Part 23 (2/2)
Squinting my eyes, I looked around for the right table. When I spotted the back of her, my heartbeat accelerated, almost rivaling the drumbeat vibrating through the room.
Her long hair was draped over the back of the chair. She didn't see me.
I heard Ryan shout, ”Jake!”
Nina quickly turned around, and all of the action in the room seemed to fade away when our eyes met. Unable to get to her fast enough, my stride got bigger with each step forward.
It had been so f.u.c.king long, too long.
”Sorry I'm late. Happy birthday, Nina.”
She stood up, revealing a strapless red dress that hugged her body in a way that made me never want to let her out of my sight again. One look at her, and all of my rules about physical contact went straight down the tubes.
Rules? I could barely remember my own f.u.c.king name.
Without a second thought, I leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her cheek, my tongue ever so lightly grazing her skin. Two thin braids wrapped around each side of her head as the rest of her hair fell down her shoulders. She looked like a G.o.ddess. But she seemed tense.
I had to practically pry my eyes away from her. When I did, I immediately regretted it, because it was then that I realized Nina had been sitting across from someone. My head turned slowly to the left, taking note of Ryan's position across from Tarah. My gaze then moved back to the right, to the spot where a tall redheaded guy was sitting opposite Nina-ogling her.
What in the ever-living f.u.c.k.
A primal urge to rip his head off tore through me. My own head was spinning because that seating arrangement looked awfully like a double date, and I was looking awfully like the fifth f.u.c.king wheel.
Nina hadn't known I'd be here. Had I walked in on her date?
Rage was building inside of me. I couldn't even look at her anymore. Instead, I stared straight into the eyes of the ginger dude who just became enemy number one.
Before I could get my head on straight to ask what the f.u.c.k was going on, Ryan started to introduce me to the guy. ”This is our roommate, Jake. Jake, this is Michael Hunt, my co-worker.”
Michael Hunt.
Mike.
Mike Hunt.
My c.u.n.t.
Douchebag.
I immediately reached out my hand and clenched my teeth. ”Mike, is it? Mike Hunt?”
A look of fear was transparent in Nina's eyes. Before anyone could respond to my obvious dig on his name, Desiree walked over to take our drink order. Desiree. Great. This night was turning into all sorts of f.u.c.ked up.
”Jakey...there you are. I thought they said you were in Boston.”
”Funny you should point that out, Des. Tarah had told me it was Nina's birthday dinner, so I came home early to surprise her.” My stare burned into Nina's. She looked frozen. ”Turns out, I was the one surprised.” I never took my eyes off Nina as I handed back the menu and said, ”I'll take a vodka straight, Des.”
My eyes continued to sear into Nina's when Tarah's voice interrupted my trance. ”Jake, there is something upstairs I forgot to show you. It's broken, and I don't want to forget to tell you about it. Do you mind...before we order our food?”
She nudged her head repeatedly for me to follow her away from the table.
My chest was rising and falling as we walked out of the dining area through a side door and into the adjacent hallway that also led up to our apartment.
”This isn't what it looks like, Jake.”
”You told me to come to this party, and Nina's on a f.u.c.king date?”
”It's not a date. She doesn't even know him.”
Spit flew out of my mouth when I shouted, ”Who the f.u.c.k brought him?”
”Ryan did. He thought it would be a bright idea to ambush Nina by inviting this guy from work to the birthday dinner. He's apparently trying to set her up with him.”
I grinded my teeth in anger. ”Anything to get her away from me.”
She nodded. ”I think so. I'm actually really p.i.s.sed at him, too. He never told me he was inviting anyone. It was supposed to be the four of us. I would have never intentionally put you in this situation.”
”Why did she agree to this?”
”She literally only found out right before we came downstairs. She thought I was in on it and got mad at me. I would have never done that to her. I wanted this night to be special. I was hoping you two would finally get your act together tonight.”
”f.u.c.k, Tarah. I don't want her near that guy.”
”You don't want any guy near her.”
”No, I don't.”
”You really like her.”
”It's so much more than that. You don't know the half of it.”
”You two are crazy about each other. You need to tell her how you feel tonight. Whatever it is you're holding back, it needs to end tonight.”
”I need to be alone with Nina. Help me make that happen.”
”Okay. We'll go back to the table for a bit. Then, at some point, get her alone, and if you guys leave, I'll handle the damage.”
”Thank you.”
”Come on. Let's go back,” she said before leading the way back into the dining room.
When we returned to the table, my shot of vodka was waiting for me. I immediately lifted it to my mouth while Nina watched my every move. The alcohol burned my throat as I downed it all in one gulp, slamming the gla.s.s on the table when finished. My eyes darted over to her. She looked like she was expecting me to erupt in anger. Instead, my mouth slowly spread into a wicked grin. A look of relief washed over her face as she returned it with a smile that told me everything I needed to know about where she stood about me.
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