He probably hadn’t actually meant it like that, anyway. Most guys didn’t. Rico had gotten to know me, and he probably felt all brotherly and protective.
It always went that way for me. I was either one of the guys or a fun little sister. I wasn’t feminine enough to be attractive, though Melody, in all her sisterly duties, would kick me for thinking that. I was a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl all the way. It kind of came with the job. I would’ve hated to bend over to work on something in a dress and heels, flashing my bits to every pervert who walked by.
What would’ve been nice was someone who could just appreciate the casual look I was comfortable in. And of course, keep their mouths shut about it.
“Hey, mopey, drink up!” Melody pushed another shot my way, her face glowing in the dim lighting as she grinned.
At the bar, Stormy waved down the bartender, her amply displayed cleavage making her a top-priority customer.
I lifted the shot glass to my lips, wondering if it had even been worth wearing the lip gloss I’d thrown on before I got here. Looking at the empty glasses on the table, there was probably more on them than on me now. No wonder guys weren’t interested in me. I couldn’t even wear make-up properly.
“Hey, what’s bothering you tonight?” Melody asked, throwing her arm around my neck. “I thought you were looking forward to spending time with your favorite little sister?”
Before I could stop myself, the words tumbled out of my mouth. “I’m not pretty enough to flirt with.” Oh, damn the alcohol. This is why I didn’t drink that often.
Melody froze at my side for a moment, then started eyeing every guy in the vicinity. “Who’s the asshole that told you that? I’ll have his balls.”
“Whoa.” I laughed, grabbing her before she could make good on that with some poor schlub. “No one, it’s nothing. I just…” I sighed and gave in to telling her the truth. “A thing happened, and I’m overthinking it like usual and reading too much into what he said.”
“Oh, do tell.” Stormy landed on the stool across from us, drinks in hand.
So I explained, doing my best to stick to the facts and not the dreamy way his lips quirked up in amusement, or how his seemingly appreciative gaze looked me over from head to toe, how he leaned in close, or how utterly amazing he smelled. All week, he’d been driving me nuts just being nearby.
The girls’ eyes all weighed on me, staring, and suddenly I was self-conscious. Did I misread the entire situation? He wasn’t flirting, couldn’t have been. Right?
“Honey, you need to stop that right now,” Melody admonished, squeezing my shoulders. “You are amazing, beautiful, hot—”
I gave her a weak laugh to interrupt her words and leaned into her, the alcohol buzzing warmly under my skin. “No one has ever called me hot before. I’m too much of a tomboy for that to apply.”
Melody snorted. “Well, he’d be a damn fool to look over you for something that stupid.”
“And every guy in here, too!” Stormy chimed in loudly, raising her glass.
“That’s right!” Melody handed me another shot and we clinked our glasses together. “But the point is that you are stunning the way you are, and I’m sure plenty of guys would agree. It’s not your fault that you’re always around idiots who can’t see your true value under jeans and a button-down. Now, get your sexy ass up and come dance with us!” She tugged on my hand and dragged me from the barstool. As soon as my feet hit the floor, I knew exactly how many shots I’d had. I felt them behind my eyes.
My heart swelled with love for my foster sister, even as she smacked my butt through my skinny jeans and led us out on the floor. I let the music carry me away for a few minutes and tried to stop thinking, feeding off of my sister’s euphoric vibe. Even so, the dancing didn’t last long. I made it through three songs before I felt like I needed to sit down again. I couldn’t bring myself to pull them away from their fun, so I signaled to Melody that I was heading back to our table, receiving a thumbs-up in response.
“Hey, gorgeous. Long time, no see.”
I jumped and spun shakily at the familiar face as he grabbed my arms, steadying me. Towering over me was a blast from the past I’d hoped to never see again: my high school ex, Tye. We’d only dated for a couple of months, and he’d been my first, making me fall for him and believe he was something he definitely wasn’t.
As it turned out, it was all some stupid bet he had going with his jock friends and he dumped me right before prom. All that money wasted on that stupid poufy dress I didn’t even get to wear. It was worse than a teen romance because Tye hadn’t realized in the end how tricking me had been cruel and figured out he was in love with me.
No, he’d simply been cruel.
“How much have you had to drink tonight, Kara?” he asked, grinning smugly as I pulled away and heaved myself back onto the stool. He helped himself to Melody’s seat as his friends took over the rest of our table, adding their beers to our collection of shot glasses and a random martini
