“The other shop owners and I rented out the upstairs VIP area of that new club that just opened up down the street,” she replied.
“That’s what I like to hear. What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”
“I have some things to take care of here first, but you all go ahead. I’ll meet you there.”
Just before Del could turn to go backstage, Lizzy grabbed her hand. “Actually, please don’t hate me. But I’m going to skip the afterparty. Congrats on everything, though. It all came together beautifully.”
“Oh no, girl! Okay. It’s alright. If I didn’t have to make an appearance at this damn thing, I’d probably rather go home and soak in a long hot bath myself.” Del hugged her goodbye before rushing off.
Lizzy bent down to grab her purse from under her seat, but I was waiting to meet her face to face the moment she popped back up. A move that appeared to throw her for a loop judging by her facial expression.
“What do you mean you’re skipping the afterparty? Those are some of the most tragic words anyone could ever speak.”
She stared down at her feet with a blushing smile. “It’s just that I have an early shift at the diner and then I’m closing at Del’s shop. I really shouldn't be out too late.”
I saw the perfect opportunity to show off my new watch again as I pulled up the sleeve of my suit to check the time. “It’s barely past eight o’clock. Come on. Surely you’ve got time for one drink? You wouldn’t go straight to bed when you got home anyway, would you?”
I could feel Joey, Ben, and Nick glaring at me. I had sworn off having anything to do with Lizzy, but it was harder to resist the temptation to flirt a little when she was right in front of me. Besides, she had picked out some cool stuff for me at the shop. The least I could do was get to know her a little better. No harm in that.
“I don’t know,” she said hesitantly.
“One drink. On me. Don’t make me beg.”
The faint pink on her pale cheeks turned a deep shade of red. It was pretty cute, and for the first time, I noticed how beautiful her ivory complexion was. Her face was round and plump in a classic sort of way with perfectly curved shiny lips that made her look like a porcelain doll. I was certain if I ever went so far as to brush my fingers against her cheek, it would be cold and smooth to the touch, like glass.
“I guess one drink wouldn’t hurt,” she shrugged.
“At least not until tomorrow,” I replied with a wink.
“Hey, we said one drink. Not five. I’m only coming along if you promise to make me behave and stop after one drink to go home to bed.”
“I’m the wrong person to ask about making a woman behave,” I answered in a sly, deep tone. I didn’t mean to sound so suggestive, but I couldn’t pass that one up.
I could see Lizzy practically squirm with embarrassment over the comment, and I had to admit it was pretty adorable how she struggled to hide her crush. It made me want to push the limits even more just to watch her fall to pieces. The big city and all the models and actresses I had messed around with got me used to an icy kind of girl who either forced herself to fawn all over me to show her interest or she showed next to no emotion at all. Lizzy was neither of those things, and it was pretty damn refreshing.
The club was within walking distance from the venue and it already had a long line waiting out front. Cherry Falls used to be home to nothing more than dive bars, but the population boom had brought on the demand for a bustling nightlife scene. And plenty of hungry business owners and real estate guys like myself were just chomping at the bit to meet the need. Not only was there money to be made, but it also got the small town feeling a little more like home.
Thankfully, we were passing the line outside for a side entrance that led directly to the staircase of the private VIP lounge that we had to ourselves for the evening. Well, ourselves and whoever else from the fashion show who managed to get an invite. It was mostly the shop owners who helped Del organize the show, but the models were starting to arrive as well. I noted to myself that once Lizzy left, I would have plenty of hot girls to try to sweet talk for the evening.
“So, you’re juggling two jobs, huh?” I asked Lizzy once we had settled into a booth with our drinks. Joey, Ben, Nick, and Angel were sitting around us. But somehow she and I ended up right next to each other again. “The diner and Del’s shop?”
She nodded while sipping from her straw. “Yeah, I mean...I’ve worked at the diner since high school, so I felt bad leaving them hanging after all this time. And I couldn’t disappoint Del either. Angel and I helped out with the shop for free for so long, and now she is actually able to pay us.”
“Wow, I couldn’t imagine doing any kind of work for free.”
“It’s easy when it’s for your best friend. We wanted to see her dream come true, you know?”
“And what about you?” I asked, leaning in closer while the others talked around us. “Do you have any big dreams you’re waiting to come true?”
Her eyes lit up, but she didn’t seem too eager to tell me whatever was on her mind. “Not really. I just want to be there for the people I care about. It’s easy to get swept up in that and forget about the rest of it when you live in a small town like this.” She brushed a strand of her strawberry blonde hair behind her ears. “Though I guess it’s less and less like a small town every day. Maybe that will help me break out of my rut and figure out what it is I want to do with my life now that…”
She trailed off and quickly started sipping her drink again to save herself from finishing the sentence. But I was pulled in by then and needed to know.
“Now that...what? Did something not pan out the way you hoped?”
“You could say that,” she sighed.
“I’m going to get another drink from the bar for Del,” Nick announced as everyone stood to let him out.
Ben had been staring down a group of hot girls on the dance floor and saw it as his opportunity to join them. “I guess I’ll go get my groove on.”
“Bro’,” I cringed. “No. Just no. Don’t say that.”
He rolled it off and Angel hopped up to join him, dragging a very reluctant Joey along behind her. I knew Ben would bring out all of his classic lame moves and make a fool of himself while Joey stood in one place bobbing his head to the beat. I hoped Angel was a good enough dancer to make up for those two.
Meanwhile, I turned back to Lizzy now that we were alone. “What were you saying before?”
“I don’t think I was saying anything.” She shook her head with wide eyes, avoiding the whole topic like a plague.
“You said something about stuff not turning out like you planned.”
“No, you said that,” she laughed nervously.
“But you agreed.”
“Oh, is that Del? It is. She just came in.”
I turned around to see a completely different woman walking in through the door. There was no way Lizzy would mistake a stranger for her best friend. She was just trying to dodge the question, and I had to admit...I was a sucker for a good mystery, especially when it was wrapped up in the package of a beautiful woman.
“So, what are your dreams? You do real estate stuff?” she blurted, trying to change the subject before I could point out her obvious distraction ploy.