“Oh,” she says and straightens. She looks once more at the television and then hops to her feet in a single move, blonde hair swinging around her shoulder. “Sure. Sorry.”
I take several steps and turn the television off. There’s no way I want to compete with the movie.
“I have guacamole dip in the fridge if you’ll get it out for us.” I take one step to the right and bump into Harper. “Sorry, babe.”
The endearment slips out. I’m not even sure where it came from, but she’s been around so much lately that I’ve grown comfortable with her. Also, there’s the fact I’ve been thinking of her in a different way. Maybe I should ask her out. Maybe she would cleanse the bad taste that Tori left. Then I back away from the idea because I get the feeling Harper’s not ready.
“I, um…Guacamole.” She walks quickly to the fridge and sticks her entire head in as she pokes around looking for it. Her head pops up above the door. “You sure have a lot of food in here.”
“Just went grocery shopping last night. The guys are coming over here to play poker this week, so I needed supplies.”
“You have a lot of liquor.”
I laugh. “My friends drink a lot.”
She doesn’t say anything and pulls out a plastic container of store made guacamole. “Do you have chips?”
“Cabinet to your right.”
She turns and opens the door. The cabinets hang high on the wall and she tiptoes to reach the bag of chips on a shelf.
“Here. Let me.” I move behind her and reach above her head to grab the chips. With one hand resting on her shoulder, I lean in and retrieve it.
Her entire body tenses with the touch and she turns her head the slightest amount to stare into my eyes. Flecks of green glimmer in her hazel eyes, reminding me again of cool water.
A man could lie down in that gaze and drown.
“I’m in the way,” she says and looks away.
“You’re fine. Don’t move.” There’s other things in the cabinet that I hadn’t intended to get but suddenly seem like a good idea. Dane and Josie will be more interested in what I have to drink than eat. “What about pita chips? You like those?” I reach up to the shelf again.
She takes a step to the side and twists, so her body angles toward mine. We’re two magnets, naturally pulling together until our bodies touch. Harper’s face tilts up and her cheeks turn pink.
She wants me to kiss her. I don’t doubt it. I lean closer and bring my mouth within inches of hers.
My apartment door opens. “Honey, we’re home.” Josie sings the phrase, doing her best to imitate something she’s heard from an old TV show.
Harper pulls in a quick breath and shoves at my chest to put distance between us. I stumble back until the island bar hits my ass.
Is she embarrassed by Josie seeing us so close? If anything, Josie would throw a party to celebrate my interest in just about anyone, after Tori.
“Heard of knocking?” I ask Josie. Dane trails in behind her and gives Harper a curious look.
Josie raises one eyebrow but otherwise ignores me. “Hey, Harper. Cute outfit.” She walks to the bar and places a brown paper takeout bag from Dastardly’s on the counter. “We come bearing gifts.”
Harper peers into the bag and her eyes widen. “More liquor?”
I slide the bag to me and remove a bottle of whiskey, a bottle of daiquiri mix, and a bottle of rum. “She travels equipped.”
“Not my fault,” Josie says. “Dane’s trying to get me wasted so he can take advantage of me. As if…”
Dane smirks. “My plan has been discovered. Since Josie won’t have me, maybe Harper will succumb to my charms.”
His comment is said lightly enough that I know he’s kidding. Dane walks over to the other side of the bar near Harper and slings an arm over her shoulders.
“She’s smarter than that, man.” I chuckle, but there’s an uncomfortable panic that pelts me like a sudden hailstorm.
Dane is a flirt. He’s always been ballsy and confident. But I don’t want him making Harper think he’s really interested.
And then there’s Josie. In the second Dane has so carelessly paid attention to Harper, my sister’s expression has fallen into a gloomy pit of doom.
Fuck Dane for being such an asshole.
“Let’s mix some drinks then, people.” I glance at Josie. “Can you grab something for me? Shot glasses are in my desk drawer.”
“What the hell?” Dane laughs. “You doing the Hemingway thing and doing shots while you write?”
“You know who Hemingway is? I’m so impressed,” I say dryly. Maybe the dude does read.
Thank God, he moves away from Harper. I exhale and hand the chips and dip to Harper. “Can you put these on the table?”
I spend several minutes helping Dane make daiquiris and wondering how to defuse the tension he’s caused with Josie. I love my sister and could kick his ass.
Josie stands at the far end of the room and hooks her phone to my stereo speaker. Dane watches her as she absently dances to the music she starts. The noise muffles what she and Harper are saying to each other.
I pour daiquiris into two glasses for the girls and tilt my head toward Dane. “When in God’s name are you two going to stop pretending?”
“Pretending what?” He examines a bottle opener he’s taken from my drawer. Dane grins. “There’s a breast for the handle.”
“Put it back. Groomsman gift. I didn’t buy it. Back to my question. You and Josie need to go out and start acting like grownups.” I give him a cold stare but know he’s not going to answer. Chickenshit.
I grab the two drinks and carry them to the table.
Josie turns the music down and meets me before I can set hers down. “Thanks!” She sips the icy drink.
Dane takes a chair on the opposite side of the table and sets down a couple of cans of soda tucked into the curve of his arm like a football. In his other hand, he holds the bottle of whiskey and promptly breaks the seal. “What do you guys want to do?” he asks.
I sit in the chair closest to where Harper’s been waiting. Josie takes the remaining seat.
“Let’s play ‘Have you ever.’” Josie pushes Harper’s drink in front of her.
“What are we? Twelve?” I ask and take the shot that Dane slides toward me.
“I hope not,” Josie answers. “Twelve-year-olds should not be drinking.”
Dane downs his shot. “I’m down with it. How does this game work? I haven’t played.”
“Liar,” Josie says. “I ask the first question, ‘Have you ever?’ and then everyone who has must drink.”
“I don’t know about this. This game doesn’t seem like a good idea.” Harper’s voice hesitates like we’ve asked her to participate in a bank robbery.
Any other girl and I might think she’s playing innocent, but not Harper. Man, she’s cute.
Josie shrugs. “If you don’t want to play, we won’t.”
“I’ve never played any party games.” Harper takes a sip of drink and sits forward. “I want to.”
I lay my hand flat on the table and tap with the beat of the music. I’m dying to play this stupid game. I can think of all kinds of things I’ll discover about Harper.
But my motives are childish and selfish. Temptation beats a drum while chanting that I give in. I inhale. “Let’s just play cards,” I say.
Dane uses two fingers to nudge the shot glass. “Drink up, buddy.”
“You don’t want to play?” Harper’s eyes glitter.
I raise one eyebrow. Then I make sure to look at Harper when I say my next words in case she needs an out. “I’ll play if everyone wants to.”
Josie looks to her left at Harper. “Here we go. Have you ever gotten arrested?” She raises her daiquiri to her lips. “Cheers,” she says and takes a huge drink.