Page 44 of The Dance

Well, fuck her.

She wanted me to forget her, and that was what I was going to fucking do.

Just before last call, I found the prettiest woman in the place. Her friend wasn’t bad, either. I walked up to where they were sitting at the bar. “Last call, ladies. Another?” I smiled my Montgomery smile and pointed to their cosmos.

The hot one glanced at her friend and then back to me. “Sure.”

“Coming right up.” I grabbed two martini glasses and began working on their fresh drinks. “What are y’alls plans for later?”

“We’ll probably grab something to eat to soak up this vodka,” the one I was eyeing responded.

“You two don’t seem drunk.” I poured ice into a shaker.

“We’re just hanging out, not looking to get plastered,” the friend clarified.

I grinned. “Oh, come on, it’s a Saturday night.”

The hot one leaned forward, revealing more of her cleavage. “What do you suggest, then?”

“I’m sure I can think of something.” I winked and poured cranberry juice into the shaker.

The hot one leaned over to her friend and whispered into her ear before turning her attention back to me. “We actually had plans for the night.”

“Oh, yeah?” I cocked a brow, pouring vodka into the cup.

“What’s your name?”

I smiled and added triple sec into the mix. “Blake.”

She smirked. “You see, Blake. We’re on a girls’ trip.”

“Oh, yeah?” I finished making the drink by adding fresh lime juice.

“And we had this plan of going to a bar and finding a few guys to bring back to our hotel.”

I liked where this was going. I shook the shaker. “Yeah?”

“But,” she frowned, “we haven’t seen any we like.”

“No one?” I poured the chilled mixture into the two glasses.

The girls shared a look, and then the hot one turned back to me. “Except you and him.” She pointed at Conrad.

“Well, he”—I nudged my head toward Conrad, who was placing a beer in front of a customer—“is married.”

“And you?”

“I’m—” My gaze moved to the door as it opened, and Stacey walked in. Our eyes met, but since she wanted me to forget her, I turned back to the two ladies. “I’m free as a fucking bird.”

“So,” the friend leaned in, “you wanna come back to our hotel?”

Stacey stepped up to the bar near where we were. Loud enough for her to hear, I said, “Just the three of us?” They nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

I reached for three shot glasses and poured vodka into each one. I only drank on the job after closing, and that was having a beer or two while we closed everything down, but because I was still pissed—especially after seeing her again—I was going to throw back something stronger.

“Can you two hang with these?” I asked the women. I hadn’t bothered to get their names. “They’re on me.”

“Well, if you insist.”