AllFreeNovel
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“I win,” Emma said after a glance at her watch.
Abby wrinkled her brow. “Win what?”
Maddy groaned. “We had a bet on how long it would take for these clowns to crash our party.” She dug in her purse and handed Emma a five-dollar bill. “I lost.”
“At least they came bearing food,” Jenna said.
“And drinks,” Evan added. “All right, ladies, listen up. There’s a special cocktail for each of you. Each of us will choose one, and you have to drink it, no questions asked.”
Abby rolled her eyes. Someone was a little too enthusiastic about this game.
“I’ll go first,” Evan said. He selected a yellow shot and set it down in front of Jenna. “A flaming lemon drop for you, Jen.”
She shrugged and tossed it back. “Mmm, that was good.”
Evan passed the tray to Jason, who picked up a glass with a creamy-colored concoction. “A buttery nipple for you,” he said, setting it in front of Emma.
Emma flushed and, after taking a tentative sip, downed the contents.
Tyler went next. After deliberating, he chose the darker-colored liquor and set it down in front of Maddy. “Alice in Wonderland seems appropriate.”
“It’s one of Dylan’s favorite stories,” Maddy said, and held Tyler’s gaze as she chugged it down.
Evan had grabbed someone from the bar, since there were an uneven number of guys to girls. “Ethan’s going to help us out.”
“Hi, ladies.” He scanned the table until landing on Natalie. He picked up the dark pink drink and handed it to her. “A Jolly Rancher, I believe.”
After she downed it, only one shot remained.
Connor picked it up and smelled it before placing it in front of Abby. “An orgasm for you, Abs.”
They all hooted and cheered her on as she picked up the creamy liquid. But their voices didn’t matter. Abby focused all her attention on the man who had straddled a chair and watched her with dark green eyes.
She licked her lips and ran her tongue around the rim of the shot glass, which caused the group to holler even louder, before swallowing it in one gulp.
Connor threw back his head and laughed.
The guys brought over more chairs, and they ate until Abby thought she’d burst.
Music played on the jukebox, and after they’d eaten their fill, Connor held out a hand to her. “Let’s dance.”
Abby wiggled her foot. “Maybe not a wise move between my ankle and the alcohol.”
“I’ll make sure you don’t fall.”
She placed her hand in his and let him lead her to the dance area, trying to control her racing heart. The song playing was a slow, heartfelt Adele tune, and swaying to it while in Connor’s arms transported her to a different time when they danced on the beach. Back then, they did whatever they wanted without worry or apologies.
They were different now…older…responsible.
All words Abby used to correlate with a boring and settled person.
But with the strength of Connor’s arms surrounding her as they swayed, thoughts of being settled weren’t even close to her mind. Memories of the past coursed through Abby, making her feel more like her teenage self than she had in years. Lighter, carefree, and a little reckless.
Perhaps it was the alcohol.
Or the man.
The rest of their friends joined them on the dance floor. Some, like Jason and Emma, danced and kissed. Others, like Evan and Jenna, moved with exaggerated turns and dips. Then there were Tyler and Maddy, who danced smoothly but with an awkwardness that made Abby wonder if they hated touching each other or were doing their best not to rip each other’s clothes off.
