a little kid. Although, that’d be an insult to Ainsley. “It was a long day at work. I needed to put new warpaint on. Plus, do you see how tight these pants are? I swear I had to get a running start just to jump into these bitches.”
The man in front of us turns, his eyes casting downward at Jenna’s thighs. A sleezy smirk spreads on his face before the woman next to him smacks his chest and glares. He sighs and turns back around, leaving Jenna and me staring at each other before breaking into quiet laughter.
“Anyway,” she says, “it’s not like this is our only destination tonight. I’m determined to get you out. I don’t care if it’s a bar or club—”
“No.”
“Pip—”
I cross my arms on my chest. “I didn’t like going out when I was younger. What makes you think I want to now?”
She eyes me, her black-lined lids narrowing in disapproval. “You’re twenty-six, not forty. Plus, you’re kid free for the night thanks to your parents. Why not go out and have fun while you can?”
I gesture around us. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
She blinks.
I blink.
The line move, but barely allows us to get anywhere. “Listen, I appreciate you wanting to help me get a life. Mine may be boring compared to yours, but I like it. This is the kind of outing I enjoy. Bars aren’t my scene.”
Jenna looks around the suited man and cusses under her breath. “I swear to god, I’ve never seen this place so packed before.”
“It’s a Saturday night,” I remind her. After the class this morning, I’d been determined to stay in and watch Netflix all day with Ainsley. I was lazy and mentally preparing for whatever Monday brought. All I wanted was to get Carter out of my mind for a while. Then Jenna called and said we were going out. My argument that Ainsley was here was moot when she contacted my parents and had them agree to watch her. I regret ever giving her their numbers, but my parents love Jenna like a second daughter because she’s always looking out for me.
“You used to drink,” she insists, bringing the conversation back to a place I don’t want it to go. “Remember that time we were all hanging out in your dorm room at Maryland U and Chris brought rum and Coke? After your second huge glass, you felt the poor guy up in front of everyone.”
I’m ninety percent positive Chris didn’t mind me groping him. “I remember just fine. Thanks for reminding me that I grabbed his junk in front of people who probably took pictures and smacked his back in congratulations.”
She snickers, causing me to elbow her. “It doesn’t matter. As soon as I got Ainsley, I only wanted to focus on her. I’m here to make something of myself so I can support us better. Not go out and get handsy drunk like I’m twenty-one again.”
Her bottom lip sticks out as we move forward. I know it’s her way of silently telling me I’m no fun, but I’m fine with that. My version of fun has never lined up with hers. She liked dragging me to frat parties where I watched her dance with jocks all night while I hid in the corner waiting to go home. I took her to campus movie nights where we both devoured popcorn and made fun of the movies they showed until people threatened to kick us out. I drank on occasion, but never much more than a cheap beer here and there because I knew I’d spend most of my night holding Jenna’s hair back while she vomited.
We’re standing for another few minutes before I hear my name being called from somewhere off to the side. My eyes scan the tables and booths until they lock on Carter’s.
Carter-frigging-Ford.
Jenna leans close to me. “Piper?”
“Hmm?”
She wraps an arm around mine. “Is that hot guy calling out your name or have I become delusional from my state of starvation?”
Snorting, I nudge our shoulders. “Stop.” I lift my hand and wave at him, offering a friendly smile that I’m not sure he’ll see in the dim lighting. He waves us over, gesturing toward the open seats in front of him. I start to shake my head, but Jenna doesn’t even give me a chance to turn him down before she’s pulling me away from the line and toward the table he’s occupying.
I nearly trip over the step that leads to the section he’s