In the Dark (The Rules #2)(48)

“What about us?” Shep asks, making a face. “No beer specials? I hate girly drinks.”

“Nope. Not even the shitty stuff on tap is discounted. They’re doing it on purpose. A new plan they have going on. Get the girls into the bar to buy all the cheap drinks and get them good and drunk so we can start picking up on them.” Tristan grins and raises his eyebrows.

“Great. That’s not creepy or anything,” Shep drawls and I think the same thing.

The same exact thing.

Drunken college girls aren’t high on my list. They get silly. They get a little loose, which I usually have no problem with. But when they drink too much and they’re all together, they get mouthy. Loud. Opinionated.

I’m starting to regret tonight’s events already.

The bar Gina brought me to is completely packed, full of mostly women around my age. They all have vividly colored, fruity looking drinks clutched in their hands topped with bright little umbrellas, crowded around the bar wearing as few articles of clothing as they can get away with without being completely naked.

I feel downright overdressed in the soft yellow sundress I chose to wear. But Gina had insisted it was perfect when she saw me in it. Strapless and with a ruched bodice that my breasts can hold up quite well, I’m showing off a hint of cleavage and a lot of leg, all while being mostly covered.

“It really shows off your tanned skin,” Gina had said, which made me laugh. Yes, I’m darker than usual from all the time I spent in the sun over the summer, but my skin is about this shade of brown pretty much year round.

This is what happens when you’re Mexican and no one realizes it. They automatically think you have a great tan.

“This place is crazy,” Gina shouts in my ear. “I love it, don’t you?”

Not really but I don’t want to burst her bubble so I nod, deciding I shouldn’t bother answering. The music is loud, the insistent, throbbing beat seems to move right through me, vibrating just beneath my skin. The girls are all swaying and moving together, almost like they planned it and I notice a group of guys lined up against the opposite wall, clutching beers in their hands and watching the women in rapt fascination.

We showed up because a flier somehow ended up on our apartment door. Considering Gina and I are on limited incomes and Gina was feeling a little down about Chad leaving, we thought going out for a half-off drink was a great idea.

I didn’t realize it was going to be such an obvious meat market.

“Let’s get a drink,” Gina yells, grabbing my hand and leading me through the throng. They all seem to part, like they’re water and we’re the mighty Moses or something and the bar magically appears, a couple of young looking guys working behind it. “What do you want?” she asks, turning to look at me.

“Pick something out for me,” I say, not sure what I should order. I’m not a big drinker. I never have been. Most people go out and party on their twenty-first birthday but not me. It’s just never interested me.

Really? I don’t like losing control. Losing control means I might do stupid things and I don’t want to be tempted. It’s better to avoid alcohol altogether.

Tonight though, I’m doing this for Gina. Maybe a little bit for me, too. Seeing all of those guys lined up on the wall, how cute some of them are, makes me think of Gabe and how much I miss him.

Lame but true.

Gina waves her hand at one of the bartenders and he makes his way over to us, offering her a flirtatious smile and a suggestive, “What can I do for you?”

She orders two drinks, I swear I heard her say the word zombie, and he offers her up a wink and a smile before he slaps the edge of the counter and says, “Be right back with that.”

He walks away and I lean close to her ear to murmur, “He was flirting with you.”

She turns and gapes at me in surprise. “He was not.”

“He so was.” I watch as he casts her a sidelong glance before he starts going to work on our drinks.

“I’m sure he flirts with all the girls. Look at how many are here tonight,” Gina says, waving a hand around. “He has his pick of any of them.”

She’s right. There are a ton of girls here. It’s like every unattached female on campus made their way over to this bar for the half-off-fruity drinks deal. “Yet I don’t see him flirting with any of them. Just you.”

Gina lifts her chin, looking haughty as shit. Despite her middle class upbringing, she really knows how to put on airs when she needs to. “I’m a taken woman so he’s wasting his time.”

I burst out laughing at her choice of words and eventually she starts laughing too. We’re still laughing when the bartender sets our drinks down on the bar in front of us. When Gina and I both start to hand over cash he settles his hand over hers, stopping her completely. “On the house.” He shoots me a meaningful glance. “For the both of you.”

“Oh, no way,” Gina starts to protest but he shakes his head, squeezes her hand firmly.

“I mean it. Enjoy.” He slaps a napkin in the palm of her hand and leaves, off to help the next girl order an over the top drink.

Gina stares at the crushed napkin in her hand before she holds it up and shows it to me. “He gave me his phone number.”

I start laughing again. “Of course, he did. I told you he was flirting with you.”