and Haylee both chuckle, catching on to my sarcasm since Zach and I get up there every time, sometimes even more than once in a night. However, Dani doesn’t do that. I give Zach a look in hopes he can read my mind as to what I’m thinking and not rat us out.
“Yeah, you’d never get me up there.” Yet I don’t really believe Dani when she says that since she’s looking at the stage as if she wants to get up there really bad. Here goes nothing…
“You couldn’t even pay me to get up there and make a fool of myself. What about you, Zach?” I stare into his eyes to play along.
“Ha! Yeah, I don’t think so, not me. I don’t do that shit.”
Haylee is hiding behind her glass, trying to fight back the laughter as she watches this unfold. A devilish smirk emerge
s on Dani’s face, and I realize she bought right into my plan, knowing how Zach told me they used to be so competitive as kids.
“I dare you to get up there, Zach. What are you afraid of? Huh? Is poor little Zachy scared?” She sticks her bottom lip out in a mock sad face—shit, what I wouldn’t give to bite that lip of hers. Damnit, Kyler, get your mind out of the gutter and let this plan unfold.
Zach narrows his eyes at her. “Fine. I’ll get up there if Kyler gets up there. I’m not making a jackass out of myself alone.” He turns his gaze to mine.
I tilt my head as if I’m thinking it over. Duh, of course I’m going to do it, but I can’t let Dani know I’m giving in right away. I hold my index finger up. “I will on one condition.”
“And what’s that?” she questions.
“If we get up there, then you”—I point my finger at her—“get up there and sing something too.”
She turns her attention from me to the stage, back and forth; she is thinking hard about it. I stick my hand out to shake on our deal, but she just looks down at it before once again turning to the microphone on the stage. She looks at her brother, who has a super-nervous expression in hopes she will buy it.
Finally, she extends her hand and we shake on it. “Deal. You both get up there, then I will, but judging by my brother’s expression, I think he might throw up those delicious tacos before getting his ass up there on stage, so looks like you’re gonna lose.”