Sparks - Wendy Higgins Page 0,40

Could you see yourself at least kissing him tonight?”

“Oh, definitely,” I said, getting an excited tingle at the back of my neck just thinking about it. “I feel like I just need someone to be willing to get to know me a little and warm me up to getting physical. It probably wouldn’t take very long, to be honest.”

“I got you,” Willa said. “You just want to know they’re willing to put in a little effort.”

“Exactly!” I was glad they understood.

“And then maybe, if you click, he’ll want a relationship,” Sydney said.

Rhea smacked her lips. “Go get your kiss, baby girl.”

We did our customary friend cheer of clapping and laughing and egging each other on before pulling ourselves together and walking out of the bathroom. I was getting a kiss tonight from a very sexy man. Gah! Eek! I let my booty shake a little extra as we entered the bar area, feeling myself and all that. Until Rhea stopped dead in her tracks, then Willa, who held out an arm across my chest and whispered, “Oh, this bitch.”

I peered down the row of people until I got to the end of the bar where Beth sat in my seat, her legs crossed, the top leg nestled snug against the outside of Ren’s thigh, her hand on his forearm, leaned in as if they were having the most fascinating conversation ever. The swag I’d been feeling seconds before melted out of me and I felt heavy.

Sydney shook her head. “Mm-mm. Not on my watch.”

She started to march forward but I grabbed her arm. “Don’t.”

“What do you want us to do?” Rhea asked quietly.

I swallowed hard. “Just let her get it out of her system. Let’s sit down for a minute.”

Damn it, Beth. It hadn’t even crossed my mind that she would sidle into my spot the second I walked away. Who needed enemies when you had a roommate like Beth?

We decided not to go back to the bartop, instead getting a high table nearby. Not too close, but close enough for us to all see each other. Any second now he was going to look over, see me, and either kick her to the curb or come over. Or maybe call me back over.

“I’ll get us a round,” Rhea said when the waitress approached.

“Nothing else for me,” I said. “I have to drive.”

“I’ll drive,” Willa offered.

Syd’s eyes went wide. “Oh, hell no you won’t!”

“Girl, I barely touched the guard rail one time and you act like I caused a major wreck.”

“It’s fine,” I assured them. “I’ve got to work in the morning anyway.”

The three of them got drinks and the longer we sat there, the heavier I felt. Not just me, either. Our whole table was tense, glancing over, shaking their heads at each other, looking like they wanted to punch someone, giving me the play-by-play of what Beth and Ren were doing. Every touch. Every giggle. Every serious gaze. They never looked over at us.

“Their legs are like pretzels now,” Syd whispered.

“The fuck is she saying to him?” Willa asked.

I was willing to bet she wasn’t telling him she needed to take it slow and make him work for it. I shouldn’t have felt so dumb, but I definitely did.

“I’m ready to vag punch her,” Rhea said.

“It’s fine.” I sipped my water. “She told me she’s been trying to match with him, so whatever. Let them enjoy each other.” But I definitely felt defeated in that moment. Every second that went by was a second he was choosing her over me, and a second she was choosing a guy over our friendship. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but her betrayal cut me.

I thought about Shawn. He would have never left me hanging like that. He would have had bright eyes on me the second I walked back into the bar no matter who was talking to him. My chest tightened thinking about it. I came here tonight to get my mind off Shawn, and this was only making me miss him more.

The waitress came back over when the drinks had run dry, and everyone looked at me.

“Let’s just go,” I said. Rhea handed over her card to pay for the round. That’s when Beth got up and looked around. She saw us and came over.

“Harlow,” she said. “You didn’t come back.”

“Yes, I did.” I gave her a tight smile.

“I mean, you didn’t come back over to Ren. He thinks you’re not interested.”

I heard Willa snort, and saw Syd elbow