When her hazel eyes meet mine, her teeth come out to sink into her bottom lip, and I have to stand up off the sink just to catch my breath as everyone finishes singing.
“Thanks, guys,” she says shyly, her face bright red, matching the shade of her lips.
“Sure! Now, time to do your shots.”
She laughs. “Excuse me?”
“Twenty-one shots for the big twenty-one!”
She shakes her head. “There is no way I can do all that at once!”
Markus laughs as Jace says, “No, we know, but you can’t leave this spot till you’re finished. Which means people can keep refilling your shot glasses.”
“What!” she screeches, laughing, and I hide my grin.
“Truth, get started! You have twenty-one minutes before people can start refilling.”
“You guys suck!” she complains, and Markus nods.
“True, but I’ll do one with ya,” he supplies.
“So will I,” Jace says, taking a glass too.
That isn’t the way it works. Usually the person is on their own, but I’m glad they are helping her out. She’d be shit-drunk because I know she’d finish ’em all before the twenty-one minutes were up. They all clink their glasses together and down the shots. When they slam the glasses on the counter, Baylor’s face is priceless while Jace and Markus yell out like two frat boys.
“That’s right, Moore! Get it done!” Markus says, shaking her by her shoulders.
“Hurry up, so we can do a keg stand!” Jace says, and then they both run off, leaving Baylor with her shots.
Looking up at me, she asks, “What if I dump ’em all out?”
I smile, shaking my head. “You won’t.”
She lets out a breath and nods. “I won’t, but ugh. I’m gonna be so pissy drunk.”
“For sure,” I say, coming up to the counter, it being the only thing putting space between us. If it weren’t there, I’d stand as close as I could just to enjoy her scent. I remember it being very flowery, almost fruity though. Her scent is as complex as she is. Mind-blowing really.
Taking one of the shots, I say, “Happy birthday.”
She smiles before taking another shot and clinking it against mine. We down the shots, and while she chases it with the Coke she brought, I down mine with beer.
“That’s a lot of Jack,” I say, shooting another glass as she shrugs.
“Wanted to bring enough for the team.”
“Trying to buy their vote?”
She shakes her head. “Nope, don’t need to,” she says in her snide little way.
“Hmm, I don’t know. I’m probably gonna get it without buying them off.”
“We will see,” she says before taking a shot. Laying the glass down, she says, “You know it isn’t a vote, right? My dad picks the captain.”
I didn’t know that, but I shrug. “He’ll pick who the team loves.”
“Maybe. But after tonight, I could pull ahead,” she say, leaning against the counter. “I did bring the liquor.”
A grin pulls at my mouth as I nod, picking up a glass, and she does the same. Clinking them together, I say, “You did.”