Reagan looks to the girls eyeing me up like a prize. “Why’s that?” She bats her lashes, playing it all innocent like she doesn’t know why. “I think the two next to Ginny are playing rock, paper, scissors to decide which one gets to make a move next.”
“That’s weird, right?”
“Yeah, that’s weird,” she confirms.
“If only I had someone else to be my date tonight.” I tap my chin. “Keep the crazies away.” Date, friend, bodyguard.
Her dimples pop out and she gives me a big, wide smile. “Oh, I see. You want me to be your beard.”
“You’re too beautiful to be anyone’s beard. Let’s go with date.”
Ginny walks into the kitchen and looks back and forth between us. “What are you two talking about?”
I grab her a hard seltzer from the fridge and toss it to her. “Reagan’s my date for the night.”
“He’s joking,” Reagan says quickly. “He’s hiding out.”
“I think it’s a great idea. You two would be adorable together.” My sister beams.
“All right, easy on the booze,” Reagan says to her. “Remember last night?”
“Yes, I do. Do you?” Ginny volleys back. They share some sort of look that I can’t decipher.
“Baby doll,” Heath calls to Ginny from the living room. “You’re too far away.”
“Gotta go,” she says and skips off toward her boyfriend and my roommate. It’s easy to see that Heath is crazy about her, but I’m still not loving that my baby sister is dating one of my teammates. Not that she asked. She didn’t. My little sister is in a relationship and I’m… I don’t know what this is I’m doing yet. If it’s playing the field, then I suck at it and I don’t enjoy sucking at anything.
“They seem happy.” Reagan watches them over the top of her wine glass.
“Yeah. I think they are.”
“You don’t look as angry as you did a couple of months ago when you’re in the same room as them.”
“As long as he doesn’t hurt her, we’re good.”
“You should try saying that with a smile.”
My jaw loosens. Shit, I do sound like a grump. “What about you? No date tonight, so that must mean last night’s blind date was a dud?”
“How did you know?” She nods her head and glances at my sister. “Ginny?”
“Yeah. Before she rushed out of here last night, taking my wine, she mentioned something about your date ordering a salad for you.”
“He was a Scorpio. I should have known better. I don’t need a man to order for me, and if he does, it better be something chocolate. Also, the wine was delicious and more than made up for my bad dinner, so thanks for that.”
I’m grinning at her. This might be the most I’ve ever talked to Reagan, just the two of us. And the most she’s ever said about herself.
One of the girls that came over with Leah comes into the kitchen and steps closer than necessary. Her friends wait behind her. Our kitchen isn’t that big. She could stand on the other side of it and we’d be close enough to whisper.
I wonder if she won rock, paper, scissors, and if so, what she won with. Can I ask that?
“Adam, you have to come outside with us. We’re going to play flip cup.” She takes my hand and tugs.
“Sorry.” I don’t budge. “I don’t want to ditch my date for the night.”
“Date?” Her voice climbs and she searches my face.
I look over her head to Reagan and give her my best pleading eyes.
“Sorry girls.” She sweeps in front of them and nuzzles into my side. “Tonight he’s all mine. I even had to fight for him,” she says that last bit with steel in her voice.
Her hand gently slides up my stomach and rests on my chest. Well, that feels… nice.
“I thought you were just the neighbor,” one of the girls says.
It’s a good thing one of us is an amazing actress. Reagan doesn’t miss a beat. “Is that what you heard?” She laughs sweetly, just a hint of condescension.
“Okay, well since Leah left, we need one more anyway. Both of you have to join us.” The girl motions for us to follow and steps toward the sliding glass door that leads to the deck.
As soon as they’re out of sight, Reagan jumps away from me. “Sorry.”
Yeah, so am I. Sorry that she’s no longer touching me.
“No, that was perfect.” I tip my head toward outside. “What do you say?”
“Don’t you think they’ll figure out we’re not really on a date?”
I take her hand in mine. Yep, definitely nice. “No way. Not with Scarlett Johansson by my side.”
She grins. “What about you?”
“Well, I’m no Hollywood actor, so I’ll just do my best to look like I’m not having too bad of a time with you,” I tease. In truth, I don’t worry for a second that we’ll have a good time.
And for the next two hours, we do. I have to say, being the center of Reagan’s attention… I don’t hate it. She’s outspoken, funny, and she keeps touching me. Just little possessive moves every so often. Physical reminders for our new friends. A squeeze of my bicep, a quick hug around my waist, linking our pinky fingers.
“You are ridiculously good at flip cup,” I tell her after she pulls off the win for our team. “Any more hidden talents?”
“Hidden? Where do you think I practiced this talent?”
I nod. Right. Probably in this very spot.
She steps to me so her tits brush against my chest, and she places her hands loosely around my neck. Without hesitation, my hands go around her back.
“You were usually standing on the opposite side of the deck, not paying me any attention,” she whispers. There’s no malice in her tone, but I still feel like an idiot for not noticing.
I lean down until my lips hover near hers. “I’m paying attention now.”
As the sky darkens, we give up on flip cup and sit with our new friends outside on the deck. It’s cold out. The heaters are going and I brought blankets outside to help keep us warm. The girls may have been interested in me to start, but it’s Reagan they’re fawning over now.
She’s sitting next to me. A blanket covers our legs and my hand rests on her thigh over the soft material. Winona and Sage—two of our new friends—lean forward and are touching her hair, complimenting her and basically just totally girl-crushing.
“You two should come with us to Theta for the after-hours party.”
“Oh, uh…” Reagan looks to me.
“I think we’re going to pass tonight,” I say and squeeze Reagan’s leg.
They prepare to leave, and Winona and Sage take turns hugging Reagan.
“You two are so cute together,” Sage says. She’s trying to say it so that only Reagan can hear, but her drunk whisper isn’t quiet at all.
“The cutest, right?” Reagan says. She waves as they go back through the apartment to leave.
When it’s just the two of us left outside, Reagan lets out a long breath and slumps back into her chair, giggling. “Wow.”
“Thank you for that. Standing ovation-worthy performance.” The few stragglers that haven’t left or gone to bed are inside in front of the TV watching Rhett and Heath battle it out on the Xbox.