Page 43 of Beg for You

My phone vibrated in my pocket. Someone was calling me. Ignoring Ted, I tugged it out with some effort and checked the screen, expecting it to be my father or worse, Spencer. It wasn’t either.

Cal.

A flutter of excitement hit my belly as I put the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

There was a long silence. “Cassandra?”

“Hey!” Maybe I yelled that a little too loud. I cleared my throat and tried again. “Hey.”

Another pause. “Where are you?”

“A bar.”

“You drunk, Princess?”

I did a quick assessment of my current state. “Um…yep. I’m definitely drunk.” I spun to Ted, eyes wide as I said to Cal, “Is this a booty call? I’ve never had one of those before.”

“Who are you talking to?” Ted shouted over the band.

“Who was that?” Cal said louder down the phone. “Who’s with you?”

“Ted.”

“Ted?”

“Yep.” I was having trouble following the conversation with the music so loud and Ted pointing at the phone and mouthing who is it? “This place is full, and I can barely hear you, and Ross just bought me more shots. I gotta go.”

“What’s the name of the bar, Cassandra?” he said, all deep and rumbly.

I looked at a coaster. “Frank’s Tavern. Are you coming to see me?” More excited flutters.

“Stay where you are. Don’t go anywhere until I get there, okay?”

“Okay,” I said. Crap, my voice sounded kinda slurred.

Cal muttered something, then said again, “Promise me, Cassy. Promise me you’ll stay put.”

“Pinky promise.”

“Shit,” he said and ended the call.

A song I liked started, and I grabbed Ted’s hand and dragged him out to the dance floor. I didn’t know how long we were out there, but I was hot and sweaty and for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t thinking about anything but the next song, hoping that it’d be a good one so I could stay out there and get lost in the music.

The beat was deep, and I felt it move through me from the soles of my feet, my legs, through my belly, and into my chest, making my heart pound with it. The floor was packed, and Ted and Ross had moved in on either side of me, fending off any unwanted advances like they did whenever we went out.

Now I had one in front and one in back and we were laughing and doing some kind of three-way grind to the song. The dance floor was packed, and people were bumping into us, squishing me.

I stepped to the side, out from between them, stumbled over my own feet, and collided with a wall. I turned back to Ted, giggling. Ted wasn’t laughing. He was looking at something in front of me, eyes wide. I spun around, and my head tilted waaay back.

Not a wall.

Cal.

Looking angry. His eyes were narrowed and they were aimed at Ted and Ross.

I tugged on his arm to say something, anything, so he’d stop looking at poor Ted like that.

His chin dipped and he lowered his head, mouth going to my ear. “Ted?”