And what if he really was the Prince Charming I didn’t know I’d been waiting for all this time?
14
PARKER
Recesswasabarthat had started as a nightclub close to UCLA, a place for students to hang out and get drunk. It had failed—maybe the name had been too cheesy or the décor had been a miss, or any of the plethora of other things that could go wrong with a business.
Instead, an older crowd of people had decided to become regulars, and all that remained of the dream of a cheap student bar was the name.
They still had specials on a Wednesday, but instead of calling it Student Night they called it Half Price Shooters. The décor had shifted from a frat-house vibe to something more classic, a wooden interior with varying shades of brown.
Music blared from large mounted speakers and smoke hung against the ceiling.
Ryan was already at the bar, throwing back shots of tequila with two girls.
I grinned and walked to him.
“Oh, hey!” Ryan said. He was already tipsy; I could tell by his overexcitement to see me. “This is Ashleigh and Jodi.” He turned to the girls, who both stared at me.
“This is—”
“Parker Conrad,” Jodi said with reverence. “We know.”
They giggled, hanging on each other, and I rolled my eyes. I turned to the bar and ordered their best whiskey. Ryan added another two tequilas to the order.
“For you and me,” he said. He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. “Hot, right? I like Ashleigh if you’re game to taking Jodi.”
The tequila arrived and I grabbed the shot glass. Ryan took his and we threw the alcohol back together. The bitter liquid burned down my throat and I took a deep breath. When my whiskey arrived—on the rocks, the way I liked it—I took a sip to chase the tequila.
“I don’t think Jodi is my type,” I admitted to Ryan.
“Oh ... okay, if Ashleigh’s more your speed—”
“I don’t really want either of them,” I said. The only person I wanted was Emily. Neither of those two came close to Emily.
“What’s wrong?” Ryan asked.
“Nothing’s wrong. I just don’t feel like getting laid tonight.”
Ryan narrowed his eyes at me. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
I laughed. “What else could it mean but exactly what it says?”
“A man isn’t made of stone, Park. Either you’re lying to me, or you already got some.” His eyes widened. “You already got some?”
I shook my head and laughed. “Why would not wanting either of the girls automatically mean I already got some?”
“Come on, buddy,” Ryan said with a grin on his face. “Don’t fuck with me. Who was it?”
“It was ...” I swallowed hard. Now wasn’t the time to tell Ryan. “Nothing serious.”
“It never is with you,” Ryan said, clapping me on the shoulder. “Look, let’s just have fun tonight, okay? You never know how shit will end.” He winked at me, and I laughed. I hoped it wouldn’t end badly. But I wasn’t thinking about Ashleigh and Jodi. I wanted to talk to Ryan about Emily. And when I did, having him a little drunk wouldn’t be a bad thing. Maybe, it would open him up to the idea.
Of course, it could also make him cranky as fuck, and he’d want to deck me because the alcohol worked him up.
Fine fucking line with Ryan. He was in a weird space since his parents divorced. Even though he kept saying it didn’t directly affect him, it did. I could see how it got to him, despite not living at home anymore and having his own policy about dating.
Someone turned the music up, and Ashleigh and Jodi rubbed up against each other, dancing to turn us on. They glanced in our direction and Ryan grinned, leaning on the bar. He was fully invested in their show, willing to take whatever entertainment they offered.