I shrug him off. “Er. Ha ha.” I’m so nervous right now I could barf on his shoes. “I hadn’t planned on it.”
Brian hops up off his stool. “Let me walk you to your car.”
He doesn’t put his hand on me or put his hand around my shoulder—thank God—but he’s walking close to me, invading my personal space.
I can’t wait to tell the girls about this one: Brian from high school is gross, big shocker.
The parking lot is too dark for my liking. Only a few lights off to the side of the lot illuminate the area, but I’m grateful I got a good spot next to the building.
I unlock it so the sidelights glow, giving me more light.
“Well. It was good catching up,” I lie again ’cause it wasn’t. I barely had a chance to talk, let alone update him on anything going on in my life, which is fine. Who cares? I don’t need this jerk to know anything about me anyway.
Brian leans against my car. “You sure you’re done for the night?”
Ew.
“Yup,” I pop the ‘P,’ irritated. I said what I said, and I’m not changing my mind, no matter how insistent he is that we carry on with the evening.
“Can I at least get a kiss?”
A kiss?
“Um.” I stall. “How about a hug instead?”
Brian laughs, pushing himself off my car, coming over to hug me.
And hug me.
And hug me.
When I pull away, he grabs me again, lifting me off the ground to carry me.
I swat at him until my feet hit the ground.
He laughs.
—until he’s not laughing at all.
“You think that’s funny, asshole?”
Brian’s feet are hanging off the ground by feet, not inches the way mine were, Duke’s powerful arms wrapped around his waist as he hoists him up.
My hand instantly flies to my mouth in shock. Shock, I say!
“Oh my God, Duke.” The words come flying out of my mouth before I can stop them. The sight of my roommate holding my date off the ground has me completely shell-shocked.
Decked out in his “disguise”—wig, hat, sunglasses, and all—Duke isn’t hurting Brian, but he’s caught him off guard. And from the looks of him, Brian is not happy.
“Put me down, you motherfucker,” he curses, kicking his legs like a little kid.
“Ah, ah, ah—be nice,” Duke coos in his ear. “I watched you mishandlin’ Ms. Kettner from my car and thought you might like a taste of your own medicine.” He pauses. “Were you plannin’ on walkin’ off with her?”
“No! I was saying goodbye,” Brian lies. “Who the fuck is this, Posey? Tell him to put me down.”
He needsmeto tell Duke to release him?
Duke and I both ignore Brian.