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“They’re not eighteen,” I stated.
Lacey giggled. “No, but they certainly look older, and oh my God, are they both so good-looking. And so is the new guy! They’ve been fighting off the women since they got here!”
“New guy?” I asked.
She nodded and stopped, lifting onto her toes and pointing. “They’re all at the back table. And the hot guy—he has to be a Shaw with those blue eyes—is sitting next to Josh.”
Stretching to see where she was looking, I froze. “Beck…”
“Is that his name? Lord, he is hot! Like I said, so many women have asked him to dance already, and he’s turned them all down. Every single one of them. Even Brooke asked him to dance, and he politely said no, thank you! And you know no one ever turns Brooke down.”
Brooke was Lacey’s older sister by five years. She was beautiful, with long blonde hair and eyes that were so green, they looked fake.
I glanced at Lacey. “Brooke asked him to dance?”
She nodded. “You have to introduce us to him!”
When I looked back at the table, I noticed a woman standing next to Beck’s seat. He was smiling up at her, and instant jealousy hit me so hard that I actually took a step back.
I spun on my heel, not wanting to see who Beck might decide to dance with. “I’d rather dance. Who all is here?”
Lacey seemed confused at first, then she grabbed my hand. “Do you remember Dexter Larson? He’s here…and he keeps asking when you’re showing up.”
I did remember Dexter. He had greasy brown hair and braces and was a total bully. He was forever teasing me. At least, all that was true when he was sixteen.
“I think I’ll pass on Dexter Larson. He was a jerk to me before I left. Plus, he was a geek.”
Lacey laughed but didn’t say anything.
We walked up to a table, and I recognized most of the people. There were a few I had no idea who they were. One of whom was an insanely good-looking guy. He was built, with broad shoulders that were on display, thanks to the tight T-shirt he wore. His dark brown hair was cut short, almost in a buzz cut, and his hazel eyes seemed to sparkle when he looked at me.
Then he smiled, and the dimple in his right cheek caused me to smile back. What was it with men and dimples?
“Look who I found!” Lacey called out. A few people jumped up to greet me, Lily being one.
“How is it you are even more beautiful, Avery? Look at this hair! And your skin is perfection!” Brooke stated as she looked me over. “Not a single wrinkle.”
I stared at her. What I wanted to say was that I didn’t have any wrinkles because I was only eighteen, but I let it go.
Lacey made her way around the table, reintroducing me to people and introducing me to those I didn’t know. She saved the good-looking guy for last.
“And last, but certainly not least, Avery, you remember Dexter Larson, don’t you?”
I nearly choked on my own tongue. Luckily for me, I kept my face neutral, or at least prayed it was neutral.
“Dexter, you’ve changed. For the better.” It was a bitch thing to say, but he really was a complete jerk to me in school. Forever teasing me because I’d had bigger breasts than the other girls my age.
He let out a laugh that caused me to smile. Glad to see he had a sense of humor.
“You look beautiful, as always, Avery.”
I felt my cheeks heat. “That’s very kind of you to say.”
“Back for good, I hear.”
Nodding, I took the only empty seat, which happened to be right beside him. “I am.”
The way his eyes looked at me made my body feel too hot for the sweater. Glancing away from his intense stare, I forced myself not to look at the table where my family was sitting, because I did not want to see Beck. When I looked back to the chair beside me, Dexter was gone.
Suddenly, warm breath hit my neck, and I jumped.
“Dance with me, Avery.”
Turning, I was face-to-face with Dexter. “What?” I asked with a nervous laugh.
He held out his hand. “Dance with me, please.”
When my eyes caught Lacey’s, she was smiling and giving me a thumbs-up. Focusing back on Dexter, I placed my hand in his and stood.
He brought my hand up to his mouth and kissed it gently.
I couldn’t help but laugh and roll my eyes. “Overkill there, buddy.”
He winked, and I had to admit, it made me smile. I had gotten plenty of attention from men in France, but every one of them had wanted something from me. Something other than sex. A chance at making it in the modeling world, and since my mentor and guardian at the time was one of the most famous models in the world, they figured I was their shot at getting to her.
