He sat beside me, one arm draped over the back of the chair next to him while his other hand held a half-empty glass of Coke and whiskey. He’d changed out of his scrubs, and his pose, combined with his tousled dark hair and new outfit—navy blue cashmere sweater with the sleeves pushed up, watch glinting on his wrist—made him look like he was posing for a men’s fashion magazine.
I drained the rest of my drink in an attempt to douse the heat blooming in my stomach.
“Truth or Dare,” Ellie decided.
“El, I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” Marshall shifted in his seat. “We work together. It’s inappropriate.”
I suppressed a wince. Marshall was only a few years older than Ellie, but lecturing someone on propriety in the middle of happy hour wasn’t the best way to spark a girl’s interest.
“It’s just us. It’s not like Lisa’s here.” Ellie waved a dismissive hand in the air. “So? What do you think?”
Josh lifted his glass to his lips, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Let’s do it.”
“Great.” She beamed and turned to me. “Jules?”
“Sure.” In normal times, I would’ve been the one who suggested a game first, but all my worrying over the past week had drained me of energy and the best I could do was go with the flow.
“Marshall?” Ellie nudged him, causing his cheeks to flush red.
“Okay.” He sounded resigned.
To no one’s surprise, Ellie chose Josh for the first round. “Truth or Dare?” she asked.
“Truth.”
Huh.I tamped down my surprise. I’d expected him to choose Dare.
Ellie leaned forward so he had an unimpeded view of her cleavage. She’d tossed her blazer long ago, and her breasts practically spilled out of her tank top.
I glanced at Josh, whose gaze remained fixed on Ellie’s face. His expression didn’t so much as flicker.
The same couldn’t be said for Marshall, who looked like he was about to burst into flames.
“Are you interested in anyone at the clinic?” Ellie asked.
Subtle.
Josh’s eyebrows winged upward. “A volunteer or staff member?”
I shifted in my seat, and the vinyl released an embarrassing squeak when my thighs unstuck from the material. Josh flicked his eyes in my direction, his amusement visibly deepening. I lifted my chin defiantly in reply.
“Either or,” Ellie said, bringing his attention back to her. “But let’s say it’s a staff member.”
“I’m interested in everyone at the clinic,” Josh said. “You’re all great.”
She deflated, obviously realizing she should’ve been more specific.
“Jules.” Josh shifted his gaze to me, and I straightened in anticipation. “Truth or Dare?”
“Dare.” I answered without hesitation.
A slow smile spread across his face. “I dare you to kiss someone at this table for thirty seconds.”
I recognized the satisfied gleam in his eyes; he expected me to back down.
Too bad for him, I’d never backed down from a dare in my life.
I kept my gaze fixed on his as I leaned forward, closing the distance between us inch by agonizing inch until his smile slipped and heat flared in his eyes.
I waited until our faces were only inches apart before I swerved abruptly and kissed a startled Marshall instead.
“Mmmphng,” he squeaked.
“You okay with this?” I whispered against his lips.
“Mmmphng,” he repeated, higher pitched this time. He didn’t move away, so I took that as a yes.
I guided him through the kiss and let it linger for the requisite thirty seconds before I pulled back. A self-satisfied smile bloomed on my mouth at the reactions around me. Ellie’s jaw grazed the table while Josh stared at me, his amusement from earlier locked away behind a stone-faced mask. Marshall, meanwhile, sat frozen in his chair with glassy eyes and his mouth agape.
“Sorry for springing that on you,” I said. “But you’re a great kisser. A-plus.”
“N-n-no problem,” he stuttered. “I, um, I…” His eyes darted toward Ellie, who eyed him with a smidge more interest than before.
I hid a smile. The best way to spark a woman’s interest was to introduce a little competition. “I believe that was thirty seconds?”
I directed my question at Josh, who responded with a cool, “More than thirty. You must’ve been really into it.”
“Like I said…” I toyed with my now-empty glass. “Marshall’s a great kisser.”