A sharp elbow to my side knocks me out of my stupor and I turn on Jace. He’s not looking at me, though. He’s transfixed too, eyes glued to the little group.
“Seriously, Caleb… You know her?”
I frown.
“What? You don’t recognize her without the engine grime?”
This time, it’s Jace’s turn to look confused. He breaks the magnetic hold on his stare and assesses me like I’m an idiot.
“Not Lizzie. The girl with her. The one in black. You seen her before?”
In truth, I can’t say that I have. But then, I’ve never been one for faces and names. My interactions are always sweet and simple. Efficient and perfunctory. What use would a hundred memorized female faces be to me?
All I know of the girl in black is what’s obvious in the here and now. That she’s beautiful, that she’s dressed to kill and that she’s very, very nervous.
While the girl in lavender has sped away toward a group of kids her own age, the girl with snow-white skin is sticking to Lizzie like glue. Not actually touching her, but hovering at Lizzie’s elbow, her eyes never meeting those around her. Her little frame is drawn inward.
Someone is not pleased to be here.
I feel ya, sister.
“Lizzie!”
I have never wanted to punch Jace more than in this moment. Hand raised, voice calling, he is not only attracting the attention of the two women but of half the Forge’s residents along with it. I resist the urge to tug at my collar or rip free the knot of my tie.
“Come here! Lizzie!” he calls again before I can elbow him in the gut.
“Alright, alright. Quit your hollering!”
With a wide and easy grin on her face, Lizzie navigates the chattering crowd, skirts the informal dance floor, and heads toward us. Whether it’s the heels or the dress, something has given Lizzie the feminine confidence to strut her stuff. The sway of her hips is doing maddening things to my body temperature.
“I suppose I should feign surprise that you clean up so nice?” Jace says, his eyes flickering over and again to Lizzie’s nervous companion. “Not that I doubted it.”
“Oh, yeah?” Lizzie challenges.
“Absolutely. A beautiful woman can never truly hide. You can always see it.”
I roll my eyes.
And now Lizzie is looking my way, no doubt with all manner of expectation. If she’s waiting for me to put together some kind of compliment, she’ll be waiting awhile.
“You look good, Caleb.”
Oh. Dear God but I can feel that tell-tale heat in my cheeks again. I never blush. What is it about this woman that turns me into a fourteen-year-old kid?
Jace’s impatience saves me from unknotting my tongue and formulating a halfway intelligent reply.
“Who’s your friend?” he asks.
I’m not sure the women have noticed but Jace is practically vibrating beside me. Like a tuning fork, he’s focused on this new, potential conquest like a foxhound on its prey.
Lizzie seems momentarily surprised that Jace is unfamiliar with the girl. Which only makes sense, I suppose.
“Oh, you guys need introducing… This is—”
“Oh, don’t mind me.” the stranger says. Even with her soft tone of voice, she overrides Lizzie. The nervous stress in her tone has her voice rising amidst the hubbub of the party. “I’ll let you guys catch up and just grab myself a drink.” A heavy blush brings so much color to the girl’s face that her cheeks almost rival her lips. She’s moving backward and flapping her hands as if to dust away her momentary presence.
Lizzie suddenly looks worried.