Hanging On (Jessica Brodie Diaries #2)(62)

"Adam is looking over here,” Lump started in. “He looks hot tonight. Wish he wasn't such a pompous woman-hating ass**le, I might like to get him naked."

“You can have him. Last night reminded me that I’m over men from this part of the world,” Flem said, holding her head like I had earlier.

"Focus girls," I whispered.

"Right.” Lump nodded, back on track. “Adam and Willie are talking to the others. Willie glanced up here again. He looks like a lost puppy. Like a kid that got his big red ball stolen."

"Yeah, he is known to pout, too. Don't let him weaken you. Stay strong." I was whispering that more to myself then to Lump. I hated being mad at him. I wanted him to tell me he knew how much he hurt me and hold me to make it better.

I was turning into a sap.

"Okay, he has turned back. Now what?"

"I don't know. What should we do?"

Flem sighed. "Look, I don't care what we do, as long as I can sit down."

"Let's go over," said Jane.

I nodded. We picked up the conversation of what we remembered after the bar last night and immediately were laughing at ourselves and each other. I noticed that there were five guys at the table. Evenly matched. I wondered if that was planned. And who called dips on who...

When we reached them three of the five guys stood up. Lump backed up and brought Flem with her. Jane looked at them all with wide eyes. Claire was looking out the window.

"They are being polite.” I sighed. “They are standing until we sit down—like in westerns.”

"Such a strange place," Lump said, smiling at everyone. They all grinned or smiled back.

The guys all moved around so they were sitting on one side, allowing the girls to take the other, except for Brad, who happily stayed where he was so Jane could crawl in next to him. Which meant… I took a deep breath and sat in the seat next to William. He, of course, not only looked good enough to eat, but he smelled better. My mouth was watering and my loins burning.

I showed none of this, however. At least, I hoped I didn't.

He smiled warmly as I sat down. I wasn't sure what the fighting war book would say to do, so I looked at him with a blank face, felt sad I couldn't smile back, and looked away. I heard him sigh and saw him start to peel the label of his beer out of the corner of my eye.

Moose and Ty were here sans their girlfriends, which was odd. Adam and Brad were single, but Brad had eyes (and hands) only for Jane, and Adam would lay down in traffic before he would lay a romantic finger on me. Which meant William was covering all his bases. He was good. Irritatingly so.

"Where are all the girlfriends?" I asked lightly.

Moose looked quickly at William, who looked at Ty. I rolled my eyes and looked at Lump. A ghost of a smile graced her face before she added, "Yeah. Why no single guys besides Adam? What are we going to do for fun?"

She said this in such a way as to leave no doubt that Adam was the furthest from anyone she would be having fun with. She did sit next to him, though. I had a feeling she would be taunting him all night, trying to get him interested so she could turn him down. I wondered if he would fall for it. She was fighting her own battle, but damned if I knew what it was about.

“I’m single.” Brad raised one hand, the other rubbing Jane's leg.

They were so going to make out later.

“You don’t count,” Lump said. “Jane already called dibs on you.”

“Dibs?” Ty asked with a smile.

“Shut up, Ty—don’t act all innocent. You guys all do it!” I commented.

“Yes, but we are men, and can do as we please,” Ty answered with a haughty tone. “It is up to us to enforce the double standard. Be careful missy—I saw someone putting up a stake outside for the witch burnings later.”

“Ty, I am much too hung-over to be witty.”

“You look too hung-over for that beer.”

Moose said, "We are having a few quiet ones before the girls show up. They are getting ready."

I took a sip of my beer and grimaced, proving Ty right.

"Not going down so well?" Adam asked with a chuckle.

Lump rolled her eyes.

"Just getting started, Adam. We had a pool party after the bar last night. It was a rough morning," I answered with a gruff voice. I wanted to lay down and die.

"A what?" Brad asked, leaning in to see us all. He was at the end of the table, leaning heavily into Jane.

"Pool. Party. We swam. In a pool."

"You swam in the state you were in last night?" William asked with heat in his voice.

The beginning of this evening was not going well.

"Yes, we swam. Gladis came down to read a book to make sure no one drowned. We finished another case of beer—"

"Two," Claire interjected. "And some Cuervo. Ah lads! We were blocked!"

“That means really drunk,” Jane clarified.

One of the guys whistled.

"What if one of you had drown? What would Gladis have done?" William asked, leaning toward me.

It was Jane that answered in a voice that a teacher might use to her pupil. "Willie, we are professionals. We have gone skinny dipping while drunk off our faces many a time. Usually in a river current with no lights or convenient floatie devices. To use your slang, this ain't our first rodeo. So cut the umbilical cord, if you would."