To make her mine.
“Your drinks are up,” the bartender said, and Lina flinched within my grasp.
We swung by and snagged them, then I led her to the table, and we sat, facing the dance floor. The song had morphed into something fast and techno-filled so it’d all but cleared the floor. Seemed everyone was more into the slow, touchy songs.
I knew I was. Normally I liked the fast stuff while bouncing at the bar, it kept my pace up. The slow ones where everyone was groping someone reminded me of what I once had and couldn’t have again.
Until now.
“You’re thinking pretty hard over there,” Lina said then sipped her soda.
“Just wondering how you’re doing.” I shifted in my seat, needing to relieve the pressure her little kissing session had caused in my jeans. Her body was made to fit mine. I knew it.
“Fine. Next slow song is ours.”
“Well, let me go tell them what song we want.” I stood, and her eyes widened.
“You’re going?” Her knuckles whitened as she gripped her glass.
“I can stay. Sorry.” I shook my head. “I wasn’t thinking.”
“What song would you tell them?” she asked as I sat down again. God, I was an idiot. It was so strange not being able to leave her.
“An old one.” I took a drink. “But it’s cool. A classic.”
“Now I’m intrigued.” She glanced across the floor. “Just over there, right?” She pointed to the DJ.
“Yeah. But I can do it next time. I’m not leaving you.”
“I could come with, but I’d rather be surprised. I’ll stay. You go.”
“Sure?”
“Hurry fast.” She smiled. It wasn’t the one in the picture I’d seen earlier, and it was now my mission to get that smile back.
I studied her for a few seconds, weighing the risks. I’d be gone less than two minutes. She’d be within eyesight the whole time. Out of it maybe ten seconds while I talked to the DJ.
“I’ll be fine.” She patted my hand. “I want to dance with you.”
I hopped out of my seat, tossed my coat onto the chair, then hustled across the floor. I wanted to dance with her, too, but mostly I wanted to hold her. Close. Wanted to feel her against me again and enjoy New Year’s Eve with her in my arms.
I threw a glance over my shoulder, and she was watching me, her focus never straying. Talk about pressure.
“What’s up, man?” The DJ pulled an earphone away from his left ear and leaned toward me. I told him my song, and he grinned. “Kicking it old school. Nice.”
I turned around and found Lina right away. She still stared at me, staying focused, but what I saw behind her was more of an issue than anything. A tall, skinny guy, holding two glasses of wine walked toward her.
Only thing, there wasn’t anyone with him to merit holding two glasses. Did he think that wine was formy girl?
* * *
Angelina
Hunter picked up his pace toward me, his focus shifting over my left shoulder. A tall, skinny guy with a buzz cut and a shadowed jaw walked in my direction, his glacial gaze fixed on me. He held two glasses of red wine in his hands and nodded at me.
That wasn’t the bartender. We hadn’t ordered any wine, either. I hopped out of my seat and was to Hunter in four long strides.
The guy smiled and set the drinks on my table. “Compliments of the house. Sparkling Cider.”