Page 92 of Consumed By You

“I am not. I am completely coherent. I got through that entire word so I must be.”

“I’m here with you, babe. I’m not hunting today.” He puts his arm around my shoulders, kissing my forehead.

“That could be your soul mate!” I argue. “Go! I’ll be fine. I’m gonna dance.”

“Dance?You?”

“Yep.”

He looks over at the buff blond guy in the corner then back at me. “Don’t leave without telling me though, okay? Because I know you will.” He narrows his eyes playfully and I raise my arms in surrender.

“I promise.”

He presses his lips to my forehead and strides confidently to the now-beaming man in the corner.

If only I had that confidence…

I lay three bucks on the bar and look up at the bartender. “Water, please.”

He finally smiles, obviously pleased to see even a hint of shame taking hold of my instincts, and hands me a cold one from the fridge below him. I find a spare seat in a corner and sip it slowly, feeling the pulsing in my skull reducing minute by minute.

“Can I hide out here with you?”

I whirl to my left, noticing a tall man next to me. He’s wearing a complete suit. A tan suit…to the club. I gesture nonchalantly to the seat and go back to sipping my water.

“Thanks.” He sits down. “And your name is?” he says after a minute.

“Uh, Darcy. Yours?”

He studies me closely, his features kind. “Luke Hemingway.”

He reaches his hand out courteously and I take it, returning the shake with a firm tug. “Nice to meet you, Luke.”

“Having fun?”

“I was. Now I’m just waiting for the room to stop spinning.”

Why are you saying these things? He could be a rapist.

“I noticed. Tequila will do that to you.” He sips his beer, gazing at the people around us.

“How do you know it was tequila?”

“I saw you.” He chuckles.

I turn away.Maybe heisa rapist…“Why are you hiding out?”

“I’m with my friends.” He points to a large group of guys, all accompanied by a dance partner clearly asking for it.

“You don’t have someone to dance with?” I ask, sipping my water slowly. I’m too drunk to be thinking this much.

“I did. My ex. She’s right there.” He points to a blonde that’s grinding pretty fiercely against one of the other suits in the group.

“Ex?”

“Yep.”

“When did you break up?”