“She didn’t get away. She was never mine.” My voice is quiet. “It was only one dance.”
“Even worse.”
He grins, shaking his head as he starts to go, but I’m right behind him. “Do you ever feel like you’re being pulled in two directions?”
“All the time.” Stopping at the exit, he catches my shoulder. “Night, bro.”
With that, he gives me a slight nudge away from him, back into the bar. “I came here for you.”
“You’ll have time for me.”
He’s gone, and I’m standing in the middle of the patio with the band playing to my left. Daisy looks up from the table, and her eyes flare when they meet mine. A flush of color fills her cheeks.
I figure I might as well make the most of this. Walking to the table where they sit, I slip a hand in the pocket of my jeans. I’m still wearing what I had on this afternoon at her aunt’s house.
“I didn’t expect to see you here.” Holding out a hand to her date, I smile. “Scout Dunne. Daisy and I went to high school together.”
“Senior year,” she quickly corrects me, seeming nervous. “It was just one year.”
The guy’s brow furrows, but he shakes my hand. “Spencer Carrollton. Charleston.”
He’s a dick. I can tell by the way he says his name, he’s more interested in himself than in her, and I’m curious why they’re even here together.
“Are you working in Oceanside?” Maybe he’s a developer.
“No.” He seems offended by the suggestion. “This young lady asked for my expert advice then completely ignored it. I’m only here for the night.”
Perfect.
“Then you won’t mind if I ask her to dance? This is our song, isn’t it?”
Daisy’s mouth drops open. The band is playing “Red, Red Wine,” which I happen to know she hates, but I want to talk to her. I want to know if she’ll say yes.
“Of course not.” Charleston waves us away. “I’ll order wine and this Love Boat combination platter.”
“Just no crunchy or creamy,” she says, and I cover her hand with mine, leading her to the small dance floor where two other couples are swaying side to side.
Daisy’s stiff as I put my hand on her waist, holding her other hand in mine. She doesn’t meet my eyes. Instead, she focuses on my shoulder, not smiling. She’s working so hard to pretend she’s uncomfortable, I can’t resist.
“Who’s the douche?”
Brown eyes snap to mine. “He’s not a douche. Spencer is the friend I told you about. I’m hoping he’ll get me a job at Antiques Today.”
Just what I needed to know. “He’s a douche, and you don’t need his help. You’ve always been smart enough to make your own way.”
The song is just slow enough that I can slide my hand a little further around her waist, moving her closer to my chest. Her small breasts rise and fall faster, brushing the hardness of my chest and filling my mind with dirty thoughts. I want to back her into the shadows and ruin that red lipstick.
“I appreciate your vote of confidence, but the doors don’t fall open for all of us.” She looks away at the table. “Some of us need a little help.”
“The only doors that have opened for me are the ones I’ve tried.” My tone is slightly sharp, and our eyes meet again.
She quickly blinks down again. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t make assumptions.”
We sway in silence, and I can tell the song is ending. I don’t want to leave her this way.
“Forget about it.” I lighten my tone, giving her a smile.
A smile fidgets at the corners of her mouth, and she glances up at me sideways before looking away again quickly. I look over to the lead singer, wishing I could give him a signal to keep going. I’m running out of time.
“It’s been a long time since we danced together.”
She doesn’t look up, but her smile grows. “It was homecoming, first dance of the year.”
“And the last. I still can’t believe you didn’t go to prom with me. All high school romances end at the prom.”
Her nose curls. “We were not a high school romance.”
“We might’ve been. The high school quarterback, all-around hot guy who falls for the quiet, bookish future librarian. It’s the perfect setup for a movie.”
“All-around hot guy…” Her brown eyes roll adorably, and I’m glad the tension seems to have melted. “I’m not a future librarian.”
“I know.” I think about that night. “You did promise to have my back, though.”
“Until you broke the rules and kissed me.”
“It was a really good kiss. We should try it again to see if we’ve still got it.”
She steps out of my arms. “I’ve got a job to finish. Then I’m leaving Fireside.”
“Okay.” I shrug. “I’m not going to be here for long. Maybe we could pass the time together. Hang out.” I lean down to catch her eye. “What do you say, Tink?”
“Tink?”
“Tinkerbell. You remind me of her.”
“Does that make you Peter Pan, the eternal man-child?”
“I’m no child.” It comes out a bit hungrier than I intended, and her cheeks turn red so fast.
Should I say oops? I’m sure as hell not taking it back.
“I’ve got to go.”
She does it, too. She walks off, leaving me alone on the dance floor. I watch her return to the table, where a waitress in short shorts and a black tank is placing a large boat-like platter of raw fish in front of Spencer the douche.
It’s not really my style to come on strong like that. I’m not even sure where it came from. Sure, I’ve always liked Daisy, but when I was at Clemson, I pretty much focused on football and not flunking out.
When I’m around her, it’s different. It’s almost like something takes over me. She’s cute and grumpy, but she’ll talk to me even though she acts like I’m bothering her. It makes me want to bother her more.
Exhaling a laugh, I wipe my hand over my mouth and leave the floor, going straight out the exit. I’m here to visit family before I’m gone for who knows how long. She might be the one that got away, but if I’m smart, I’ll let her stay that way.
Three
Daisy
“Take pictures and send them to me when you’re done.” Spencer’s voice is impatient on the other end of the line. “I’ll run them past Miles and see what he thinks.”
“Thank you, Spence. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”
“You can start by not calling me Spence.”
Scout was wrong about Spencer. He’s not a douche, but he is a pill. Still, he’s a pill who can help me.
He’s also a pill who might be interested in me. It’s really hard to know for sure. Regardless, he’s never made it an issue, and I really appreciate it. He criticizes me and gives me a hard time, but it’s always about the work and my ability. It’s never about sex.
“I’m headed back to Columbia, but I’ll be in touch.”