Free Raspberry Crush by Jill Winters Page A

herself. Stop being such a brat!
    So what if Mark needed to be the life of the party? So what if he was ridiculously on right now? He was a jovial, savvy guy—what, was that a crime now? Would she rather he be off ? A.k.a. a stoic dud—a.k.a. Louis?
    After Billy said hi to the dud in question, she grabbed the empty seat next to Mark.
    "Hey, where's Des going?" Katie said, tipping her wavy blond head to look behind Billy. Everyone turned and saw Des disappear onto the darkened dance floor. Katie shrugged. "Anyway, Georgette, show Billy the picture you just showed me."
    Georgette passed Billy the wallet-sized photo she'd apparently taken out of her pocketbook. It was a little tattered, with bent corners and a crease in the middle. "Who's this?" Billy asked.
    "That's Georgette!" Katie said. "Can you believe it? She looks so different."
    "I look like a damn idiot," Georgette said with a snort and took a drink. "Idiot" wasn't what Billy would've said; "Betty Crocker knockoff" would've been a more apt description. The woman in the photo had a prim-looking upsweep, a doily collar, a string of pearls around her neck, and a serene expression on her fresh, youthful face. Squinting, Billy looked closer, and then the resemblance clicked.
    "It's pretty, Georgette," was all she said about the picture before Georgette reached across the table to take it back.
    "It was back when I was young and stupid," Georgette added bitterly, and took another swig of her drink.
    "So, Georgette, how long have you been working at Bella Donna with Katie and Billy?" Mark asked congenially.
    "Three years. Ever since my asshole ex walked out on me." Here we go, Billy thought, anxious to dodge the usual anti-Gary rant.
    "Oh, I'm sorry," Mark said sympathetically.
    "Don't be," Georgette stated bluntly. "Loser number two—but I'm over it."
    Yeah, that was obvious. "At least this one I didn't marry."
    "Really?" Katie said. "I didn't realize you were married before Gary."
    Georgette nodded. "It was a long, long time ago. It soured me on the whole damn institution. He was older than me—broke my heart. One day just up and disappeared."
    She hunched over a little in her seat as an awkward silence settled over the table.
    "So... Louis," Mark spoke up, smiling and placing his hand gently on Billy's back—which, admittedly, was a nice touch, and definitely helping his case. "How do you fit into this whole picture? Do you work in the Copley area, too?"
    "No, I just met him on the dance floor," Georgette interjected, and turned to her new companion. "You can really move, Louis. Where'ya from?"
    "Worcester," he said and offered no elaboration.
    Mark perked up even more. "Worcester? Hey, no kidding, small world! I have a lot of really good friends in Worcester!" That's different, Billy thought sardonically, as Mark and Louis struck up more of a conversation.
    Several minutes later Katie hopped up to get some water, and Billy noticed that as soon as she approached the bar, a flock of young, preying men began to circle. Not surprising since the girl was supercute. Grinning, Billy looked back at Mark, who was busy, waving to someone in the distance.
    "Who are you waving to?" Billy asked conversationally, and rubbed his leg gently under the table. She was trying to get more of a physical connection humming between them; she figured it would help entice him to take her home and kiss her and touch her, and, well... the more quality time like that they shared, the closer they would get to taking the relationship to the next level. (Next level being one or two levels away from sweaty nakedness.)
    "Oh, just a girl I met last summer," Mark replied. "She was going out with a friend of my cousin's roommate." He said it as if it were perfectly normal that they be tight.
    Then Billy asked him if he wanted to get going, but he told her he wanted to finish his drink, and what was the rush?
    While Mark chatted more with Louis, Billy nursed her raspberry crush and noticed that Georgette