Page 9 of Joey

However, when I spin around to say hi too, I realize why Mo’s so happy to see him. It seems our buddy Toby grew up while he was away at college. Gone is the skinny boy with the shy smile and braces, and in his place is a fine ass man with muscles and stubble and twinkling hazel eyes.

Mo’s literally hanging off him with her arms around his neck. He rolls his eyes at me. “Hey, Joey,” he mouths over the loud music.

“Hey.”

When Mo finally lets him go, I give him a quick hug. “It’s good to see you,” he says with a smile, revealing perfect white teeth. I guess those braces really paid off.

“You too. I haven’t heard MoJo for a long time.” I laugh, recalling our high school nickname. I kind of hated it, but Mo loved it. The moniker stuck with us right through to our senior year.

He laughs too, brushing his dark hair out of his eyes.

“Toby, come buy me a drink.” Mo tugs on his arm and pulls him toward the bar.

“You want one?” he asks, looking down at my almost-empty glass.

“Sure. I’ll take a rum and coke.”

“Rum and coke,” he repeats, his eyes fixed on mine. Wow. Toby has really grown up. He went away to Berkeley, and rumor had it he was going to stay in California because he got a job with an accounting firm. I wonder if he’s only here to visit his family. It will be nice to catch up with him if he’s in town long enough. He and I had a lot in common when we were younger. He was a good friend.

Lexi sidles up to me, nudging my arm while I watch Toby and Mo disappear into the crowd. “Wow. Toby got hot.”

“He was always cute,” I remind her.

“Yeah, but now he is h-o-t, hot.” She waggles her eyebrows at me. “You think he’s back for good?”

“I dunno.”

“He used to have it so bad for you. You remember?” She giggles.

“No. We were just good friends,” I insist, although I do remember the way he used to look at me with those puppy dog eyes of his. But I was always more interested in assholes back then.

“He lurves you,” Lexi says, sniggering.

Nyx comes over and wraps an arm around her waist. “Come dance with me, babe.”

Lexi bites on her lip and stares at me, her huge brown eyes wide and pleading.

“Go dance,” I tell her. “I’ll wait here for Toby and Mo.”

* * *

It’s midnight,and it’s time to go if I’m going to have enough energy to look after Gabriella tomorrow. Mo and Toby appear deep in conversation when I approach to let them know I’m about to leave.

Toby checks his watch. “Actually, I need to head out too. You need a ride?”

“Nah. I got my armed escorts.” I gesture toward Henry and Ash who are standing about twenty feet away from me, where they’ve been all night. I’m so used to them now, I usually forget they’re there.

“Of course you do,” he says with a smile. “You mind if I grab a ride with you then? I won’t need to bother my dad’s driver.”

“Sure. But what about you, Mo?” Lexi and Nyx left a half hour ago, and I don’t want to leave her here alone.

She links her arm through Toby’s. “I’ll come too. You can drop me at home, right?” she asks me.

“Of course.” I take her other arm and we walk out of the club with Henry and Ash.

When Henry pulls the car to the curb outside Mo’s house, I tell her good night and lean over Toby, giving her a quick kiss.

“Night,” she says, but then she focuses all her attention on Toby, and I smile to myself. The poor guy has no chance. “You wanna come in? I have beer and nachos.”