Gloria blinked slowly at her smug friend.
“They’re getting ready for the party tonight.” Sofie reached for a pita chip and dragged it through the bowl of crab dip from Abundance Market. That was the most addicting stuff Gloria had ever tasted in her life.
“What party?” Gloria asked.
Sofie stopped mid-crunch and Faith and Charlie gave Gloria twin wide-eyed “don’t-you-know?” looks.
“The…big bash. With the band. Asher texted everyone this morning.” Charlie’s brow crinkled.
“Oh! Right. Sorry. I was thinking it was a different night.” Gloria left a lame excuse for a smile on her lips and hoped to God her friends would stop looking at her like they pitied her. Like they knew the truth: that the man she’d refused to sleep with was possibly punishing her by not inviting her.
“Who sets a time for a party as ‘nightfall’ anyway?” Charlie asked with a laugh.
“I know, right?” Faith reached for a chip. “I’m glad we didn’t change our Girls’ Night Out date, though. Because we should never let boys dictate what we do.”
Sofie fist-bumped Faith and Gloria felt herself getting further perturbed that she hadn’t known about the party. Two days had passed and Asher hadn’t bothered to so much as send her a text message. Then again, she hadn’t tried to contact him. She’d gone home that night, simultaneously kicking and congratulating herself for sticking to her guns.
And so sexually frustrated, her vision was blurred. When she thought back to the way he’d held her and offered, “Let me blow your mind tonight,” she had no earthly clue how she’d been able to turn him down.
Charlie steered the conversation into less choppy waters, and Gloria ate her crackers and cheese and drank her wine and smiled. But she seriously did not know what to do about this party thing. She wasn’t invited, but an invitation was sort of assumed, wasn’t it?
Well. Whatever.
She’d just show up. Invited or not, she knew where he lived.
*
Connor dropped another pile of cut branches into the huge fire pit by the lake. “That oughta do it.”
Ash and the former military man hadn’t been buddies back in the day—given that Connor was younger and more Donovan’s friend than anyone else’s, but they’d become unlikely friends over Asher’s last several visits here.
Truth of it was, the landscaper helped everyone with everything. The moment Asher bought his vacation house, he made a call to Connor to get help with trimming back trees, planting flowers, and placing decorative rocks around his place—shit Asher knew nothing about.
And, yeah, landscaping was Connor’s business, but he’d also texted Ash about other ideas he had for the place and didn’t charge him any extra. Stand-up guy, and smarter than smart.
“Thanks, man.” Ash clapped Connor on the back as he walked by.
Donovan came outside, Tank shadowing his every footfall. Asher saw why when Donny ate another piece of summer sausage sandwiched between two crackers.
“You’re eating my party food.”
“Taste-testing,” Donny corrected as he chewed.
The crack of a can being opened sounded from Asher’s right and he turned to see Evan slug back half the beer in a few deep guzzles. He let out an exaggerated, “Ahhh.”
“I’m in. It’s been a long, hot day.” Connor went to the cooler.
The sun was low in the sky and everything was ready. Asher figured the band would straggle in later than late. They showed up yesterday. He’d met them at Salty Dog for shots, but when each of them partnered off with a few girls who’d come sniffing around, he took his leave.
He had Gloria. He sure as fuck didn’t need a groupie in his bed.
“I’m in.” Asher held up a hand. Evan tossed him a beer can and he caught it in one palm. He turned to look at the pile of sticks in the fire pit. “Light it up.”
“Hell, yes.” Donny tipped his head. “You’re the one with fire in your pocket.”
“I don’t smoke. Why would I have a lighter?” Then, with a smile, Ash reached into his pocket and came out with a Zippo. The classic flip-top kind. He liked the weight of it there.
“I knew it. Old habits.” Donny only shook his head.
Asher knelt to light the wadded-up newspaper beneath the sticks. He may not smoke any longer, but he liked having the lighter. And hey, bonus, carrying it wouldn’t give him lung cancer. God. He never used to worry about any of that shit.
Thoughts like that made him worry he was losing his edge, but then he remembered he’d tossed Glo in the lake, followed her in there, and stripped her naked. He smiled to himself. Yeah, he still had it.
“Charlie says they will be here in thirty,” Evan said, pocketing his cell phone. “Faith is driving. She and Sofie are in charge of our girls since they’re not drinking.”
Our girls. Ash didn’t miss that reference.
“I hear congratulations are in order,” Asher said to Connor, who had just finished off his beer. “You’re gonna be a dad, too.”