Once she stops her cackling, May’s eyes scan the dance floor and stop. I watch her line of sight and smile. May would never want me to be with anyone who wasn’t photo-worthy, and this man is definitely in that category. Well, of what I can see of him anyway.
He has brown-blond hair with touches of light, which is curly and tied back in a low ponytail with a few curls straying out to the side. He’s tall and has quite a few women crowding around him. A few men, too. All of them seem to look up at him as if he’s the center of attention. He probably is, let’s make no mistake about that.
“That one. Go. Say hello.”
I turn my attention back to May, raise an eyebrow, and smile. I still haven’t seen his face because his back is to me.
Her smile is more like a gloating smirk. “Yes, him. The one with the fuck-me hair tied back. Go.” She shoos me, but before I turn to walk away, I ask, “Just hello, right? And three posts, if I do?”
She nods with a smile. “Yes. Now move it before one of the other women beat you to it and claim his ass.”
I turn, pull my dress down, and make my way through the throng of people. As I reach him, a girl who’s standing next to him looks me up and down, then dismisses me as if I’m nothing. I turn back to look at May, who’s eagerly watching me. Taking a deep breath, I give myself a little pep talk and tell myself I can do this. He’s just a man, and I interact with people all day at my little café, so saying hello isn’t going to kill me.
Facing him, I almost stop breathing. It literally feels like everything’s knocked out of me, including my breath. He’s facing me, watching me, and waiting for me to turn back around. His dark eyes bore into mine, and it takes everything in me to not take a step back and slowly retreat away. It’s not simply that his eyes are dark, there’s something else held in them too. Like he could eat me alive if he so pleased. And that thought is scary.
“We have enough company. Thank you,” one of the girls says. Her hand is on his chest, but he isn’t touching her. In fact, he isn’t touching any of them now I come to notice.
Removing my eyes from her, I look back to see him assessing me. He’s waiting to see what I’ll do. He still hasn’t uttered a word to me, and I haven’t garnered enough confidence to let any words leave my mouth.
This was a stupid idea.
I shouldn’t have let May talk me into this.
Stupid Instagram. Stupid May and her damn posts.
Deciding this isn’t worth my embarrassment, I go to turn, to walk away, but something in the way he watches me, makes me open my mouth and speak. “I came over to say hello.”
What the fuck!
Seriously… what the fuck!
Who even says that?
My back is straight, when really all I want to do is groan ever so loudly and cover my face with my hands in embarrassment. My eyes dart back up to his. He’s still watching me, and even in the dark lighting I can see he’s amused, just as I see his eyes are darker than everyone else’s. The music blares so loudly, and I hope that it’s loud enough for my words to be drowned out and that he didn’t hear me. But knowing my luck, and the look of amusement he’s throwing my way, I would say it’s a big fat no.
“Hello.”
His voice startles me. I didn’t expect him to speak. And neither did the two girls hanging by his side because they both look up at him with hopeful expressions. Then they turn their evil eyes to me when they realize he’s only looking at me.
“Who wears a yellow dress! You do realize yellow is so last season.”
He doesn’t look at the girl who spoke. In fact, he stands still, staring at me as if he doesn’t hear the words spewing out of her disgusting mouth as she’s stationary next to him.
“Goodbye,” I say, but managing a smile. This isn’t worth my time. No guy with evil spawns hanging off of him is worth my time or effort. I’ve done what I said I would do, and I better get my damn posts. I spin on my high-as-fuck heels and spot May standing in the same place I left her. The damn woman’s laughing, and as I come closer, I snatch the drink from her hand and down it all in one gulp.
“That was awful. No more of that shit. Do you hear me? No more.”
She takes the glass back from my hand.