“Are you going to guess?” she pushes. “Play with me, Lucas.”
“Twenty-three,” I finally say. It’s what I thought when I first saw her, but I have a feeling I’m way off.
“Two more guesses,” she says, biting her blood-red lip. Her eyes sparkle.
“Twenty-five?” I ask.
She shakes her head, her smile widening.
“Higher or lower?”
“Higher.” She grins. “One more go. Guess right and you’ll win a prize.”
“Forty.” I smirk, knowing that will get a reaction.
A frown replaces her smile as she glowers at me. I chuckle as she slaps me on the arm. Why do chicks even ask that question when there’s always a risk of being insulted?
“I hope you’re trying to be funny,” she retorts, her blue eyes narrowing. “I see why Australian women get offended now—because their men are half-wits. I’m twenty-seven,” she adds, haughtily.
“Twenty-seven,” I repeat, considering her words. Six years older than I am. That’s fucking hot. “You want to know my age?”
“Twenty-one,” she replies, not missing a beat.
“How did you know that?” I say. I’m always getting told I look older than I am. I pride myself on it.
“Because I asked for your license the first time I served you.” She grins.
Shit. So she did. She’s pursuing me, knowing that I’m six years younger than she is. Does she have a thing for younger dudes? Because that is even hotter. I bet she likes control. She probably takes charge in the bedroom. I get hard just thinking about it. It’s like every guy’s fantasy, right?
The band is fucking amazing. It would’ve been easy to fuck the whole night off after Lace bailed, but I’m glad I didn’t. Eva is actually a really cool girl, and unlike anyone I’ve ever met. If I wasn’t so hung up on Lace, she’d definitely be my type.
Forget about Lace. Have some fun for once in your life. I chuckle at that thought because anyone would think all I did was have fun, but the reality is the complete opposite. My life is a series of attempts to try and forget the crazy feelings I have for a girl I can never be with.
Real fun.
After the gig, we decide to grab some dinner. We pull into Lecore’s at just after eleven. It’s one of the few places in town that I know are open late that still serve decent food. We walk inside, Eva hanging off my arm, talking about her travels around Europe.
I listen, in awe of how much she’s seen. This girl has lived life. She takes chances and gives no fucks. I wish I could do that, even just for a moment. When was the last time I took a chance without caring about the consequences? I think about all the times I could’ve told Lace about how I feel and didn’t. The closest I’ve come to being honest with her about how I feel is alone in my bed with one hand wrapped around my cock.
We’re halfway through dinner when I see her. With him. She hasn’t noticed me yet, as she sits at a table lit by soft candlelight less than a few metres away. She gazes into his eyes and I feel sick. I turn my attention to him, my hands balling into fists in my lap. That fucking smirk, the way he’s looking at her makes me want to fucking kill him.
I kick my seat back, anger simmering inside of me.
“Are you okay?”
I glance down at Eva, who stares up at me, wide-eyed. Her perplexed gaze darts from me to Lacey before the confusion clears, her mouth forming a small circle. Refusing to cause a scene, I leave quietly, heading out the back way so I don’t have to pass their table. As much as I want to confront them, I’m not ready to face him just yet.
As I sit down on the curb, my rage hurtling out of control, I can’t get the image of her looking at him like that out of my head. It took all my resolve not to walk over there and punch the fuck out of him. That would wipe the smile off his face.
Eva flops down beside me. She touches my arm, her forehead creased in concern.
“Are you okay?” she asks. “You were happy and laughing, and then the next thing I know you completely changed. You ran out of there and left me wondering—”
“I’m sorry, Eva. I shouldn’t have run out like that. In fact, I shouldn’t have even asked you out tonight. It’s not fair on you.”
“Ah,” she says, her confusion lifting. “She’s in there, yes? This girl, the one who has you so worked up? She’s in there with another guy?”
I don’t answer. Instead, I just stare at the gravel under my feet, picking imaginary lint off my pants. If she was with any other guy I could handle it. I wouldn’t like it, but I’d cope. Seeing her with my own father? I can’t do it. I’m falling apart and I don’t know how to fix it. This whole mess is spiralling out of control right in front of me.