Free Three Girls And A Leading Man by Rachel Schurig Page A

asked
solicitously.
    “Naw,” I replied. “I’m too stuffed
for dancing.”
    Nate had been right about the
cheesecake, but I made him promise not to tell Jen that I thought so.
    We ended up at the Extra Lounge,
one of several clubs in our hotel. It was packed, which was hardly surprising
for a Saturday night. We found ourselves at a high-top crammed back in a
corner. I couldn’t complain about the accommodations—the close quarters
meant that I was practically on top of Nate.
    The strange thing about Nate is that
the more I got to know him, the more I liked him. Usually my experience was the
polar opposite. But I was starting to think that his kindness and his interest
were actually genuine.
    Just
listen to yourself , I thought. Carrying
on like this might turn serious. It’s just some fun.
    Nate kept the drinks coming all
night. I knew I should probably slow down, but I was having such a good time
with him. Between the buzz of people in the bar, the alcohol, and the intensity
in his eyes when he looked at me—well, it was all getting very heady.
    “Tell me about your favorite trip
ever,” Nate said, leaning over the table. I screwed up my face.
    “I gotta say, this one will be hard
to beat,” I told him. “I haven’t really traveled much. Never had the money
growing up…or since, for that matter.”
    He chuckled. “That’s rough,” he
said. “I love to travel.”
    “I wish I could more often. Before
this, the most exciting trip I’d taken was with Ginny, Jen, and Danny over to
Lake Michigan. It was a disaster. It rained the entire time and they messed up
our reservations. And Danny was a little terror.”
    “That sucks,” he laughed. “Well,
all the more reason to make this an amazing vacation.”
    When he said it, he caught my eye,
staring at me intently. I felt my stomach lurch. If I leaned forward, just a
little bit, I’d be kissing him.
    Just as I was about to act on the
impulse, my phone beeped, surprising me so much I nearly fell off the chair.
    “Whoa,” Nate said, grabbing my arm
to keep me upright.
    “Thanks,” I said, looking down at
the screen. “Text from Ginny.”
    “Checking up on you?” he asked.
    “Making sure I’m okay,” I
corrected. “We have a long-standing rule about checking in when we’re out with
strange men.”
    “I’m a strange man now?” he asked.
“I think I’m offended.”
    “All men are strange,” I replied,
winking at him.
    He moved a little closer and bumped
my shoulder with his. Mmm. Very muscular shoulder. It felt great against mine.
I had a flash of the way he had looked in his swimsuit down by the pool and
felt an urge to get closer to him.
    To distract myself, I opened the
message and read it.
    “She’s wondering when I’ll be
back,” I told him. He didn’t respond. When I looked up, his eyes were trained
on my lips. The look on his face sent a rush straight through my chest.
    “Why don’t you tell her you won’t
be in tonight,” he said, his voice low.
    I felt my heart start to beat
faster as I met his eyes. He was so gorgeous in that moment that it almost took
my breath away.
    “Okay,” I whispered, feeling
totally blown away by him. “I’ll tell her.”
     

 
 
 
    Chapter Eleven

 
    ‘Ladies, we should
talk about the sensitive issue of relations. When a man compliments you, it
might be tempting to offer yourself to him in an intimate way. I cannot warn
against this strenuously enough! It is so important that you remain a mystery
to the man you wish to end up with. There’s an old saying about cows and
milk—truer words were never spoken, ladies! Just remember that when
you’re feeling insecure.’— The
Single Girl’s Guide to Finding True Love

 
    I woke up in the morning even more
hung over than I had been the day before. “Ginny,” I moaned into the pillow.
“What the hell did I drink?”
    “Ginny isn’t here,” an amused male
voice said next to me. I sat up straight in bed, ready to scream my head