Page 24 of Wrapped in Winter
“Jeans and a shirt, but you’re wearing boots with heels.” Meadow crosses her arms and waits for me to agree.
“There’s three feet of snow outside. Can we be sensible, please?”
“Sensible and picking up a guy are two different things.” Meadow pauses. “Though there was nothing sensible about banging in the bathroom, and look how well it paid off for you,” she snickers.
My eyes go wide and I slap my hands over Lily’s ears. “You better stop! She repeats everything!” She waves her hand, dismissing me, and I sigh. “I’m never going to live that down, am I?”
A quick call to Lief, and the answer was no. I hung up with him and explained to the girls I wasn’t going to go. It was a good excuse to stay in, but they quickly called my brother back, placing Lily on the phone and forcing a yes from his mouth.
Walking into the Range, it’s pretty full and the music is loud. We move to the corner of the bar, where Meadow has already beat us to a spot. The same bartender as the last time we were here is behind the bar, and I know this is Cole. I watch as he does a double take as she rounds the corner, and their body language tells me there is definitely something happening with those two. As we approach from behind her, he looks up at all of us, giving a bright smile, but when he looks at me there is recognition. Drake told me they’re friends, and with that look, I’ve no doubt he’s talked about me.
He leans on the counter on the bar top with one hand and the other on his hip. “Good evening, ladies, what brings you all out tonight?”
Blossom steps right up. “It’s been two months since the last time we were all together here, as my sister reminded me.” She elbows me and I roll my eyes, but I don’t miss the smirk on his face. “So we thought we’d come out and let loose again.”
Meadow leans forward, making sure her cleavage is on display. I see Cole fighting not to drop his eyes to her and it makes me laugh. “What would you suggest, bartender?” she asks in a seductive voice. “I heard blowjob shots are a big thingaround here.” He holds her daring look, and I can literally feel the sexual energy bouncing off these two. “Actually I think Harvey Wall Bangers are taking top spot now.” She looks my way, nodding her head towards me, and Cole drops his head and huffs a laugh.
“Can you control yourself for two minutes?” I yell at her.
She shrugs. “I could, but where would be the fun in that?”
I push past her. “Just give us four beers and four shots of whatever, and we’ll take it to that table in the back.”
“You got it,” he says as he begins to set out a tray for us. Blossom and I walk to the back and snag the table before it disappears and wait for Courtney to bring the drinks. I see Meadow lingering for a moment longer than she has to, then turn with a grin. Cole’s eyes drop to her ass as she walks away from him.
“What did you just say to him? He’s shaking his head in astonishment.”
“Yeah and he watched your ass the whole way,” Blossom says.
“I just reminded him that my sister likes the bathroom, but the stockroom is more my speed.”
The girls laugh at her comment, but I just close my eyes and take a breath. “Did you blow that guy in the stockroom, Meadow?”
The grin on her face tells me yes even though she doesn't answer the question. “I told you I was teaching him to not be so nice.”
“So when he’s mean, you reward him? What kind of toxic logic is that?”
She waves her hand. “Not toxic at all. The guy is extremely uptight. His calculations have calculations. He’s lucky his pretty face cures his boredom. I shook him up a bit, is all. Wanted him to see how much fununplanned eventsare.” Her smuggrin makes me laugh. Meadow is gorgeous and turns heads everywhere she goes. It usually ensures she gets what she wants, so if she wants Cole, he better just hang on and go with it.
“Okay, we aren’t here for Meadow’s playdates. That will be tomorrow’s question.” Blossom bumps her with her hip. “So first things first, take the shot, and then you’re gonna start talking.” She directs the drinks to me. “How was it? Where did you guys go?”
I take the shot and place it on the table, taking a breath before I start. “We went to Sal’s. It was simple and laid-back, which was great.” I stop talking and remember how I felt at that moment. It has been so long since I’d been on a date, especially since I’ve closed myself off to ever thinking I would have a date again.
“Why the hesitation?”
“He’s got a lot of baggage too, and I can barely carry my own. I don’t know if I can take on his as well.”
“Give us the cliff notes.”
“His sister died when he was a teenager and his parents had a whole life planned out for them. Apparently, they are some rich family from Florida. You know how I feel about guys using Daddy‘s money.”
Sean used Daddy’s money but said it was his. I should have known he was nothing but a liar then, trying to trap me into a life I wasn’t ready for. Turns out I didn’t know him at all, and life has a funny way of removing things,people, that don’t belong.
“I don’t get that feeling from him. I think him coming here without them is him standing up on his own,” Blossom says.
“He said he didn’t want any part of it, and obviously he didn’t take the money since he’s working as a delivery guy.”
“That's what I’m saying. He cut himself off completely from that drastic damage control. You did the same thing; you left.Don’t you understand wanting to get away from everything?” Blossom pushes. It feels like she’s on his side more than mine.