speakers placed about the big entrance hall. There were high, round tables like in a bistro, bearing crackers and drinks. Those who didn’t gather around them or in the corners of the room started dancing on the tiled floor in the dim lighting.
I rushed from the Hunter’s kitchen to the hall, refilling some of the cracker bowls, then I danced my way back through the crowd.
Nick was leaning against the wide arch leading to the kitchen and dining area of the house. The orange shirt he was wearing today clashed terribly with his red hair, but it looked extremely cool combined with his dark gray pants. For the first time I wondered why he didn’t have a girlfriend.
Nick was bracing himself against the wall with one hand, blocking the entrance and my way, but he didn’t seem aware of it as he spoke with Ryan and a few other guys.
Infected by the party mood, I didn’t bother to ask Nick to move but just limbo-danced under his arm.
“Hey, Finn Girl, having fun?” he asked me when I straightened.
I smiled at him over my shoulder. “Absolutely.” Light-footed, I danced over to Lisa, grabbed the can of lemonade she offered me, and took a swig. “I had no idea how big this was going to be. There must be over a hundred people out there already.”
“Yeah…and that’s not even half the expected number,” Lisa replied.
My eyes turned wide as I gaped at Ryan. “Do you know all these people?”
Ryan sipped from his root beer, then he draped his arm around Lisa’s shoulders with the bottle in his hand. “Not all of them but most. Sometimes they just bring friends or their siblings. I don’t mind. You know, the more, the merrier.” He grinned and planted a kiss on Lisa’s brow. She turned in his arms and met his lips, grabbing him by the collar of the black shirt he’d changed into.
Yeah…that was my cue to leave the kitchen. Nick followed me, making gagging noises. “They’ll never get tired of it, will they?”
I glanced at him sideways then playfully rolled my eyes. “Not for a long time, I believe.”
“Speaking of making out , Finn Girl—” He reached for my hand and twirled me under his arm. “How’s your plan with Mitchell working out?”
My smile faded. “It’s not my plan. And nothing’s working out, either.”
“Aw. Why’s that?” He pushed me away from him, not releasing my hand, and then pulled me back to him and caught me in a light embrace. “He seemed thoroughly pissed on Wednesday. Doesn’t that mean your friends’ plan worked?”
“Seriously, Nick, I don’t want Tony to be pissed. And what’s more, I don’t want to talk about him.” His intense gaze in the restroom this afternoon was hard enough to forget, even without a reminder. Two weeks had passed since our first meeting, and I still didn’t know what to make of Anthony Mitchell. He hadn’t gone to Lisa’s place on Wednesday, but he couldn’t make up his mind either. If I was wise, I’d just pull my heart out of this game once and for all. “He shouldn’t have kissed me. So now I’m just trying to forget about it.”
Nick pulled me tighter against him, our dance turning a shade sexier. “Oh, if you need help with that,” he drawled, “let me know.” By the playful gleam in his eyes and the playful tone of his voice, I knew he wasn’t serious. It was just his way of trying to cheer me up.
I tilted my head back and laughed. Then I wrapped my leg around his, pressing myself against him just briefly. “Was that an offer, big guy?”
“My offer’s always up, Finn Girl.” He twirled me around once more.
In the middle of the twist, I stopped dead.
Susan had just arrived and was standing right in front of me. And next to her was Tony.
My heart stuttered into shock mode. The saying “in the wrong place at the wrong time” took on a wholly new meaning right now, even though I couldn’t explain to myself why I even cared. I released Nick’s hand.
“Hi, Sam!” Susan shouted over the music. She was
I rushed from the Hunter’s kitchen to the hall, refilling some of the cracker bowls, then I danced my way back through the crowd.
Nick was leaning against the wide arch leading to the kitchen and dining area of the house. The orange shirt he was wearing today clashed terribly with his red hair, but it looked extremely cool combined with his dark gray pants. For the first time I wondered why he didn’t have a girlfriend.
Nick was bracing himself against the wall with one hand, blocking the entrance and my way, but he didn’t seem aware of it as he spoke with Ryan and a few other guys.
Infected by the party mood, I didn’t bother to ask Nick to move but just limbo-danced under his arm.
“Hey, Finn Girl, having fun?” he asked me when I straightened.
I smiled at him over my shoulder. “Absolutely.” Light-footed, I danced over to Lisa, grabbed the can of lemonade she offered me, and took a swig. “I had no idea how big this was going to be. There must be over a hundred people out there already.”
“Yeah…and that’s not even half the expected number,” Lisa replied.
My eyes turned wide as I gaped at Ryan. “Do you know all these people?”
Ryan sipped from his root beer, then he draped his arm around Lisa’s shoulders with the bottle in his hand. “Not all of them but most. Sometimes they just bring friends or their siblings. I don’t mind. You know, the more, the merrier.” He grinned and planted a kiss on Lisa’s brow. She turned in his arms and met his lips, grabbing him by the collar of the black shirt he’d changed into.
Yeah…that was my cue to leave the kitchen. Nick followed me, making gagging noises. “They’ll never get tired of it, will they?”
I glanced at him sideways then playfully rolled my eyes. “Not for a long time, I believe.”
“Speaking of making out , Finn Girl—” He reached for my hand and twirled me under his arm. “How’s your plan with Mitchell working out?”
My smile faded. “It’s not my plan. And nothing’s working out, either.”
“Aw. Why’s that?” He pushed me away from him, not releasing my hand, and then pulled me back to him and caught me in a light embrace. “He seemed thoroughly pissed on Wednesday. Doesn’t that mean your friends’ plan worked?”
“Seriously, Nick, I don’t want Tony to be pissed. And what’s more, I don’t want to talk about him.” His intense gaze in the restroom this afternoon was hard enough to forget, even without a reminder. Two weeks had passed since our first meeting, and I still didn’t know what to make of Anthony Mitchell. He hadn’t gone to Lisa’s place on Wednesday, but he couldn’t make up his mind either. If I was wise, I’d just pull my heart out of this game once and for all. “He shouldn’t have kissed me. So now I’m just trying to forget about it.”
Nick pulled me tighter against him, our dance turning a shade sexier. “Oh, if you need help with that,” he drawled, “let me know.” By the playful gleam in his eyes and the playful tone of his voice, I knew he wasn’t serious. It was just his way of trying to cheer me up.
I tilted my head back and laughed. Then I wrapped my leg around his, pressing myself against him just briefly. “Was that an offer, big guy?”
“My offer’s always up, Finn Girl.” He twirled me around once more.
In the middle of the twist, I stopped dead.
Susan had just arrived and was standing right in front of me. And next to her was Tony.
My heart stuttered into shock mode. The saying “in the wrong place at the wrong time” took on a wholly new meaning right now, even though I couldn’t explain to myself why I even cared. I released Nick’s hand.
“Hi, Sam!” Susan shouted over the music. She was
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