He paused lifting his drink to his lips. “I wouldn’t call it that,” he said, and then finished off the iced water he’d switched to just as Mike and Deb came back to the table, and that was the end of that. I didn’t even know why I cared, but it bothered me thatsurfer guy had been anywhere near him. From his actions in the car the other day to tonight, Ollie seemed like too good of a guy to attach himself to someone slimy like that.
Oh please.I wanted to roll my eyes at myself.He’s probably a perfectly decent guy.Then, like a devil was sitting on my shoulder, I thought,Yeah, a perfectly decent guy who’s been in Ollie’s pants.
I scrubbed a hand over my face. What the hell? It wasn’t like I gave a shit who anyone else dated, especially not some guy I’d just met. Emphasis onguy.
God, I was officially losing it.
And on top of that, I was suddenly hyperaware of where Ollie was at all times. Every time he’d accidentally brush against my arm as he laughed at something Mike said, or when he’d reach across me to refill drinks, it felt like a shock of static. I wondered if he even felt it on his end, because he didn’t jerk away like I did when it happened.
One thing that stood out to me—Ollie smiled a lot, a genuine, wide grin that lit up his face. Sitting so close, I even noticed the small scar along the edge of his jaw, which I’d never seen before because it was mostly hidden by the scruff he kept trimmed down short, but it was there. I wondered how he’d gotten it.
“Do I have something on my face?” he asked, wiping his beard as he caught me staring.
“Uh, yeah, some sauce or something right there,” I lied, pointing to a spot on my chin, and he swept away the imaginary crumb.
“Did I get it?”
Damn, he had piercing eyes, so light green tonight that they almost glowed. They were the kind that forced you to spill all your secrets, but promised to keep them safe and hidden.
“Yeah,” I said, my voice coming out gravelly, and I cleared my throat. “Yeah, you got it.”
I turned my attention back to Mike and Deb, and the rest of the night passed with them lobbing insults not only at Ollie, but also at each other and sometimes even me, which, I had a feeling, meant they didn’t mind me crashing their party tonight. A couple of hours later, my stomach muscles ached from laughing so hard, and it made me hope this wasn’t the last time I’d score an invite out with the three of them. I hadn’t realized how desperately I’d been missing out on having people in my life to go out with or laugh with for a couple of hours. To make me feel somewhat human again, even if I wasn’t sure that I’d ever get my life back to normal. Or my old sense of normal, anyway.
“All right, all right, all right,” Mike bellowed, doing his best Matthew McConaughey impersonation, though it was a bit slurred. “What time is it?” He blinked down at his watch. “Holy shit. Woman, why you make me stay out so late?”
Deb winked at me. “It’s Reid’s fault. He kept making you do his tequila shots.”
“Ohh, that asshole,” Mike said, narrowing his eyes at me. “Next time, you hold your own damn liquor. I’m not a storage closet.”
“I think he means human garbage disposal,” she whispered loudly.
“That’s what I said.” Mike rounded the table and gave Ollie a hug. Or fell into him, rather.
“I’ll drop you guys off,” Ollie said, as Mike then gave me a hug.
“Thanks, but I already confirmed an Uber.” Deb lifted her phone to show us the little black car moving toward Wilder’s, and then she came over to me, lifting up on her tiptoes to smack a kiss to my cheek. “You’re gonna come hang out with us again soon, right? You have to. Don’t let Ollie keep you away.” Then she turned and pointed a stern finger in Ollie’s direction. “You hear me, Olls? You make him come back.”
“I’ll be sure to drag him out against his will if he even thinks about protesting,” Ollie agreed.
That seemed to appease Deb, because she said, “Good boy,” and then patted my jaw before Mike put his arm around her shoulder.
“The chariot awaits, my lady,” he said, leading her away, and then, over his shoulder, he pointed at me. “Don’t think you’re getting out of karaoke next week.”
“I’ll make sure to bring my cotton balls for Ollie’s performance,” I said.
“Ohhh shit!” Mike said, as the three of them went slack-jawed. “He went there. Ollie, he went there, and I think I’m in love. Deb, I’m leaving you, sorry.” Mike stumbled back in my direction, and Deb laughed and pulled him back.
“You stupid ass. He’d make you sleep outside,” she said as his arm went back around her shoulders, and then she winked at us. “Later, guys.”
“Bye, Deb. Make sure his alarm is set,” Ollie said, and when he faced me again, he shook his head. “Well. You survived.”
I checked over my arms and legs. “No battle wounds that I can see. They weren’t too scary.”
“No? I’ll make sure they bring it next time.”
So there would be a next time… “Looking forward to it,” I said—and meant it.
“Good. You about ready to head out?”