Turning in my seat, I follow her eyes. My breath catches when I take in a very familiar, very infuriating, face that’s currently in the middle of pouring drinks behind the bar. Rhys Delane is officially everywhere for me.
“He works here?” I blurt out, causing Mac’s eyebrow to shoot up. Turning around a little, she gives him a onceover before returning her focus to Red Denial.
“Yep, I wasn’t sure he was working tonight because I didn’t see him when I came in.” Pointing at the stage, she looks at me out the corner of her brown eyes. “Before he was sucked in by the dark side known as Hilary Cameron, he used to front the band during my freshman year. Now I’m going to sound like the elitist ass, but I think he was better. Way better. Plus it doesn’t hurt that he’s—well, sexy.”
I steal another glance in his direction, feeling a little pang in my chest as I watch him wink at some girl who’s practically throwing herself on top of the bar. “Why’d he quit?”
The second she answers me, I immediately regret the decision. “Some big family emergency. I don’t know the details, but I remember that all the shows were cancelled for a couple months while they found a replacement.”
Tight knots form in the bottom of my belly because I already know that his family emergency is the same thing that ripped my family apart. Clenching my fists in my lap beneath the table, I tell myself not to think about that. I came out tonight to have a good time, not to let myself be beaten down by thoughts of the past. I close my eyes for a second and when I open them, Mac regards me with a curious smile on her face.
“Cari’s”—She nods to the guitarist, who’s now focused intently on her instrument—“his ex, in case you’re wondering.”
Well that sure as hell explains why she was eye-humping him a couple minutes ago. Pretending to be indifferent, I shrug. “I don’t wonder.” Still, I can feel my skin heat up as I mutter the words.
“I just figured since you keep looking back at him. And because I, you know, saw your name on the Tuesday sign in sheet for the practice room I usually use and kind of figured he was the reason you were—” Her voice trails off at the sight of my wide eyes, and she quickly holds up her thin fingers defensively. “Look, I wasn’t spying. Like I said, I practiced in there yesterday and when I saw your names I automatically assumed he was the reason you were so worked up the other day.”
“Or maybe it’s because he busts my ass every time we have a lesson.” I don’t add that at the moment, there have only been two official lessons, because Corinne comes back to the table. Instead of sitting, she leans over me, her slinky V-neck top riding down and showing me so much boob that I can’t help but reach out and adjust it.
She giggles. “Hey, I’m going over to Baseball House with Ella.” She points and I follow her finger over to the girl she’d disappeared with ten minutes ago. “If you decide to come, send me a text, okay?”
I have no intention of going to Baseball House, but I quickly say, “If you need a ride home, call me, okay? I don’t care how late it is.”
“Or I can do it,” Mac speaks up beside me. She gives my roommate a stern look. “I’ll be over there a little later, so just find me if you need anything.”
As soon as Corinne promises she will and she leaves, I tell Mac, “Thanks. Seriously.”
She waves it off. “God, of course. The campus cops are dicks, and I’d hate for her to get one of their gross tickets. Speaking from firsthand experience here.”
At the sound of the band taking a break, Mac flicks her tongue over her teeth. “I’ve got to use the bathroom, so can you grab me a virgin ... you know what, surprise me?” She doesn’t give me time to protest as she slips ten bucks in my hand and shoves her way through the crowd.
I consider keeping my ass exactly where it is and making her get her own drink upon her return, but finally, I release a relenting sigh and push away from our table. Rhys is busy taking another drink order when I slide on one of the bar stools, so I wait patiently, tapping my fingers on the countertop in sync with The Black Keys song the house DJ is playing.
“Bored?” the guy on the stool beside me asks, and I shake my head, keeping my gaze straight ahead. “You at least going to look at me?”
A sound of exasperation escapes the back of my throat, and I turn my eyes up to the ceiling before I look at him out the corner of my eye. He’s good-looking enough—but so are so many other guys on this campus—and I’m in no mood for chitchat right now. “I’m seventeen,” I lie, but from the way he blatantly checks me out, I don’t think he cares.
“And they let you in?” When I lift my shoulders a little, he laughs. “What’s your name, beautiful?”
I plaster on a smile. “Statutory.” I glare ahead at Rhys’ back, wishing he’d hurry up so I can get back to my table, but the guy beside me pushes his face close to mine.
“Well fuck you too,” he sneers.
“Hey!” Rhys’ smooth voice snaps my gaze up. Those eyes that seem to pierce right through me every time I’m around him are stabbing daggers into the guy to my right. “You hassle my customers, you get out.” As the guy slaps his money down and takes off in a huff, Rhys tells me, “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
“Sorry about that, he’s—” But then he finally looks at me, and he swallows the rest of his words. As he collects the money from the bar top, he shakes his head and squeezes his eyes shut. “Of all the people ...”
Clasping my hands together, I nod in agreement. “Same thing I said when I saw you were bartending.”
He touches my hand, examining the bold black X on the back of my left one, and smirks. “What can I get you, Evelyn?”
“Something sweet and virgin.”
“Sweet and virgin?” he drawls, and a grin that’s way too sensual crawls across his face. Warning bells go off in my head, but I ignore them as I give him a smile that I know is a mistake. “And here I was thinking you’d try to talk me into something else.”
“It’s for Mac.”
He drags his stare from me for a moment to search the crowd until he spots her. “You should tell Mackenzie she should fetch her own drinks,” he advises, filling a glass with ice. A couple minutes later, he slides something that smells fruity and delicious in front of me. Even though he’s busy as hell, he bends over the bar until our faces are close to each other. “Will I be seeing you tomorrow?”
I flick my tongue over my lips, an automatic reaction that draws his attention to my mouth. “Are you going to be a dick?”
Tugging his bottom lip between his teeth, he looks at me long and hard before tossing his head back to laugh. It’s a sound that warms my skin. “Always.” He takes Mac’s money and quickly gives me change, but as I slide off the bar stool, he stops me.
“No hat tonight,” he muses.
I lift my shoulders. “Couldn’t find any to go with the dress.”
“Start doing that more often,” he tells me gently, the words more of an order than a request.
Despite my olive complexion, I’m pretty sure I’m as red as her drink as I plunk it down in front of Mac and sit beside her. Taking a sip, she closes her eyes and releases a moan. “Ahh, so good. Drinks like this don’t even make me miss alcohol.” She holds it in my direction in offering, but I quickly decline. “Rhys didn’t give you a hard time, did he?”
“No,” I say almost too fast.
Before she turns around to watch the band as they come back on stage, she gives me a smile that tells me she thinks I’m full of crap. “Of course he didn’t.”
Chapter Ten
We stay until the end of the set, and after telling Mac goodbye, I excuse myself to the bathroom. As I start to leave, I hear voices outside—one of them distinctively Rhys’. I hate eavesdroppers as much as the next person, but I’m a big ass hypocrite as I stand with my side pressed against the door, listening.