He nodded. 揑 bring it everywhere. You never know when you抮e going to need it.?He moved to a kneeling position and his friends cheered again.
The entire bar was staring at us.
Oh my god. My face heated and I glanced around for Wyatt, already tugging on my ear. He wasn抰 in his spot. He sat there a second ago and now he wasn抰 there. His beer was still there, though.
Carter held the bong up and one friend poured his beer into the funnel. Carter抯 throat worked as he chugged.
揅HUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!?His friends cheered as the rest of the bar patrons watched with open mouths.
I wanted to die. My gaze darted around the bar again. My earlobe was about to come off, I was pulling it so hard.
Beer trickled from the corners of Carter抯 mouth, down his neck, soaking the collar of his t-shirt. Male cheers boomed around me as he finished, stood up, and raised his arms in the air with victory. He pointed straight at me and panic streaked through me.
揧ou抮e up!?
I shook my head and opened my mouth to protest but a warm hand landed on my shoulder.
揥hy don抰 you join me at my table for a bit??Wyatt said in my ear. His breath tickled my skin and made me shiver.
Olivia, the bartender, was right behind him, and she was pissed. Her hot pink hair was tied up into a messy bun on top of her head. She glared at the group of Carter抯 friends. She was half the size of some of them but they recoiled in fear from her.
揙ut.?She pointed at the door. 揘o frat boy bullshit in here. Bars are where people come to be depressed. No chanting.?
揅ome on, bookworm.?Wyatt抯 hand came to the small of my back and he gave me a gentle push away from Carter and his friends.
We approached his table and I glanced over my shoulder at Carter and his friends disappearing through the door. Carter didn抰 even look back to see where I went. My face heated more. I could feel it crawling down my neck.
I took a seat across from Wyatt抯 spot. 揑 think that was me falling off my board.?Face first into the water, nose burning and choking on seawater.
He shook his head, that familiar amused expression back on his face. 揧ou抮e doing great. Carter fucked up this date, not you.?He tilted his head again.
Olivia appeared at the table and placed two champagne flutes between Wyatt and I.
揌ey, Hannah.?She shot me a wink. Olivia had grown up in Queen抯 Cove, although she was a year younger than me. She lived in Vancouver during the year, working on her PhD, and returned home every summer to help with her dad抯 bar during the busy summer tourist season. 揑 haven抰 seen you in ages. Are you going to sing??
揝ing??My eyes went wide, and I glanced between her and Wyatt with alarm. 揥hy would I sing??
Olivia nodded at the corner of the bar, where a mic stand stood. 揑t抯 karaoke night.?
I burst out laughing. 揋od, no. I can抰 sing at all.?I shook my head. 揘o. No. I would never.?
Wyatt grinned across the table and I rolled my eyes at him. 揌ow抯 school??I asked Olivia.
She tilted a shoulder. 揑t抯 good. I submit my thesis next year.?Someone leaned against the bar, waiting to place their order. 揑 should go. Drop in again and say hey sometime.?
She left and I turned back to Wyatt, pointing at the champagne flutes. 揥hat抯 this for??
揧ou had your first bad date, and we抮e celebrating.?He lifted his glass and when I lifted mine, he clinked it.
揅hampagne??It sparkled on my tongue, and I made a pleased humming noise. 揇idn抰 think you were a champagne drinker.?
He shrugged. 揧ou don抰 like beer.?
I winced. 揥as it that noticeable??
揧ou gagged every time you took a sip.?
I shook with laughter. 揑抣l do better next time.?
揇on抰 bother. Don抰 drink something you don抰 like. Order the good stuff next time, Hannah. Order what you like. You deserve it.?
He was watching at me in an intense way that made my stomach flutter. 揟here isn抰 going to be a next time. Look how awkward I was with Carter. I抦 terrible at conversation.?
揧ou weren抰 terrible talking with Olivia.?
揟hat抯 different. I抦 not attracted to Olivia.?
揂nd you are attracted to Carter??His voice was wry.
I rolled my eyes. 揙f course not.?
He leaned back in his chair, arm resting on the table, easy gaze on me. 揝ometimes people don抰 click, but that doesn抰 mean you did anything wrong.?He shrugged and spread out, taking up all the room. 揓ust move on.?
揓ust move on. Like that.?
揗hm. You抮e going to the gallery with Holden soon??
I nodded and took another sip. 揝aturday. I hope I抦 not awkward around him.?
揑t抯 impossible for you to out-awkward Holden.?
We grinned at each other.
揌ello, Queen抯 Cove!?Joe, the bar owner and Olivia抯 dad, crowed into the mic in the corner and cheers rose up around the bar. 揂re you ready for some karaoke??More cheers.