wide shoulders and arms the size of my leg, even when covered up by a black leather jacket. He’s got a carefully groomed beard and this gorgeous head of hair, all dark and wild and thick, longer on top than the sides, the kind of damn good hair that you don’t often see on a guy.
I keep staring at him, waiting for him to look up, to see his eyes and see if they match the vibes I’m catching off of him, but then Sandra blocks my view by waving the bottle of cider in my face.
“Hellooo,” she says. “You’re welcome.”
I glance up at her, feeling sheepish, like I’ve been caught doing something I shouldn’t, and give her a grateful smile as I take the drink. When I try to look back at the guy, someone is standing in front of him, blocking my view.
I shake it off and raise my drink to my sisters. “Here’s to the Stephens Sisters.”
“May they rule the world,” Sandra says as we clink the bottles together.
“Or at least get laid tonight,” Angie says as I take a sip.
I practically spit the drink out and exchange a look with Sandra, grimacing.
“What?” Angie says, gesturing wildly. “Just because I’m a single mom doesn’t mean I can’t have fun. This is the first real vacation I’ve had since Tabby was even born and now Tabby is with Mom, so I just want to let loose tonight, preferably with someone else and someone Irish.”
“What are we, chopped liver?” Sandra asks.
“Look, before anyone gets carried away, I say we have the rule that no one brings anyone back to the room,” I tell them. Especially since Sandra and Angie are sharing the bed and I’m on the couch. “You want to go get laid, go out there and stay out there.”
Angie laughs. “I’m glad I have your permission. Though maybe you’re the one who needs it most of all.”
“What about me?” Sandra asks, perching on the edge of her stool.
Now Angie and I are exchanging looks and rolling our eyes. “Right,” Angie says. “Like you need a guy. Every week I see those stupid gossip accounts on Instagram talking about you and whatever hot actor or musician of the moment.”
“You should know better than to trust everything you read online,” she says, and then they start arguing back and forth about rumors and the tabloids and I know a lot of the digs are being thrown my way, considering reporting on that shit was my job, but I’ve stopped listening. My attention is back across the room and at the bar again.
That guy.
Now he’s looking up. Not in my direction though—his face is tilted toward a blonde, overly orange girl with batting eyes who is chatting excitedly with him. Or should I say, at him. He’s just occasionally nodding at her but I can tell his thoughts are a million miles away and steeped in pain. You can see it plainly in his eyes, these beautiful dark eyes as they search everywhere around the bar except at the girl, either lost in thought or looking for an escape.
How can that girl be so blind? Even though I’m socially awkward at times, I’m good at picking up social cues and moods. Maybe even a little too good—sometimes empathy is a switch you can’t turn off. Still, it’s quite obvious he isn’t interested in her.
“What are you looking at?” Sandra asks, her voice loud and right in my ear.
“Nothing,” I say, but when I glance at her, her eyes have zeroed in on the guy. She doesn’t miss much either. It’s probably why she’s such a great actress.
She lets out a low whistle. “Wow, how come I didn’t see him earlier?”
“He’s been keeping a low profile,” I tell her.
“It looks like he wants to go back to that,” she remarks. “That girl is barking up the wrong tree. He’s probably gay.”
“Sandra, you say that about every guy that isn’t falling for you,” Angie says.
“Hey, I’m not over there. I’m just saying that blondie is drunk and looking for a good time and he couldn’t be less interested.” She looks at me. “Are you thinking about going over there?”
I let out a sharp laugh. “Are you kidding me?”
She shrugs. “Why not? He’s hot. You’re hot.”
“So is that girl. And no. I can just look from afar.”
“But what’s the worst that could happen?”
“Uh, he could say no.”
“Val, that girl isn’t asking him a question, she’s just talking, and I’m sure you’d be quick