“I’ll hold you to that,” I laughed.
Missy’s bar crawl didn’t turn out to be as scary as I had imagined it. I even met a few people I knew from lectures and classes, but none of them recognized me. Thrilled by that, I felt myself relax a little.
I also noticed a few different guys looking at me the way I’d seen guys look at Missy. Missy was no less stunning in a red halter and sky-high black pumps, but somehow, I seemed to be getting more attention. It was a heady feeling, and it gave me a little boost of confidence so that every time Missy handed me a drink, I accepted without putting up a fight.
By the time we made it to Oasis, it was almost midnight, and I was actually having a good time. My “mask” helped a lot, and the alcohol had really calmed me down. Still, when Missy leaned in and told me she had brought me here for my real birthday present, I tensed up a little.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
Missy gave me a sly look and then looked towards the bar pointedly. “See for yourself,” she said.
I followed her gaze and caught sight of a pair of broad shoulders that I’d been fantasizing about for the past month. “Oh my God,” I breathed.
I turned back to Missy in shock. “How did you know?”
; “Malin’s at this bar practically every night,” Missy told me. “Apparently, professor hottie comes in every Friday and Saturday. Thankfully, your birthday fell on a Saturday, otherwise I would have had to change it the day, and that might have made you suspicious.”
“I… What do you expect me to do, though?”
“Go up to him and say hi?”
“Hello?” I said, waving in her face. “Do you know me at all?”
“Okay, fine,” Missy said. “Then make him come to you.”
I opened my eyes wide in disbelief. “How on earth am I supposed to do that?”
“You look fucking hot!” she said decidedly. “Every guy in this bar is checking you out. Just walk into his line of vision, and I don’t know…bend over or something.”
I gulped as Missy started to walk away. “Whoa,” I said, grabbing her arm. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to go dance,” she said, wagging her eyebrows at me. “If you need me, I’ll be around. But this is all you, kid… Make me proud.”
She gave me a wink and disappeared into the crowd. I turned towards the bar where Chance was sitting and took a deep, measured breath.
“You’re wearing a mask,” I told myself. “Be confident.”
I walked up to the bar and sat down a few seats away from him, but I couldn’t bring myself to look in his direction now that we were so close. I was just starting to panic and bail when I felt someone approach me.
“Hi.”
I turned my face up, and Chance was standing beside me, his hazel eyes were even more mesmerizing up close. “Hi,” I replied, but it came out in a whisper.
“You are stunning,” he said directly, taking me off guard. “Can I buy you a drink?”
It felt a little surreal, but then again, this whole night felt surreal. I decided not to over think. I would surrender to the night and draw confidence from my mask.
“Yes.” I smiled.
Chapter Ten
Chance
She accepted the drink I pushed towards her with a smile that was almost a blush. She was easily the most stunning woman at Oasis that night. She was dressed in a tight embellished mini dress and her blue eyes were startling.
“I’m Chance,” I introduced.