I thought he just opened the door in the morning to welcome the boys. But to have it open all the time? My heart melted a little.
The door opened, and a larger crowd of men came in. A few called hello to Jim. Jim nodded and smiled but didn’t invite them to join us.
“You know what really puts me over the top?” he asked, looking at me with frustration. “He won’t let me make the pancakes!”
Several people turned to look at Jim. I studied Jim in surprise, not sure how to respond to his outburst. Then, I caught a twinkle in his eyes.
“You brat!” I smacked him on the arm, and he laughed.
He’d picked on my concerns but had also revealed some interesting information about Emmitt. Things I didn’t know. Did I have to worry about Emmitt using the information against me? I didn’t know because I didn’t really know Emmitt.
“Fine. You win. I’ll stop avoiding him.” My stomach flipped in anticipation, and I let out a shaky breath. Friends only, I reminded myself. That would be risky enough. I’d probably say more than I wanted.
“Good girl,” Jim said, smiling approval. “Drink up. The music’s about to start. It’ll get too loud in here to talk.”
I looked around the crowded room and wondered where everyone had come from. The glass in front of me was cold and full. Hadn’t I been drinking out of it already? I thought I’d almost drained it.
“We can go now if you want,” I offered.
“Please, no!” he said, holding his hands up in surrender. “I just need a few more minutes.” After all the alcohol he consumed, he didn’t seem the least bit affected.
Three more beer and two hours later, I needed to use the restroom. A crowded dance floor occupied the space between my goal and me. I leaned close to Jim to hear myself over the music.
“Be right back,” I half-shouted and hopped off the stool.
He nodded at me with a grin and lifted his glass to sip the beer I suspected he’d been nursing for the past hour. If he didn’t want me driving, maybe he was sobering up? Wait, was he ever really drunk? I felt a bit light-headed and unsure of the real answer.
Without tripping or embarrassing myself, I made it to the restroom. The small room did little to muffle the blaring music but did offer my ears a slight respite. The time away from Jim and his distracting conversation helped me remember my responsibilities. Liam and Aden.
After drying my hands, I stepped out of the restroom and carefully started to skirt around the group of bodies writhing to the music. I craned my neck, trying to spot Jim. We needed to leave.
Instead of seeing Jim, I met a startling pair of dark eyes for a moment before a random dancer moved in the way. I froze, doubting what I thought I’d seen. When the dancer moved, no one familiar stood there. Dark blue eyes or otherwise. I shook my head, blamed the beer, and continued to inch forward. Definitely time to insist we go home. Jim had to be sober by now. I wanted to get back to my brothers and needed to apologize to Nana.
The mass of dancers drifted, blocking my route along their edge. Taking a deep breath, I changed tactics and started to snake my way through the dancers. I mumbled apologies as I went. Shoulder to shoulder, bodies bumped and brushed each other as they swayed to the music. I struggled to make any progress. An arm encircled my waist, stopping me completely. I tried to spot Jim at the bar, but the crowd was too thick. The music too loud to yell. Defeated, I turned to face my captor.
Dark blue eyes, close cropped dark hair, and a perfect mouth swam before my eyes. Emmitt. My heart skipped a beat. He wore jeans and a faded blue t-shirt. His eyes unwaveringly met mine. He studied me with an intensity I didn’t understand.
He leaned in to smell my hair. Tingles skittered along my neck and arms.
“Hi,” I whispered, tipsy and unsure of his mood.
Folding me in his arms with a sigh, we swayed to the fast music. “You had me worried,” he whispered in my ear. He rested his forehead against mine.
“My driving’s not that bad,” I protested, pulling back slightly. He let me have my space as his lips quirked and he shook his head.
“When you stopped talking to me, I thought you wanted to leave. Then, you did. With Jim.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know what to say for a moment. His eyes burned into mine, capturing me even through the beer haze. My hands came to life at my side, reaching up to clutch the fabric of his shirt near his stomach. My knuckles brushed his hard muscles. I melted a little.
He exhaled and closed the distance between us. As he lowered his head, excitement burst like a bubble within me, randomly splattering my insides with a cold fire. The room tilted. My blood rushed, and my eyes fluttered closed. I held my breath, lifted my face, and forgot my vow to confine our relationship to the boundaries of friendship.
“Please stop,” he begged.