"I knew he'd love having you up close," Trisha yelled over the music. Smiling I let my body move to the music.
After several songs and several dance partners, I made my way back through the crowd toward our table. My mouth felt like cotton. I needed my Coke even if it was probably watered down by this point. Preston was talking to a girl with wild curly brown hair. I smiled to myself thinking I just might need to snag a ride home with Trisha and Rock.
Feeling eyes on me, I turned my attention to the other people at the table. Marcus was sitting in the chair Trisha had vacated earlier. I hadn't expected to see him here tonight.
"Hey," I said walking up to the table unsure where I should sit since the brunette talking to Preston was in my seat.
"Low, you're back. Here," Preston stood up from his seat,
"sit down. You thirsty? Your ice melted. I'll get you another Coke."
"No, Preston sit back down. I'm good. You continue your conversation. I'll go get my own drink." He didn't sit down and his expression looked unsure. Chuckling at his obvious confusion, I turned and headed for the bar. Preston didn't just have pretty platinum blond hair. He was really as air headed as one would imagine someone with his surfer boy good looks to be.
"He doesn't seem to know any better. I'm sorry." Marcus's voice was low and close to my ear. A shiver ran through me from the warmth of his breath tickling my neck.
He'd followed me. The goofy smile on my face was unavoidable.
"Preston's a sweetheart. I overlook him. Besides it isn't like I'm his date."
"You're not?"
I turned my head slightly so I could meet Marcus's gaze,
"No, of course not. It's Preston. We're just friends." A smile lifted the corners of Marcus's mouth making it hard for me to look away. The boy was just down right sexy.
"Do you go out as friends with him often?"
"No. Not really. I mean when I do I'm normally with Cage too. But tonight he felt like you needed some alone time with your sister."
His smile vanished and a frown replaced it as he nodded.
We reached the bar and Marcus came up behind me caging me in with his arms on each side of me. The small thril from his warm body pressing against my backside had me fighting the urge to snuggle in closer. I reminded myself that he was doing this to keep me from getting crushed in the sea of people swarming the bar. It was a protective gesture. Nothing more. But I liked it.
"Ricky! Two Cokes make one a stiff."
The bartender looked our way and gave Marcus a short nod and started fixing our drinks. That was quick service. It helped to be a local around here.
"When did you get here?" I asked Marcus as we waited on our drinks.
"About two minutes before you walked up. I was about to come find you and see if I could convince you to dance with me."
The acute sense of losing out struck me. Pressing against Marcus while we moved our bodies to the music would have ranked on one of my favorite moments in life list.
"Oh," was all I could manage in reply. My heart was racing from the fantasy playing out in my head. Being wrapped up in Marcus clean masculine scent didn't help matters.I was having a strange but oh-so-pleasing fantasy of crawling up under his shirt and licking his chest when our drinks were placed in front of us. Marcus slapped some money down and took our drinks. He nodded his head back toward our table and I instantly missed his touch. Withholding my pathetic sigh I led the way back to our friends.
Preston had moved the brunette to his lap leaving me an empty seat beside the two of them. Awesome.
"I thought you were leaving," Marcus said to Preston as I sat down in the vacated seat.
Preston took a swig of his beer and glanced up at the girl in his lap. Her red fingernails were playing with his silky blond locks.
"You going with me?" He asked her.
She giggled and nodded sending her curls bobbing all around her shoulders. He looked around her at me, "Is it okay if I leave you with Marcus? He said he'd give you a ride home."
YES! I managed to mask my pleasure at the change of plans and nodded, "Of course."
Preston grinned and stood up with his arm wrapped snuggly around the girl's waist. "See y'all later." I gave a small wave while I took a long drink of my Coke.
Rock was still on the dance floor with Trisha and I had no idea where Dewayne had gone. It was just Marcus and me.
Staring down at my glass of Coke and running my finger through the condensation trickling down the sides of it became fascinating, or so it would seem. I didn't know what to say and I suddenly felt awkward.
"Thanks for giving Manda and me some privacy today but you don't ever have to feel like you can't stay at the apartment. No matter what's going on with me you're always welcome."
I lifted my gaze from my glass and smiled at him. "Thanks.
But I have family issues often and I know privacy is always best."
He frowned and took a long sip of his drink that I was pretty sure was mixed with whisky. "Well I'll be having a lot of family issues over the next few months so don't worry about me. If Manda shows up crying or is tucked away in my room don't ever feel like you have to leave. Stay. I'd rather you stay than run off somewhere."
Had he come looking for me? Surely not.
"Thanks," I wasn't going to argue with him. Although if that happened again I would not stick around and make them uncomfortable. But there was no point in arguing.
"Hey bro! I didn't know you were here. Day-um it feels good to have you showing up on a weekday. I miss your ugly mug when it's off at college." Dewayne slapped Marcus on the back and took the chair beside me grinning. Dewayne, Rock, Marcus and Preston had grown up together.