“A screwdriver for me,” Jewel said as if she was going to get away with this. I glared at her and she gave me a small smirk.
“ID,” the waitress replied and this time I smirked as Jewel immediately went from looking cocky to irritated.
“Don’t have it with me,” she replied in an annoyed tone.
“I bet you don’t,” the waitress muttered.
“Are you saying I don’t look twenty-one?” Jewel asked as if she were shocked someone would even question it. Because, of course, an eighteen year old girl could pass for twenty-one easily. Whatever.
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying,” the waitress deadpanned.
Jewel opened her mouth to argue, no doubt, and I knew I needed to step in and stop her, before we all got thrown out.
“Just bring her a Diet Coke, please,” I told the waitress with an apologetic smile and then sent a warning glare over toward Jewel.
She harrumphed and crossed her arms over her chest in a pout. Luckily, she didn’t have much in the way of cle**age so Sawyer wasn’t leering down her shirt as she pushed her small boobs up with her ridiculous posture.
Everyone else ordered their drinks. Sawyer leaned down to whisper something to Jewel that made her giggle and I decided I needed to focus on the menu and just get through this. I don’t know why I’d hoped for anything different.
“You handled that well,” Ethan whispered, opening his menu beside me. I peeked over at him and smiled, “Thanks. It happens a lot.”
He grinned and studied his menu. I did the same.
Chapter Three
Sawyer
If the girl giggled one more time, I was going to rip off pieces of my napkin and shove it in my ears. Damn, she was annoying. When I’d first seen her I’d thought she could potentially distract me from Ashton tonight but I’d been so very wrong. All she was managing to do was get on my nerves. If her hand slid up my thigh one more time, I was going to end up shoving her toward Jake.
Soft laughter caught my attention and I turned my attention to Lana. She was smiling brightly at whatever Ethan was saying to her. He’d been talking to her in whispered tones throughout the entire meal. That was grating on my nerves as well. Ever since she sat down beside him, he’d taken up all her attention. It was as if the rest of us weren’t even at the damn table.
“Looks like she’s interested in your friend,” Jewel said, obviously noting where my attention was focused.
“Hmmm,” was my only response.
“How long have you known Lana?” she asked. I thought back to the days of her bright orange ponytails and skinny legs with knobby knees and realized she’d come a very long way. Those freckles that had once made her unattractive now somehow enhanced her looks.
“Since we were kids. I always used to have to take up for her with Ash and Beau. They tormented her.”
“Beau?” Jewel asked. Apparently, Lana didn’t talk much about Ashton to her friend. If she did, she’d know exactly who Beau was.
“My br—uh, cousin,” I replied.
Lana threw her head back and let out a real laugh this time. Not one she was trying to silence but one where she was thoroughly delighted about something and didn’t care who heard her. The long silky auburn locks brushed the edge of the table and I wondered how she’d react if I wrapped one of those locks around my finger.
“You think that’s funny, huh?” Ethan replied grinning like an idiot because he’d made her laugh so hard.
Lana nodded her head, reached out, and squeezed his arm. “Yes, I do. I’m sorry,” she replied, trying to keep the huge grin off her face.
Ethan’s body language said he didn’t mind at all as he leaned into her touch and began that damn whispering again. Those two were lost in their own little world.
“She isn’t normally good with guys. They make her nervous,” Jewel pointed out.
She didn’t look nervous to me. Although, I had to agree, the Lana I remembered was quiet and reserved. What had changed other than the fact she had gone from forgettable to gorgeous in a few short months?
Jake said something to Jewel and she turned her attention to him. Finally, I had some relief. Maybe she would grope his thigh now and leave mine alone.
Lana reached for her drink and her eyes met mine. She paused briefly then smiled at me. She really had a nice smile. And those freckles... damn they were cute.