Thom had been avoiding me studiously since our encounter the day before, and Donna had only dropped by for a little while before taking off to hang out with another one of her friends. If I had been the old version of me, I might have been pissed she wasn’t bothering to look out for me, but this new version didn’t care. In fact, this new version was glad she wouldn’t have to be worried about the competition when she went out. Donna knew how to move, how to dance, how to flirt, and I needed the best shot I could get without her by my side.
I just hoped Jason was still there so I could pick up where I’d left off with him. I had no clue what I was going to do--march up to him and tell him I was ready, and I wanted him to take me right there and then? From everything Donna had told me, there were a few guys out there who would have taken that offer, so I just had to hope Jason was one of them.
Thom passed me in the corridor as I was heading for the door, and he did a double-take when he saw what I was wearing. I didn’t even glance in his direction. I could see it pissed him off, but I didn’t care. I wanted him pissed, just the same way he had left me feeling so frustrated and rejected the day before. It was what he deserved. Still, it was good to know this outfit was having the effect I wanted it to have. I needed men falling over themselves to get to me, and if one who had outright sworn me off couldn’t resist checking me out, then I would take that as a good sign.
I caught a cab to the bar and walked in with my head held high, hoping nobody could tell how nervous I was. Not about the thought of what I was going to do, mind you. No, I was excited about that. But nervous that they would take one look at me and laugh in my face for even thinking I had a chance of proving myself in such a place. I was still just twenty, and I was worried that they would ID me or something, or kick me out for even trying ...
But then I saw a couple of men at the bar checking me out, and I rolled my shoulders back and promised myself I could do this. I could do this. Completely and utterly, I was certain of it. It felt like their gaze on my skin was pouring power into me; with every step I took I stood a little taller and moved with a little more confidence. That’s when I saw Jason sitting at the end of the bar. My heart leaped. Showtime.
Or, it would have been, if he wasn’t there with another woman.
My stomach dropped when I saw the girl sitting next to him.
She had a crop of brown hair, a piercing through her eyebrow, and a slick of bright red lipstick that seemed to make her glow with an almost ethereal beauty. Her skin was icy-pale and she was skinny and slender. When she glanced around at me to see where Jason was looking, an expression passed over her face I couldn’t put my finger on.
Maybe that was his girlfriend? But no, he was waving me over, and surely, he wouldn’t have dared do that if he was there with someone he was meant to be exclusive with. I took a deep breath, trying to figure out if I was actually going to do this or not. I could just find someone else, pretend not to see him. But then I saw his hand on the other girl’s leg, and I felt that jolt of jealousy that drove me over to join them. I pulled up a stool next to them, tossed my hair over one shoulder, and smiled at him.
"Hey, Jason," I greeted him sweetly. "Sorry I left in such a hurry last time."
"Yeah, guess we didn’t get to finish what we started," he remarked, and his eyes trailed down my outfit.
I crossed my legs, playing demure. I figured that was the best weapon I had in my arsenal, given that it was true. "Guess not," I replied.
He waved down the bartender and ordered me the same drink I had the first time I was there with him.
"So, you come to this place often?" the girl asked me.
I was surprised she was offering me any attention at all. Weren’t the two of us meant to be in competition? I figured the best course of action was just to play nice with her and hope she figured out soon that I had a history with this man I was certain she couldn’t lay claim to.
"No," I replied. "I only came for the first time last week. I’m … new in town. Not here for long. Just staying with family."
"Is your family here with you tonight?" she asked, glancing around.
I shook my head. "Nope, just me."
"Been that kind of family gathering, huh?” she remarked sympathetically.
I smiled at her. "Yeah, I guess it has been," I admitted, and she reached over to squeeze my arm. I was surprised by the gentleness of her touch. She didn’t seem to be doing this to play nice, she actually meant it.
"Trust me, I get that," she assured me. "I like to come out to these places to blow off some steam."
"Me too," I agreed.
"And what does blowing off steam look like for you two?” Jason asked as he handed me my beer.
I took a sip, and instantly felt that rush of freedom that had come from the very first time I had ever tasted that stuff.
"Oh, you know," the girl replied, pushing her hand through her hair. "Doing all the stuff that my family would disapprove of."
I noticed that she had beautiful eyes: bright green, so bright they seemed to reflect the neon strip lights behind the bar. I could see why Jason had centered in on her. She was gorgeous. I found myself wanting to reach out and touch her cheek, but I pushed that quickly to the back of my mind. I was just misplacing all the frustration I had been carrying around with me the last few days, that was all. And I certainly didn’t need to project it all over this random chick who my hook-up was flirting with at the bar.
"This is Cara, by the way," Jason introduced his companion to me. "We just met here tonight. She’s moved to the area recently."
"Yeah, I broke up with my girlfriend and I came down here," she replied casually, and my eyes widened. I was getting better at playing worldly, but I hadn’t met a real-life lesbian before.
"You had a girlfriend?" I asked.
She nodded. "Or I used to," she replied with a grin on her face. She glanced over at Jason. "It’s amazing the things you miss when you don’t have them, right?”
"It really is," he agreed.
The way he was looking at her made my stomach clench up. I wanted to be the only one he looked at like that. I knew I was going to have to put on quite a show if I was going to convince him in any way, shape, or form that I was the one he should have been paying attention to.
I drank my beer and I laughed at his jokes, and every time Cara would slide in with some sexy comment, I would play off against her. Sure, she had experience on her side, but I had the lack of it. I could sell that to him, right? Convince him that taking me for the first time would be better than having her. But then, every time she would casually drop in mention of the girls she’d dated, I would see his eyes light up, and I knew he liked that idea way more than anything I was offering. What was I meant to do to get my point across?
"So, Cara, you ever been with a guy before?” I asked her finally, deciding it was the best way to just cut to this chase.
"Of course I have," she replied, grinning at me. "Why do you ask?"
"You just talk a lot about the girls you were with, that’s all. I thought that maybe--"
"You jealous?" There was a playful tinge to her voice.
I stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out what she was getting at. And then, I felt her knees bumping up against mine, the smile tracing its way over her face sunk in. All at once.