“Yeah, Bailey insisted.” I hook my thumb in her direction, and she is already making out with the guy she just met and right at the bar too. I don’t know whether to shake my head or laugh.
“Holden doesn’t waste any time,” Ezra tells me, seeming a bit embarrassed. He rocks back on the balls of his shoes and fidgets with his keys. He’s dressed as though he’s been at a business meeting, button down shirt pushed up at the sleeves, as though he is unwinding after a long day.
I shrug. “Bailey doesn’t either, apparently.”
“You want to dance or something?”
“I’m a terrible dancer,” I confide.
His eyes light up. “Me too, so we will be evenly matched.” He grins and for some reason, I follow him, and we proceed to make idiots of ourselves, both of us having two left feet.
“What year are you, freshmen?” He queries, his curious eyes holding a twinkle of amusement.
“Is it that obvious?” I laugh. Then I step on his foot and he howls. A dimple pops out in his right cheek. It’s cute.
“Step aside, E. Allow me to show her how it’s done,” Holden says, winking at me.
Ezra moves aside, and Holden grabs my hip bones and pulls me into his body. “Relax, let the beat of the music guide you.”
Easily, I get lost in the music and him. There is something about Holden. He has charisma, but he was just lip locked with my bestie. I feel her eyes on us as this guy holds me close.
“What are you doing? Are you trying to piss my friend off?”
“I’m dancing. If she gets upset about it, she has issues. We just met.”
“She’s staring a hole through me and you were just kissing her.” I push my palms against his chest which only results in him grabbing my hand with his and putting his other hand on my butt.
“Maybe I want to kiss you too,” he flirts, and I blush.
Looking away from him, I see Bailey talking to his friend, Ezra and by the speed her hands are gesturing she can’t be saying anything good.
“Listen, I’m sure you’re nice and all, but I don’t do leftovers.”
“You wound me, but I get it.” He steps back and takes a bow. “Let’s play pool. Me and your girlfriend against you and Ezra.”
I shrug and follow him to our friends.
Ezra grins at me and I find his boyish grin endearing.
“Was showing your girl here what it feels like to dance with a real man.” Holden punches Ezra and winks at me.
Bailey laughs but I can tell she is still upset.
I don’t know why she is so mad. We only met these guys like twenty minutes ago. It isn’t like I am trying to step in and steal him away from her. Sure, he’s twenty shades of sexy—all man with the beard that graces his face, while Ezra pales in comparison but he seems closer to my age.
Holden—based off our brief encounter reminds me of the sort of man a girl like me could lose herself in and get her heart broken by. I don’t want heartache. I’d rather guard my heart and my panties. Because the way Holden keeps looking at me, I’d surely lose them fast with him.
The night moves quickly and Holden has turned his charm back on Bailey while Ezra has kept an easy conversation moving between us. As I suspected he is around two years older than me, where Holden is closer to five years older.
I don’t know why my eyes keep leaving Ezra and checking in on Bailey and this Holden guy, but every few minutes his steely gaze finds mine and he semi-smiles. By the end of the night however, Ezra is giving me a ride to the dorms and Bailey is walking down the street, following Holden home.
“We should hangout sometime, maybe you can step on my feet again,” he teases.
Wagging my finger in his face I say, “I warned you.”
“Yeah, you did.” He grabs my finger and leans toward me. “Would it be too forward if I kissed you right now.”
Blush creeps up my cheeks. I bet Bailey and Holden are doing a lot more than kissing. Not that I care or should care. “I’d be offended if you didn’t even try,” I tell him, trying to get my mind off Holden and what kissing him would be like.