Free In Too Deep by Eliza Jane Page B

are back on me. He nods.
    “Why her?” I take another sip. It’s not as bad once you get used to the taste. He takes the drink from my hand, his fingers brushing past mine.
    “Not too much, little one.” He sets the drink down across the table from me.
    I squint my eyes, glaring at him.
    “She’s the only one in here, besides you, who looks like a nice, normal girl. No drama. No strange ulterior motives.”
    I half expect him to add disease-free. I don’t know what to make of his comment, but suddenly I’m wishing I had my drink back to distract me. After a few moments, I recover. “So go talk to her.”
    Colt looks bored. “You’re serious about this whole thing, aren’t you?”
    “Uh, yeah. Obviously. Now go.” I shoo him from the table.
    Colt shakes his head, but he’s grinning. He gets off his stool, looking in her direction.
    I reach out for his arm, and feign a voice of concern. “You have protection, right son?”
    He rolls his eyes and walk s away. Of course he does. He’s probably wearing a condom at all times, just in case. “Have fun!” I call to him, playfully and watch his backside for a few moments. Unfortunately he turns and looks back and catches me looking. He chuckles and I can’t help but blush, knowing I was just caught checking out his behind. 
    It takes everything in me not to turn and watch him try to pick her up. I wonder what it would be like to have Colt’s attention like that.
    After a few minutes, I sneak a glance but Colt and the mystery brunette are gone. WTF? Damn, he works fast. I scan the bar, looking around for them. Surely he wouldn’t just leave me here. Would he? I guess I really hadn’t thought this through.
    A second later, a guy with shaggy blonde hair and crystal blue eyes is standing in front of me. “Hi.”
    “Hi?” I say, more than a little confused.
    “I’m Ted.”
    “Taylor.” I raise up on my stool and glance around him, still searching for Colt. But the mess of bodies crowding the bar makes it impossible.
    “It looks like your friend left with my friend, so I thought I’d keep you company,” Ted says, bringing my attention back to him.
    So Colt did leave with her. Huh . I try not to be annoyed and remind myself that this was my idea. I wonder if she’s in our car right now, sitting where I just sat, on her way to the hotel room I’m sharing with him. The vodka churns in my stomach. Ted sits down in the stool across from me. Colt’s stool. It feels like even more of an invasion.
    “I’ve never seen you here before,” he says, flipping his longish hair off his forehead.
    “Never been here before.” I down the rest of the drink. Probably not wise, but I’ll do anything to defy Colt right now. Ted’s cute actually, but I’m so on edge about Colt’s fling with the plain brunette who I swear could pass as my sister, I can’t focus on anything around me.
    We pass about fifteen minutes with Ted trying to engage me in a conversation (he goes to school at the nearby university) but my mind twirls with thoughts of Colt and what he might be doing at this very moment, not to mention worrying about how I’m going to get back to the hotel.
    A few minutes later, Colt appears with the brunette smiling by his side. Another satisfied customer. They stroll up to the table together. He introduces her as Sarah. Awesome . Colt drops a few bills on the table to pay our tab and we say goodbye to Sarah and Ted. She and Colt don’t even exchange phone numbers, not even a thank you. Huh. I guess that’s how it’s done. Though it certainly isn’t something I’m used to.
    Outside I storm ahead of Colt, heading straight for the car.
    “Hey, what’s wrong?” he calls from behind me.
    I hold up my hand, waving him off and keep walking. If I tell him what’s wrong, it won’t be pretty. I have no clue why I’m so emotional, why this whole thing is conjuring up memories of Wes I can’t deal with.
    “Why are you pissed at me? This was your idea.”
    I