It's getting close to midnight and we need to leave. Danny has to be to work at Sally's early. We purposefully didn't drink that much tonight since she has to work and I am driving. We make our goodbyes and I am pleased when Mike and Carter both lean down to give Danny brotherly hugs. They have welcomed her into the fold. While Cameron doesn't give her a hug, she does shake her hand and tells her how nice it is to meet her. That’s at least a start.
Just as we are approaching the door to leave, we’re brought up short by Angeline who steps right in front of me and plasters herself to my body. She throws her arms around my neck and is hanging on like a leech. I have to release Danny's hand so I can peel Angeline's tentacles off of me.
Holding her wrists, I push her back away from me and I instantly see that she's drunk. When I release her hands she starts swaying back and forth.
"Come on, Ryan. That's no way to treat an old friend." Her words are slurred and I'm afraid she's going to fall over. Which might be good. At least we can step over her and make our way out.
I sigh. "If you'll excuse us, we are just leaving."
Despite how drunk she is, she moves surprisingly fast and steps in our way as we try to walk by her. Turning her beer goggled eyes to Danny, she focuses on her. "Hey, I know you. You're that waitress from Sally's."
Danny sticks her hand out to Angeline. "That's right. I'm Danny Cross. It's nice to formally meet you."
I'm amazed. Danny is actually trying to be polite to her. She has more self-control than I do. Angeline just looks down at Danny's hand and curls her lip up in a snarl. "As if I'd shake hands with someone like you. And before you think you are all high and mighty, just know that Ryan's infatuation with you is just a passing thing."
Angeline is still swaying back and forth but she looks tremendously pleased by what she has said to Danny and is waiting to see if her venom hits the mark.
I see red and I open my mouth to lay into Angeline, which I know will be useless because she's drunk. But Danny gives a small shake of her head and I hold my tongue. Instead, Danny just takes my hand and gives Angeline a polite smile. "Well, it's nice meeting you but I have to get going. I have work tomorrow."
Danny walks around Angeline and I, of course, eagerly follow. Angeline just stands there dumbstruck that she doesn't get a rise out of Danny. And really, she should know better than to try to dual wits with Danny. Danny would chew her up and spit her out if she had it in her to do so.
As we walk toward my car, our hands clasped and gently swinging back and forth, I'm silent.
"Is something wrong?" Danny asks.
"No. Actually, everything is just right. You're amazing you know. You completely charmed my friends and even though you had every right to punch Angeline in the face, you were polite to her. You are a class act, toots."
"I had fun tonight. Thank you for inviting me. I really like Mike and Carter. I can see why you are friends with them. Even Cameron was really nice."
"It was fun tonight. But you know what would be even more fun?"
"What's that?" she asks.
"Making out with you in my car when we get back to your place. You know, to see how foggy we can get the glass?"
"That does sounds like fun. Count me in."
By the time I walked her to her door, I couldn't see anything outside of my windows.
CHAPTER 10
Danny
I think I might be on the verge of completely losing myself in Ryan. While our time alone has been like a fairy tale, I’m surprised how much fun I had the other night with Ryan and his friends. Everyone was really nice...well, with the exception of Angeline and that creepy teammate of Ryan’s. I shudder when I think about the conversation I had with Reece Malone. He wasn’t very subtle in making his moves. I had been standing by myself, sipping a beer when he had approached.
“It must be my lucky night, finding the most beautiful girl here all by herself,” he had said with oily charm. I could tell he was drunk or high by the hazy look in his eyes and deliberate way he was trying to talk.
I smiled at him politely and took another sip of my beer. I’ve had to deal with my share of suggestive lines by drunks and I knew it was best not to even engage.
Swaying slightly while he peered at me, he stepped very close and I could smell the liquor on his breath. He leaned in and whispered in I’m sure what he thought was a super, sexy voice, “I have about twenty different ways I can make you scream.”
Okay, that was beyond suggestive and he was clearly a complete slime ball. “Hey buddy, why don’t you step back and give me a little space here.”
He took a slight step back but he was still too close. He was looking at me like I was a piece of candy. “S’all cool,” he drawled. “You’re just so damn fine, and I can imagine the fun we’d have together.”
Luckily, I was saved from having to reply when Ryan interjected himself into the conversation, coming to my rescue. I am forever grateful that Mike immediately pulled Reece away.
Yeah, the guy gave me the major creeps and I would be happy never having to see him again. Ryan had asked me if I had been upset by something Reece said, and I wasn’t about to tell him about the pathetically lame pickup line. I didn’t want Ryan to have any reason to go after him.
So, it's been a week since Ryan and I made up and it has been phenomenal. We haven't been able to see each other the last few days between work, school and hockey but we constantly text each other on the phone and every night we talk for a few hours until we are both so tired we are practically falling asleep with our phones pinned to our ears.