The Girl's Got Secrets (Forbidden Men #7)(95)

Caroline shrugged. “Not if you tell him at just the right time. Like right before he puts his clothes back on.”

“See, I told you; you just need to f*ck him,” Jodi said.

I groaned as I scowled at the two women across the table from me. “No way,” I announced. “I’m not adding that to my deception as well. He’d hate me for sure when he found out.”

“I don’t know,” Caroline murmured, smiling mischievously. “A guy will forgive a lot more right after he just—”

“Don’t even finish that sentence,” I warned her. “Because it’s never going to happen. End of discussion. Let’s talk about something else.”

So, Caroline moved the topic to Pick and Eva’s wedding. “I can’t believe it’s only five days away. They tried to postpone it after what happened to Mason’s mom on Saturday, but both Reese and Mason insisted they go ahead.”

“How are Mason and his little sister?” I asked.

Caroline’s expression crinkled with sympathy. “They’re still pretty upset. Reese says Mason blames himself because he thinks he should’ve known what was going on. And Sarah...” She shook her head. “The only person she’ll respond to is Brandt. So she’s been spending the last few nights at their house so Brandt can get her to eat and sleep. I have a bad feeling it’s going to take her a while to get over it.”

“Poor girl.” I’d seen my mother overdose once. But after calling Tío Alonso, we’d gotten her to a hospital in time to pump her stomach and save her. I’m not sure how I would’ve reacted if she’d never recovered.

The three of us chatted on until I had to pee. Since I could, I forced both Jodi and Caroline to go with me, as a group. It felt nice too. As I entered the ladies’ room, I sighed and petted the sign on the door.

“I can’t believe I can actually use the ladies’ room again. Isn’t it lovely in here?”

Jodi laughed as she found an available stall and disappeared inside. “I swear, I’ve never heard someone sound so excited to be able to use the ladies’ room before.”

“Well, I’m tired of having the use the men’s room all the time. Those things freaking reek. I’m telling you, it is not pleasant. I swear, every guy that uses a public urinal aims to miss the actual toilet. The floors...oh, my God, you guys. The floors are toxic.”

Caroline clutched her stomach as she laughed. “You are so going to have to write a memoir about this when it’s over. My Life as a Man.” Then she pulled her phone from her purse and started to text someone.

I grinned, wondering if she was sexting her hubby, until the words ”when this is over” actually struck me.

Shit, I really couldn’t do this forever, could I?

I was living my dream come true, playing drums for a kick-ass band on tour, and I was doing it all on stolen time. Once the truth came out, I’d be kicked out so fast my head would spin. No way could I keep this a secret forever.

Growing serious, I swallowed down my dread and watched Caroline tuck her phone away before moving to the mirror to check her face.

I finally stumbled into a bathroom stall and did my business, but when I exited, I could no longer be as cheerful. But I really frowned when I found the entire bathroom empty.

“Guys?” I asked.

Both Caroline and Jodi were gone.

“Well, there went all the fun of group peeing,” I mumbled as I washed my hands then dried them all by myself. After tossing the paper towels, I checked myself in the mirror, straightened my dress, corrected the lipstick on the corner of my lip and left the ladies’ room.

I fully intended to charge toward my table, but as soon as I whipped around the corner of the hall and into the main part of the restaurant, my gaze collided with none other than Asher Hart.

And he was only ten feet away, leaning against the bar as if waiting there for someone to take his order.

As soon as he saw me, he straightened, and seemed to catch his breath. “Hi,” he murmured in surprise.

I clutched my small purse to my stomach and gaped back, frozen in my four-inch heels. “Hola,” I was finally able to respond.

His gaze fell from my eyes as he scoped out my favorite dress, then my legs, and pumps. As his stare moved back up, I felt stripped bare.

“It’s Elisa, right?” he finally said, after we eye-f*cked for a good ten seconds.

I bobbed my head stupidly. And then for some reason I said his name.

His face lit up as he smiled at me, and Dios mío, that smile melted my hormones to mush. “Asher, yes,” he said. “Good memory.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just stood there, unable to move or look away.

The bartender interrupted us then, bringing a drink to Asher and forcing Asher to turn to him. “Thanks,” he told the guy as he paid. “Hey, you haven’t seen a pretty little blonde around, have you? I was supposed to meet her here.”

I swallowed as I listened to the bartender tell him he’d seen too many blondes tonight. All the while, my heart began to pound and I swear my eyes teared.

But, shit, holy hell, and goddamn. He was meeting a woman here?

He was on a freaking date.

I started to move away, but Asher swung back to me. He opened his mouth to speak, the apologetic, wistful expression on his face telling me he might rather be here with me instead of his blonde bimbo. I fell to a stop, pretty much trapped by the yearning in his green eyes.