MacKenzie Fire(62)

Mike kind of laughs. “So? What’s the big deal whether you do or not?” He looks from Ian to me and then back at Ian. Before Ian can respond he speaks again. “Oh.”

“Oh, what?” I ask.

“Nothin’.” He backs up a couple steps. “You guys have fun. I gotta go talk to Boog.”

He turns around and leaves us standing there.

“What was that all about?” I feel totally rejected. Reaching up, I casually wipe at my nose. If I have a booger hanging out, I’m going to die of mortification. Talk about making a big first impression.

Ian rubs his nose and sniffs loudly. “I don’t know. He’s crazy.”

I panic when I see him staring at my face. My nose twitches and I have to wipe it again, this time harder. The way Ian is staring at me with that concerned expression, I know there’s something amiss up there.

He grabs his nose with two fingers and wiggles it around. “I’m going to get us some beers, okay?”

I nod, pretending I’m not totally covering my nose with my entire hand now. My eyes dart left and right trying to locate a bathroom.

“Be right back.” He turns away and sniffs really loudly.

I turn to the right, sure I’ll find a bathroom near the front door, and accidentally bump into someone. I have to get there before Ian gets back! Emergency dangler alert!

“Well, hello there. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

I’m looking Hannah the Banana right in the eye. We are the same height in snow boots, only a foot apart. I tip my head down so my tragedy won’t be as easy to discover.

“Hi.” Looking over her shoulders, I still don’t see anything that looks like a place that might have a mirror.

“Who you here with?” she asks.

I sigh out my annoyance. “Ian.” A glance at the kitchen area tells me he’s about to come back. Panic sets in. I cannot let him catch me with a dangler!

“Oh. Did he just give you a ride or …”

I put my hand on her arm to stop her, no longer tipping my head down. She’s my only hope. “Listen. I know you don’t know me very well, but I need your help.”

“Okaaay…” She looks around the room, as if seeking assistance from someone against a crazy person. “What do you want me to do?”

I tilt my head back a little. “Do you see anything? On my nose?”

She frowns and backs her head up a little. “Say what?”

“On my nose.” I point to it urgently. “Do you see anything … dangling or whatever?”

She kind of looks but then scowls again. “Ew, no. Why are you asking me that?” She takes a step back.

I put my head back down and let out a long breath, so relieved. If she’s lying to me I’m totally going to shoot her, because Ian’s walking towards me with a bottle of beer in each hand and it’s too late for me to do anything else. “Sorry. I just had an emergency situation there. Thanks for your help.”

She’s still frowning when Ian arrives. He hesitates for a few seconds a couple feet away, but then he continues towards us until he’s on my left.

“Here you go,” he says, handing me a beer.

“Oh, that’s so nice,” Hannah says, taking the other beer from his hand. “You’re always such a gentleman with me, Ian.” She tilts her head sideways to be cute and then starts to lift the bottle to her lips.

Before she gets it two inches up, I snatch it from her hand. I wasn’t thinking, I just did it. It’s annoying the ever-loving crap out of me that she’s just taking over like this. Plus, I saw him take a sip from the bottle already as he was approaching us, and I hate to think about her and Ian swapping spit, even if it’s just on the rim of a beer bottle.

“Hey!” she says.

I hand it to Ian. “Get your own beer. This one has cooties on it. Ian cooties.”

She gives me a hard look and then shakes her head, turning her attention to Ian. “This girl is crazy with a capital C, Ian, sweetie. I’d stay away if I were you.”

Ian’s slow smile makes me go all gooey inside, and all my anger dissipates when he turns his gorgeous green eyes on me. It’s like everyone else in the room has ceased to exist and he only sees me.

“That’s why I like her.” He moves closer and throws an arm up over my shoulders, before turning his attention back to Hannah. “How’ve you been, Hannah? I hear busy … starting rumors.”

She gives him a bitchy smile. “I’ve been fine, thanks for asking. And I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not a gossip.”

I snort, choking a little on the beer I just sipped.

Hannah ignores me.

Ian gestures in my direction with his beer bottle. “Candice told me you’ve been telling people you and I are getting together.”

She laughs. “You wish we were.” Then she scowls at me. “Why would you lie to Ian like that? That’s not very nice. We’re not really those kind of people here in Baker.”

Ian and I look at each other and smile like idiots. I can’t stop staring at his deep green eyes. I see flecks of blue in there too, this time. They remind me of the color of the sea off the coast of Mexico where I went one Spring Break during college.

And that hat! Holy panties on fire! I never thought a cowboy hat could be hot, but yes, this one is most definitely hot when it’s on his head. My underwear is about to burst into flames over it. I can feel my nipples hardening under the lace of my bra.