Free Plain Jayne by Laura Drewry Page B

effort.
    “Song’s not over,” she said.
    “Yes it is,” Carter muttered.
    He must have been lying because Jayne could still hear it even after the dance floor cleared.
    “Did you know she fell?” Carter sounded angry, but that must have been the fog in Jayne’s brain because Carter didn’t get angry. Nick got angry.
    “She said she was fine.”
    “Right,” Carter snorted. “Does she look fine?”
    “What’s a matter with how I look?”
    “Nothing. You’re gorgeous.” Carter steered Jayne through the crowd, but the toes of her shoes kept catching on the floor, and the door was so far away. “Give me your keys, we’re going home.”
    “I don’t have keys,” she said. “Could we sit down for a second?”
    “Not you.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and held out his hand to someone … oh, there. Nick. And Linda.
    “You stole my song.”
    “I did what?” There was a large wet stain down the front of Linda’s dress. Nick’s fault. He should have warned her.
    “My song. It’s ‘Your Song.’ ”
    “I don’t have a song.” Linda’s perfectly wrinkle free forehead puckered.
    “Yes you do. You took my song.” Every breath loosened Jayne’s muscles more until it became harder and harder to stand, never mind hold her head up.
    “I don’t know what you mean.” If she didn’t stop frowning like that, she was going to have permanent wrinkles on that perfect skin. “What’s your song?”
    “I just said it’s ‘Your Song.’ ” A mild buzzing started in Jayne’s head. “But now it’s your song—”
    “Right, and who’s on first.” Carter adjusted his grip around her waist. “Just ignore her, Lisa, she’s a little out of it. Nick, keys.”
    “Nick.” Jayne blinked past Linda to try and focus on his face. Oooh, he had his worried eyes on. Funny how he could change them from angry to worried to … whatever. Sort of like Mr. Potato Head.
    “What’s wrong with her?” Worried voice, too.
    “Besides the fact she’s hopped up on Coronas and T3s, I’m guessing she has a mild concussion.”
    “How the … shit.”
    “Do you need our help getting her home?” Linda’s voice. Linda the party planner. Linda the quiet one with the pretty face, the perfect hair, and the big wet beer stain on her pretty summer dress.
    “Thanks, but we’ll be fine.” Carter stopped walking long enough to adjust his grip on Jayne. “Hopefully she won’t remember any of this in the morning.”
    “Any of what?” Jayne frowned. “Oooh, Carter, I didn’t know you had angry eyes, too.”
    “I save them for the biggest idiots I know.”
    “Mmm.” She nodded slowly, then frowned as his words settled in her brain. “
Me?
I’m the biggest idiot?”
    “No, sweetheart, not you.” Carter smiled at her, but it wasn’t a happy smile. Even in her present fog, she could tell that. “Nick is.”
    “Um, Carter.” Jayne blinked, focused, and tried to whisper. “He’s right beside you.”
    “He knows.” Why did Nick’s voice sound so weird? She would’ve expected him to be mad that Carter just called him an idiot, but instead, it sounded like he agreed. Boy oh boy, the fog in her head was really skewing things. “I’ll drive.”
    “You’ve done enough, just give me the keys.” As soon as Nick handed them over, Carter was moving again, so Jayne had no choice but to stagger along with him or be dragged as he called back over his shoulder. “Go dance with Lisa.”
    Linda’s voice again; soft, feminine, and sweet. “Come on, Nick. Carter’ll look after her.”
    “Okay, bye!” Jayne lifted her arm to wave back at them, but it was as though her bones and muscles had been turned into cooked spaghetti. “She seems nice.”
    “Yeah, she’s great,” Carter muttered. “Do I need to carry you?”
    Next thing she knew, Carter had her belted into Nick’s truck and they were pulling out of the parking lot. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back to rest, but Carter pinched her