Once I’m home, I shower, eat, get dressed, then hang out for a bit before I get too bored and leave for the bar early. It’s Friday night, and after the week I’ve had, I could use the alcohol.
I walk into the Coliseum and see the guys haven’t arrived yet. Not that I should be too surprised. Liam’s always late, and Brandon probably got lost in his bed with Lennon. They’ve only been dating for a few months, but I can tell he’s head over heels in love with her already. It’s sickeningly cute, but I’d never admit that aloud.
Lennon’s a year younger than us, and now that she’s on summer break, she and Brandon are attached at the hip. When he suggested a time to meet up, I should’ve known that actually meant an hour later.
Instead of calling them out for their tardiness, I decide to order a beer. We’ve been coming here since before we could legally drink, so the bartender knows us all by name.
“Riding solo tonight, Holt?” Dan asks as he grabs me a beer.
“Nah, just waiting on everyone.” He hands over a bottle, and I tell him to start a tab.
Ten minutes pass, and I check my phone and see Hunter got caught up at work and will be late. We graduated two months ago, and the asshole already has a full-time job in construction management. Not that he didn’t work his ass off for it; I’m just bitter I still have to finish graduate school, complete internships, and gain more work experience before I can even consider applying for my dream job as a forensic investigator. Three more years and then I’ll hopefully be doing what I truly want with my life.
I send him a snarky text and tell him to hurry. However, knowing Hunter, he’s probably just making excuses so he can skip. He’s been doing that a lot lately, mostly since Brandon started dating Lennon, and I’m convinced it’s not a coincidence. In fact, I think he’s avoiding her like the plague, which means one of two things: he thinks she’s annoying to be around and can’t stand their PDA, or he secretly wants to fuck her.
My money’s on the latter.
Though he’d never admit it since his loyalty to Brandon is solid. He’s a smart guy for staying away as much as possible, which will be a lot easier once she’s back at school in the fall.
Just as I’m finishing my first beer, a brunette bombshell comes to the bar, and it takes me only seconds to decide I need to buy her a drink.
Dan asks what she wants, and I watch as she sucks in her plump lower lip and hesitates for a second.
“Jack and Coke, please,” she finally orders, setting down her clutch. I take the opportunity to run my gaze down her body and notice how amazing she looks. She has a section of her hair in a braid that wraps around the top of her head like a headband. It looks so damn good on her.
“Put hers on my tab, Dan, and bring me another, please,” I speak up, and she turns and locks her gaze on mine.
“And who might you be?” She raises a brow, and I study her features as if I’ll be tested on them later. Her sun-kissed skin looks so damn smooth that I’m tempted to reach out and touch her just to see if I’m right.
“Mason,” I respond, smirking at the way she’s looking me up and down. Leaning toward her, I whisper, “And what’s your name?”
“Well, I guess since you bought me a drink, you’ve earned the right to know,” she taunts as Dan places the glass on a napkin in front of her and scoots another beer toward me. “Thank you, by the way.”
“You’re welcome…” I linger, waiting as she takes her first sip.
“Sophie,” she finally responds with a sweet smile.
“That’s a beautiful name,” I tell her. “Sophie.”
“Thank you.” She grabs her clutch and drink, stepping back.
Where the hell is she going?
“Wait.” I reach out and gently grab her arm. “Aren’t you gonna stay?”
Sophie’s gaze lands on my hand and then moves back to my eyes, her expression unreadable. “It takes more than one drink to seduce me,” she says, her voice filled with temptation and fire. “But since I’m waiting for my sister, I guess it won’t hurt to sit here.”
She flashes a playful grin, then takes a seat next to me.
“Wow, thanks for making me feel like an obligation,” I tease. “I wasn’t trying to seduce you, by the way.”
“Really? I think that’s exactly why you bought me a drink,” she accuses, the corner of her lips tilting up. “But if it makes you feel any better, it’s not much of a hardship, considering the view.” Her eyes drift down my body, then back up again.