Page 10 of Hot Mess
“What doyouwant to do, Ashley?” Amber asked me. “It’s your party.”
“The island it is,” I said.
I was cold, damp, and I’d had enough strip bars and whiskey shots for one day. Let’s be honest. No matter where this party headed, I’d probably just end up fucking one of the bimbos Xander brought along before the night was done. Just the way it went, right?
At least after that, I could call it a night and pass out. Mission accomplished.
Breakup party complete.
Con told the driver where to take us—some pizza place for Amber, then Coal Harbour—and finally, the Hummer pulled out into traffic. Summer cranked Def Leppard, “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” like it was nineteen-eighty-whatever, and the chicks started dancing.
At least, Xander’s three new friends started dancing. With each other. One of them was an actual stripper, I was guessing, by the way she shoved one of the other girls down and started giving her a lap dance like a pro.
Couldn’t even remember why I’d thought one of them was cute about half an hour ago.
Definite miscalculation.
Come to think of it… my dick wasn’t interested in much of anything that was going on around me. Even Dylan and Amber, who were already making out. To be specific, they were snuggling and kissing, probably trying to keep it as PG as possible for my benefit.
They’d become annoyingly considerate like that since breaking my heart.
I watched Xander pull the third girl onto his lap, and Matt went kinda liquid, sliding down in his seat to watch the ensuing lap dance.
Which was when I realized why Seth was sticking so close to Summer, and Jesse was glued to Jude and Roni. Because Seth and Jesse’s women—who were both pregnant right now—weren’t here, and they wanted nothing to do with the randoms.
Couldn’t blame them.
There was a reason I was sitting between Summer and Amber myself, wasn’t there? Because I wasn’t all that interested in a random hookup tonight. And no way was I even thinking about trying to fuck either of my exes in the world’s most stupid drunken mistake.
Not with dream girl on my mind.
Danny.
Her name was Danny.
I’d met her once before, four years ago, and never seen her again.
Until tonight.
Holy fuck.Did that really just happen?
Yes. Yes it did.
Jesus…I really needed to drink some more to wipe that shit out of my mind or something. Either that, or stop drinking before I did anything even fucking stupider tonight.
But what could be stupider than meeting a girl like that,for the second time, and letting her slip away?
Two chances. I’d had two chances.
And fucked them right up.
She doesn’t want you, some little voice in the back of my mind tried to remind me. And shitty thing was, I knew it was true.
So why was I still thinking about her?
“Who wants a shot?” Roni shouted over the music, pulling out a bottle of sambuca.
“I do!” Amber said, coming up for air.
