"You awake, buddy?" Derek patted my back as I pressed my hands to the kitchen cabinet and let out a long yawn.
"Yeah, I'm good." I ran my hands over my face and followed them out to Clay's old blue truck. We piled in it and rode to town with the guys singing loudly. I wasn't awake enough to do much more than grunt here and there.
By the time we got to the burger joint, their attention was on me and my lack of personality.
"What's up, man? Too many girls getting away from the famous Brody Myers?" Clay pushed at my shoulder as we walked into the burger place.
"Yep. I need to up my game." I grabbed a menu and walked to a table in the middle of the room. The place was packed, and the noise grated on my nerves a little.
"Up your game?" Daniel sat down across from me as our other friends took the seats on my right and left. "If you haven't upped your game yet, I'm not sure I want to see it."
They laughed as my lip turned up in a smirk. "I'm going after this one chick I met yesterday."
"Oh, yeah?" Derek pulled off his cowboy hat and moved it to rest on his knee. "Tell us about this woman. I'm interested, seeing that you usually don't have someone on your mind more than the three minutes you're plowing into them."
"Hardy har." I glanced up at the waitress and smiled. "Sweet tea, please."
"Sure." Her voice was soft and sexy. She was alright, but in the dark, that voice would sound delicious.
"Beers for the rest of us." Clay handed her the menu. "We all want burgers all the way and two baskets of fries. Right?"
We all nodded, and I leaned back in my chair, ignoring the way the girl's eyes kept returning to me. I was after the rich girl with big tits and an attitude problem. I wouldn't be diverted.
"You getting sappy on us?" Derek popped me in the chest and laughed.
"Just ‘cause I ordered a tea?" I smirked.
"No. You didn't even bring a girl home this afternoon. Just seems rare." Derek shrugged. "I'm thinking you might be growing up a little."
"Not a chance." I turned my attention to the waitress as she delivered our drinks. "Hey, baby. Is there a good place to go dancing around here?"
"Oh, yeah. There's a great club in the center of town. Did you guys just get here?" She gave me a cute smile.
"We sure did." I lifted my phone, checking the time. "You wanna go with me tomorrow night? Let me watch you shake your ass on the floor for me?"
She glanced around at the guys around me as her eyes widened a little. I extended my hand toward her.
"Don't mind them. They're just protection in case I run into an adoring fan. Brody." I shook her hand and bit my lip a little as I checked her out.
"Protection?" Her voice was nothing more than a whisper. She was flustered.
"Yeah. My dad is a senator." I shrugged and picked up my tea. "Anyway. You're cute. Let me get your digits before we leave."
"Okay, yeah. Sure." She smiled and walked off as I turned back to my friends and settled back.
"What the fuck was that?" Clay leaned in and gave me a look.
"What? You guys are right. I'm in a funk. Time to up the game." I shrugged, feeling a little better now that I had plans for the next night. The chances of me bedding the hottie from earlier were slim. Either way, if she was at the party, my main goal was to get her name. It was hard to invite her into my daydreams without a name to groan.
"Incredible." Daniel laughed and readjusted his glasses. "I need to figure out how to do this."
"No, you don't." Clay glanced over at him.
"I think it's more about Brody being a good-looking whore and less about a set of steps he could teach you," Derek offered, causing all of us to laugh.
"Fuck you guys for being ugly and making it harder than it should be." I smiled as they gave me shit. "I'm going to the john. Don't steal my girl while I'm gone."
I walked to the back of the burger joint, checking out a few new faces as I walked through the crowd. The party would be fun, and I planned on getting fucked up. It was someone else's turn to play responsible adult in the group. I'd taken the last round and been bored out of my mind. Drunk chicks didn't seem appealing unless I was drunk, too.