toward her friend, horror slowly spreading through her body and coalescing into a greasy knot of nausea in her stomach. “Oh God. I knew it. This dress looks awful.”
“The dress looks fabulous. No one can stop looking at you, including our dearly beloved bartender.” Jess inclined her head in Ronnie’s direction, where he stood with a small cluster of the guys he hung around with.
“You really do need to do something about that,” Jess said with a bright smile. “He’s too prime to leave him wallowing in misery every time you’re near.”
“How many different ways do I have to make it clear I’m not doing anything with Ronnie?”
“It doesn’t mean it’s not a shame. He’s adorable.”
Avery didn’t even turn around, knowing what she’d get if she did. Ronnie hadn’t been too overt in his interest, but she knew it was there all the same, and she didn’t want to embarrass or encourage him. She’d thought her four months away in Ireland would have helped the situation, but days like today made it clear her absence had only made him grow fonder of her.
And he was adorable. If she were looking for minimal strings and a good time, Ronnie would be at the top of her list, their age difference—and her junior high baby-sitting sessions for him—be damned.
But she wasn’t looking for casual.
And despite her best intentions, she had a fascination of her own for someone else who was entirely inappropriate for her.
“Someone’s looking sexy today.”
Avery shot Jess a desperate look before she turned toward the older woman who owned the cackling voice. “Chooch. Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Sophie and those McKinleys sure as hell know how to throw a party.” Chooch nodded her head, the ringlets she’d managed to curl over her entire head winking in the breeze. “You need to show those legs off more often. You’re smoking.”
Avery met Chooch’s gaze head-on. “Thank you. I think.”
“Damn straight. I meant it as a compliment. Legs like that’ll get all the boys to notice. And then maybe that’ll kick some sense into Roman Forsyth’s thick skull.”
“I wore this dress for me.”
“’Course you did. Men come second when it comes to feeling good about ourselves.” The woman moved in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper as she gestured Avery and Jess near. “Never make your decisions for a man, no matter how stupid over him you are.”
“That’s good advice, Chooch.” Jess nodded her head solemnly, and Avery thought the older woman’s advice was sweet.
Until she branded it in a way that was uniquely her own.
“And even if he’s giving you several orgasms a day, you don’t let him boss you around. You can give ’em to yourself just as easy and you don’t need to let him know he makes you crazy or has such power over you.”
Jess actually dribbled some of her sip of beer she was trying so hard to hold back the laughter, and Avery could only thank her lucky stars she hadn’t taken a sip yet. “Equally good advice, Chooch.”
“Don’t forget it.”
“Oh, we won’t.” Both women waved at Chooch’s departing figure before falling against each other in a heap of giggles.
“How does she do that?”
“I’m not sure.” Avery leaned down, clutching her stomach as another wave of laughter overtook her. “But I’m quite positive I’ve never thought of Hooch McGilvray as a master of the female orgasm.”
“Maybe they’ll erect a statue in his honor next to the Love Monument.”
Avery and Jess collapsed in a fresh heap of giggles at the innuendo as well as the image. It was only when a deep voice interrupted them that Avery came back to her surroundings.
“You both look like you’re having a good time. Can I get you fresh beers?”
“Ronnie. Hi.”
“Hi.” His smile was as broad as his wide, T-shirt-clad chest, and Avery wondered once more why she couldn’t see the man past her image of him in Garfield pajamas. “I can only assume Chooch was
“The dress looks fabulous. No one can stop looking at you, including our dearly beloved bartender.” Jess inclined her head in Ronnie’s direction, where he stood with a small cluster of the guys he hung around with.
“You really do need to do something about that,” Jess said with a bright smile. “He’s too prime to leave him wallowing in misery every time you’re near.”
“How many different ways do I have to make it clear I’m not doing anything with Ronnie?”
“It doesn’t mean it’s not a shame. He’s adorable.”
Avery didn’t even turn around, knowing what she’d get if she did. Ronnie hadn’t been too overt in his interest, but she knew it was there all the same, and she didn’t want to embarrass or encourage him. She’d thought her four months away in Ireland would have helped the situation, but days like today made it clear her absence had only made him grow fonder of her.
And he was adorable. If she were looking for minimal strings and a good time, Ronnie would be at the top of her list, their age difference—and her junior high baby-sitting sessions for him—be damned.
But she wasn’t looking for casual.
And despite her best intentions, she had a fascination of her own for someone else who was entirely inappropriate for her.
“Someone’s looking sexy today.”
Avery shot Jess a desperate look before she turned toward the older woman who owned the cackling voice. “Chooch. Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Sophie and those McKinleys sure as hell know how to throw a party.” Chooch nodded her head, the ringlets she’d managed to curl over her entire head winking in the breeze. “You need to show those legs off more often. You’re smoking.”
Avery met Chooch’s gaze head-on. “Thank you. I think.”
“Damn straight. I meant it as a compliment. Legs like that’ll get all the boys to notice. And then maybe that’ll kick some sense into Roman Forsyth’s thick skull.”
“I wore this dress for me.”
“’Course you did. Men come second when it comes to feeling good about ourselves.” The woman moved in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper as she gestured Avery and Jess near. “Never make your decisions for a man, no matter how stupid over him you are.”
“That’s good advice, Chooch.” Jess nodded her head solemnly, and Avery thought the older woman’s advice was sweet.
Until she branded it in a way that was uniquely her own.
“And even if he’s giving you several orgasms a day, you don’t let him boss you around. You can give ’em to yourself just as easy and you don’t need to let him know he makes you crazy or has such power over you.”
Jess actually dribbled some of her sip of beer she was trying so hard to hold back the laughter, and Avery could only thank her lucky stars she hadn’t taken a sip yet. “Equally good advice, Chooch.”
“Don’t forget it.”
“Oh, we won’t.” Both women waved at Chooch’s departing figure before falling against each other in a heap of giggles.
“How does she do that?”
“I’m not sure.” Avery leaned down, clutching her stomach as another wave of laughter overtook her. “But I’m quite positive I’ve never thought of Hooch McGilvray as a master of the female orgasm.”
“Maybe they’ll erect a statue in his honor next to the Love Monument.”
Avery and Jess collapsed in a fresh heap of giggles at the innuendo as well as the image. It was only when a deep voice interrupted them that Avery came back to her surroundings.
“You both look like you’re having a good time. Can I get you fresh beers?”
“Ronnie. Hi.”
“Hi.” His smile was as broad as his wide, T-shirt-clad chest, and Avery wondered once more why she couldn’t see the man past her image of him in Garfield pajamas. “I can only assume Chooch was
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