Nothing Left to Lose (Guarded Hearts 1)

“Too bad I’m taken, huh?” I joked.

Nate stepped closer to me. There was a calculating edge to his eyes that made me slightly nervous, not in the frightened way, but in the ‘he’s up to no good’ way. “I think we should play a little game,” he suggested, grinning wickedly.

“What kind of game?”

His smile widened. “A dating game. Let’s see who can get the most phone numbers from the opposite sex tonight.”

I laughed and shook my head, stepping closer to Ashton. “I have all the phone numbers I want, thanks,” I declined.

Nate pouted. “Oh come on, a little competition. If I win, then I get to drive your rental car for an hour tomorrow, and if you win, hmm well, what do you want?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

I laughed wickedly as a plan formed in my head. “If I win, you get up on stage and sing a song of my choice,” I bargained.

He laughed, looking way too overconfident in his ability. “Deal. There’s no way I’m losing this bet. Getting girls’ digits is my specialty,” he announced proudly.

I turned to Ashton and raised one eyebrow. “You okay if I play this, Pretty Boy? You know I’m coming home with you, right? Not gonna have a jealous hissy fit?” A jealous hissy fit wasn’t actually what I was expecting, more like a panic attack because I would be more than four feet from him while out in the open.

“As long as you know you’re mine, we’re all good,” he answered, bending and kissing my cheek. He turned to Nate and smirked confidently. “You really shouldn’t play against my girl, buddy. She’s gonna kick your ass.”

Nate made a scoffing sound in the back of his throat and waved his hand dismissively. “Winner is the one who has the most numbers by the end of the night,” he explained with a confident smile plastered on his face. His eyes were already scanning the area for potential girls.

I shook my head quickly. “I don’t want to play all night. Let’s make it an hour instead.” Nate nodded in agreement, looking at his watch. “By the way, are there any rules as to how to get these phone numbers?” I asked curiously. I didn’t want to be accused of cheating.

“Nope, no rules. Anything’s allowed. Hour starts now.” He winked at me and then strode off into the crowd and up to a couple of girls that were giggling off to one side, dancing drunkenly. They didn’t stand a chance against him. He was a serious charmer, and his awesome personality was matched by his good looks. I smiled and shook my head at his slutty behaviour, but I just couldn’t bring myself to dislike him for it. He was such a great guy, women were clearly his downfall.

Turning back to Ashton, I smiled. “Wanna dance?”

He frowned. “You’re not doing the game?”

I nodded, taking his hand and giving him a little tug towards where some other people were dancing already. “I am. I just don’t need an hour to kick his butt.”

After about half an hour of us dancing and flirting, Nate stopped at my side and grinned. “I’ve got four so far, how many have you got?”

“I haven’t started yet.” I shrugged.

He frowned, looking slightly annoyed. “Are you not playing?”

“Yeah, I’m playing. I’m just about to make my move actually, wanna watch?” I asked, winking slyly at him. I strutted confidently through the crowd and up to the bar. I leant over to the barman and gave him a seductive smile. “Hi, I need a favour; do you have a microphone I can borrow?”

“Er yeah, I’ve got one here so I can announce the band,” he replied, picking up and microphone, looking a little baffled.

“Any chance I can borrow it and stand on the bar?” I asked hopefully, pouting and trying to be persuasive.

He blinked a couple of times and nodded, handing me the microphone. “Er… sure.”

I put a twenty dollar bill on the bar. “Can I get a shot of whatever you have there,” I asked, pointing to the nearest bottle. While he poured it, I lifted myself up onto the bar, trying to be ladylike considering my dress was relatively short. I grinned as I spotted Ashton and Nate both watching me with confused looks on their faces.

I stood up and took the shot from the barman as he held it out to me. After flicking the on switch on the microphone, I tapped the top of it, making a loud noise and a little screech. “Excuse me? Hi. Can I have everyone’s attention, just for a minute?” I said into the microphone, making my voice ring out through the bar. People stopped and looked at me, obviously wondering what was going on. “So, my name’s Tracey, I’m twenty-one, and I’m only in town for the next three days. I’m a part time lap dancer, and I’ve just found out my boyfriend cheated on me with my sister!” I lied, downing the shot. “He’s here tonight. His name’s Nate. He has blond hair and blue eyes; he’s wearing a blue shirt. So, girls, if he comes up to you, I’d think twice about it, f**king ass**le!” I scowled, trying to sound annoyed. “So anyway, I’ll get straight to the point. I’m looking for some no-strings-attached rebound sex. If there are any single guys in here interested, then come and give me your number. I’ll be over in the corner with my g*y friends.” I pointed over to the corner where Seth and Wayne were. “Thanks for your time.” I sat down carefully and then eased myself off the bar. I smiled gratefully at the barman and placed the microphone onto the bar.

“I’ll give you my number,” he said quickly, scribbling on a napkin and holding it out to me.