If you want to call them that.
Over the last thirty minutes, all I’ve heard is them cutting Stevie down. She might not notice that these girls are not her real friends, but it’s pretty evident to me. They’ve mentioned her hair being all over the place, which I must say is ten times more amazing than either of their stringy bleached strands. They’ve underhandly made comments about her body, which makes me real sensitive about that topic for her after Stevie got upset last week.
Her body is ridiculous in the best way possible. It’s thick and curvy, and yeah, there’s a bit more to hold on to, but that’s definitely not a bad thing.
At one point, when one of them comments about wanting another drink and Stevie needing to be the one to go grab it, my eyes dart over in a scowl, unable to hide my annoyance.
Blondie number one takes my eye contact as some sort of open door instead of the “shut the fuck up” eyes I was trying to make.
“Those guys are on the team you work for, right?” she asks Stevie, keeping her eyes on me. I’ve looked away from her, but I can feel her stare. “Introduce us.”
“No,” Stevie says in a hush, though since she’s all I’m focused on right now, I can hear her perfectly clear. “I mean, yes, they’re on the team, but leave them alone. They don’t want us bothering them.”
I wouldn’t mind Stevie bothering me.
“You mean they probably don’t even realize you work for them. Do they even know your name?” The two blondes burst into grossly high-pitched cackles.
These girls are brutally mean, and I have no idea why the hell Stevie would hang out with them.
“Probably not,” she says, though I know she realizes that’s a lie. I’ve called her “Stevie Sweetheart” more times than I could count.
It’s strange seeing this side of her, the side where she won’t stand up for herself, because in the time I’ve known her, she’s had no problem putting me in my place.
Without thinking about it any longer, I stand from my seat, finally fed up with these girls for Stevie’s sake. But still, I need to play it cool. Or as cool as I can. I really feel like I’ve lost some of my fucking game this week.
I casually turn towards the restroom, even though I don’t need to use it. As I walk by Stevie’s table, I gently run my hand over her shoulders, trailing my touch across the back of her exposed neck. I brush my fingertips against the goosebumps peppering her skin before giving her a light squeeze.
Fuck, her skin is soft.
“Hey, Stevie girl,” I toss over my shoulder as I walk by, my lips lifting on one side. “Good to see you.” I turn to face her, slowly walking backward to the restroom, my smirk all charm as I keep my focus on her pretty freckled face.
She runs a hand up her neck, exactly where I touched her as her cheeks turn a rosy shade of pink.
I spot the look of surprise and confusion on her friends’ faces. Fully satisfied, I turn back and walk down the hall towards the bathroom.
As I’m waiting in this ridiculously long line for the bathroom that I don’t even need to use, my phone vibrates in my pocket.
Maddison: You’re so fucked.
He’s not wrong.
Maddison: I figured that was my cue to go. Tab is closed. See you tomorrow.
Even though I don’t need to piss, I do so anyway. I can’t exactly turn around right away and head back to my table. My not-so-stealth cover would be blown.
On my way out, I keep my head low, hoping to go unrecognized as I pass by a trio of dudes dressed like dumbass cowboys. And I’m not talking about authentic cowboys. I’m talking about “I’m in the South for the first time in my life, so I bought a pair of cowboy boots” cowboys.
“I call dibs on sparkly dress,” one of them says, nodding towards Stevie’s table.
“I get the other blonde,” another chimes in.
“Fuck that,” the third one argues. “You’re not leaving me with the big girl.”
It takes everything in me not to turn around and punch this fucker in the face. I know he did not just talk about her that way. He doesn’t know shit about her. Well, I don’t really either, but I do know she’s ten times sexier than either of her desperate friends. And she’s got the attitude to back it up. Why wouldn’t he want her?
Obviously, he’s got a tiny dick. It’s the only explanation. If he can’t handle a woman’s body, he may as well say that instead of cutting her down to make himself feel better.
Oh fuck.