Page 18 of Unravel Me

“You should try the snake eyes next time.” Rhett’s blue eyes were solely focused on me, and I grasped the drinks harder.

“I don’t know what that even means…” I let out a breathy chuckle as he moved to lean on the bar next to me. I could move now but I don’t. His forearms flex, his legs nearly touching mine, and I can see down his loose shirt. Unspeakable thoughts about the contents under that shirt enter my mind, but I quickly snap my eyes back to his, thankful for the loud music or else he might hear the thumping of my heart.

“Snake eyes—it’s a signature drink here.” He winks at the bartender who was only half paying attention to Rhett as she fills a beer. “It’s a mix of tequila and…” He snaps his fingers and shrugs playfully. “You know, I won’t even pretend to know what else. It’s good. It will put you on your ass if you’re not careful, though.”

I crinkle my eyebrows at him.

“And you think I’d enjoy something like that?”

Rhett pauses as he traces the outline of my mouth with his eyes. “I won’t pretend to know a thing about what you’d enjoy.”

I swallow hard, my brain going fuzzy, my naval growing hot.

“I need to get back to my friend.” Penny was probably already being swept off her feet by someone.

Rhett bows his at me, and I push the butterflies circling my stomach out of mind as I cross the bar, searching for a blonde. I sip my drink, relishing in the bitter taste of the vodka tonic on my tongue.

Penny and I sip our drinks, liquid courage lacing our veins. Once they’re gone, along with half my nerves, she reaches for me, pulling me towards the dance floor.

“I don’t dance, you know that!” I yell as the lights dim, and the stage lights start to flash.

“Come on! One song, for me?” Penny beams at me and my sigh is drowned out as the song picks up in volume. I’ll dance. For her.

I did the bare minimum, shuffling in the crowd to the music I didn’t normally listen to but by the second song I’d loosened up a bit, and Penny convinced me to stay out there. Penny, unfortunately, was one of those people who could get a whole crowd going. She was contagiously fun, her laugh and smile eating away at my resolve.

“Don’t look now, but you have an audience,” Penny whispers into my ear. I didn't listen, my self-control was gone with the second drink. I meet his gaze across the floor.

“He could be looking at anyone. I don’t even really know him!” I yell back, but my heart starts beating irregularly.

“Well, he seems hell bent on changing that.”

“Do I need to remind you I just got out of a relationship?” I yell back and she nods enthusiastically.

“Exactly, you’re out of the relationship. Time to have some fun.”

I wouldn’t even know where to begin.

My thoughts are interrupted by the song ending as we exit the dance floor and make our way to the bar to order our final drink. My ears are ringing, but I'll give it to my best friend…it was nice to let loose and not care what everyone around me thought.

“What will it be?” the bartender asks.

“Two snake eyes, please.”

Penny raises her eyebrows at me.

“What? I heard it’s their signature drink here.” I shrug. “I figure we will never be coming back, so we may as well try it.”

We get our drinks and assess the place. For such a large venue, it was beginning to feel incredibly small. Penny pulls her phone out, recording something for her social media, and I wave at the phone, flashing a smile, but Rhett catches my attention over her shoulder.

He’s leaning against the metal bar table, one large hand wrapped around a sweating bottle of a beer, and I’m drawn in as he laughs. His jaw is chiseled and square, and his dark blond five o'clock shadow is begging me to drag my lips down it. His hands are large and rough looking, and I want to feel them on my skin.

A sharp pang of guilt hits me, and my eyes drop instinctively to my bare ring finger. The absence feels louder than the music pounding around me. I wonder when it will finally sink in— when I’ll truly accept that I’m no longer tethered to someone, no longer part of a pair.

“You okay?”

“I should be driving home with Jackson right now.” My throat is tight as I reply. “We had a whole day planned tomorrow for brunch with my parents at the country club, and then we were meeting with the baker for cake tasting. I really wanted that lemon cake.” It sounded so trivial and stupid even as I say it, but tears form in my eyes, and I swallow a large gulp of the snake eyes drink, letting it burn my throat.

“No, no, no.” Penny takes my face between her hands. “You have to let go of what could’ve been. If you don’t, you’ll never open yourself up to what could be. You have a whole life ahead of you, and you don’t want to miss out on it by looking in the rearview mirror. Got it?” She forces me to nod my head.