Page 33 of Not So Goode

“Oh, I bet you did.” She elbowed my ribs. “He’s into you.”

“He is not.”

She ruffled my head, playfully condescending. “You’ll understand when you’re older, but when a man likes a woman, he looks at her a certain way.”

“Oh shut up. You couldn’t see how he was looking at me in this darkness.”

“I could fuckingfeel it, Charlie. I know what a man looks like when he’s digging on someone, okay? And that manwantsyou.”

“He barely met me. I was stupid drunk—I’mstillstupid drunk. He can’t want me.”

Lexie just laughed. “I think he saw enough to know what he likes.”

I glanced down at my chest. “What, am I popping out of my shirt or something?”

She cackled. “No, dummy. It’s justyou.”

“Drunk, embarrassing me?”

She side-hugged me. “Believe it or not, you don’t hold your liquor well.” She said this with her voice dripping sarcasm. “It’s obvious you’re not a hard drinker, and it’s cute.”

“Cute.” I growled, an unladylike sound Mom would not approve of. “Cute is the kiss of death.”

“No, cute can be super sexy. If you’re cuteandhot in a certain way, you end up with a combination men will go dumb-dumb for.”

“And you seem to think I have that combination of cute and hot?”

“I mean, I’m into men, not women, and I’m your sister, but I think so, yeah.”

“Well, bully for him. But as soon as I can move, we’re leaving.”

Lexie just laughed like I’d said something hysterical. “Oh Charlie, you silly goose. I am way,waytoo buzzed to drive anywhere, number one. Number two, we’re in the middle of nowhere, and it’s midnight, and I guarantee there’s no hotels with vacancies within fifty miles of this festival. Number three, I’m sitting backstage merefeetfrom Myles fuckingNorth. If you think I’m missing out on my chance to meet him, you’re on drugs, babe.”

“Meet? Is that all you want to do with him?”

“Hell no! I’d have the man’s babies.” She paused, and I felt her mood darken, go heavy. Then, as if the moment had never happened, she laughed, merrily. “I would let that man fuck me doggystyle on the stage, if he asked me to. Right there in front of everyone.”

I sighed. “You would not.”

She sighed, staring at him. “No, I wouldn’t. The things I want to do to him arewayyytoo X-rated.” She laughed again. “Backstage is private enough. For starters, at least.”

“Lex. Come on.”

She shook her head, glancing at me, serious and brooding. “This is where you just have to let me be me, Charlie. If he comes on to me, I’m going with it. Judge me for it if you must, but I would absolutely let him have his wicked way with me backstage. It’s Myles North. It’d be worth it.”

I rolled a shoulder. “You do you, honey. That’s not my way, but if it’s yours, go for it. Just don’t…well, never mind. You can take care of yourself.”

She was silent a moment. Then spoke, her attention on the stage, but her words to me. “If your guy Mr. Crow was to hit on you, you’re telling me you wouldn’t let it play out?”

“I…I don’t know. Yes, I’m attracted to him. But I’m confused by it.”

“Confused? What is there to be confused about?”

“He scares me.”

“And?”

“And being scared horny is just weird.”