“I’m new to the area,” he then said, scooting a little closer to me. He smelled pretty good, nothing overwhelming like some of the guys here, but it made me uncomfortable just the same. So I scooted away. “Do they always play here?”

I nodded shortly. “Yeah, sometimes they go to other bars or events, but it’s mainly here.”

“Cool.”

Realizing he wouldn’t go away and needing to find a way not to obsess over the girl and her shrilling voice, I sighed and asked, “How new are you around here?”

“About a month. I just graduated and got offered a job here in town.”

“Congratulations.”

He shrugged. “It’s nothing to brag about.”

I nearly scoffed. This guy just got his degree, something I’d been dreaming about for years and he was playing it off like it was nothing.

“What’d you study?” I asked curiously.

“Accounting,” he answered.

Now my interest suddenly perked. “No way, so am I.”

His eyes widened. “No shit?”

“Well, I will be anyway in September.”

“Good luck. Hope you do better than me.”

“Why? Is it hard? Please don’t tell me it’s hard. I’m so nervous about the first year. Like I’ll fail epically or something.”

He laughed. “Don’t freak out. First year is always the hardest because you gotta get your head wrapped around everything. I’d say the way you study is going to change drastically.”

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah. A lot of work, but if you stick it out, you should get into the swing of things.”

I nodded, taking on board his words wholeheartedly. “Okay.”

He seemed a lot more interested in talking now. “What made you want to go into it?”

“I like accounting. I’m good with numbers.”

My favourite heroine from one of my steamy – and cheesy – reads had been an accountant, and something about pencil skirts and an office job was tempting beyond belief. Also, I loved money. Who doesn’t when they grew up with nothing?

We chatted a little more. He told me about the courses he took and I tentatively listened. Sometime during the conversation, I stopped thinking about the shrilling girl and looked back at the band. A lightning spike of alarm shot through me when I saw Carter’s eyes on mine. He didn’t look happy at all, and I stilled, wondering what I did that was so wrong. It wasn’t like I was dangling my boobs in this guy’s face. Not that my boobs were big enough to be dangled anywhere, but you get the point.

“Yay, you found her,” Mel suddenly said, stopping in front of us. She stared at Peter with a huge smile. “You know, my girl here loves to dance.”

“Not really,” I immediately replied, scowling at her.

“Oh, don’t be shy, babe. Go and have fun. I’ll cover you for another five.”

I looked at Peter and realized he’d already extended his hand out to me. Oh, fuck. There was that brief split second of indecision. I tried to find the right words to say no, but anything I said would sound like a flat-out rejection, and I didn’t want to humiliate him. You couldn’t live that kind of awkwardness down, right?

With a sigh, I finally took his hand with my own. He led me to the dance floor just as Mel whispered in my ear, “You’ll thank me later.”

Thank her later? I didn’t fucking think so!

Peter pulled me close to him and I naturally slipped my arm around his neck. Everything about it felt all wrong to me, so I turned my head to avoid looking him in the eyes. I looked over at Mel and she was having a field day, glancing up at Carter and then at me. She secretly gave me a thumbs up and scurried off to collect empty glasses from deserted tables.

The bar had slowed down heaps. It was close to closing time, so there weren’t many people left, except for the groupies swooning over Carter like a bunch of pussies in heat. I didn’t once look at him as I rocked to and fro with Peter, but when the guy started to lower his hand down my spine, I took his arm and pulled it back up.

He chuckled at the move. “Sorry, it just slipped, I swear.”

Yeah, I was sure it did.

As soon as the song ended, his friends at his table hollered and whistled. Peter laughed again, a little red in the face. I pulled away from him and nervously tucked my hair behind my ear. I didn’t have time to find an escape route because one his friends called out, “Hey, Peter, introduce us to your blondie!”

Peter looked nervous and shook his head at me. “Sorry. Do you mind…?”

I stared at the guys, both drunk and grinning like mischievous idiots. I shrugged at Peter and followed him to the table. He introduced me to them and I didn’t even remember their names the second Peter said them. I was too busy glancing over my shoulder at the guys who were starting to pack their instruments away. Carter was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s the other girl?” one of the guys asked. “She’s so hot!”

I cringed. “Melanie?”

“Melanie? Is that her name? Fuck, that’s a nice name. There’s a lot I can do with that name.”

Peter cleared his throat, looking between his friends and me, seeming a bit uncomfortable. “They’re just a bit drunk,” he told me quietly. “I’m the designated driver, so I gotta put up with their shit…”

“It’s okay,” I told him.

“Whatever!” one of them said. “You’re just as bad! Don’t lie.”

Peter’s face fell as he glared at his friends.

That was my cue to go. “Well, look, I gotta go back to work and help my friend out, okay?”

He looked back at me and nodded. “Sure.”

“Get her number!” one of his friends pushed. “Don’t be a pussy!”

“I don’t give my number to strangers,” I replied, looking at him. “That’s just one of my rules. Sorry.”

I noticed the disappointment flooding his face as he nodded once at me. “Stranger? Shit, right. Sorry for putting you on the spot like that. Of course you don’t know me…Well, anyway, I’ll just see you around then, Leah.”

“Yeah, sure.”

He smiled. “Great. Good night.”

I hesitantly smiled back and he gently touched my arm and pulled away. I returned to work, and I felt bad because I could hear his friends laughing at him. I didn’t have it in me to turn around and look. I was glad I didn’t give him my number. There was absolutely no chemistry there, and the thought of starting any kind of friendship with another guy made my stomach turn. It was too exhausting.