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Grady laughed. “No clue. Compliments of those girls over there.” He pointed to a group of cowgirl wannabes, who were watching us and giggling.
“I’m not drinking that,” I declared. “It looks like unicorn piss.”
“You are drinking it because it would be rude not to,” Grady replied. “Bottoms up, my friend!” He lifted one glass to his mouth, took a big swig, and grimaced. “Shit, that’s sweet. Like Kool-Aid mixed with cotton candy. Fuck, that’s disgusting.”
Finn and I chuckled.
Grady forced a smile and a thumbs-up at the girls. “Where’s Rhett?”
“He said he had something to do. He’ll be here later,” I said.
The bar was filling up fast with a sea of fake cowboy hats and boots; the rodeo brought out the inner country in everybody. The DJ played a decent mix of the good 90s country and the newer radio hits. People’s feet stomped on the dance floor, sending vibrations through the entire building.
“Why are we here?” I asked.
“Because here, we’re the real deal,” Grady answered. “Here, we are gods!” He threw his arms out and his head back, ready to be worshipped by the masses of rodeo fans.
“I need another beer.” I got up.
“Get me one too,” Finn said. “I’m going to need something to wash down this Barbie juice.” He lifted a glass, peering into the contents.
I nodded and headed towards the bar. The bartender was busy at the other end, so I waited.
“Hey, cowboy,” said a voice beside me.
It was the redhead I’d met at the bull riding. Had she told me her name? Shit, I couldn’t remember.
“Hey, umm…”
“Natalie. We met earlier.”
“Right. Of course.” Nope, the name didn’t ring a bell.
Her eyes travelled over me. I gave a polite smile and looked over to where the bartender was flirting instead of pouring drinks.
I eyed Natalie, taking in her made-up appearance. She was pretty enough, with her carefully styled hair and heavy makeup, but there was something artificial about her look, like she’d spent too much time in front of a mirror getting dolled up for a night out.
Kinsley was a natural beauty. She didn’t need layers of makeup or hairspray to turn heads. With her sun-kissed skin, golden waves, and those striking blue eyes, she was stunning without even trying.
“Oh, I love this song!”
I listened for a second and groaned. Of course, it was a Miranda Lambert song.
“Dance with me?” Her smile was coy, and her eyes were bright. She gave a little tug on my shirt.
“Thanks, but I don’t dance, and I hate this song.”
Her face fell, and the guilt hit me. Places like this brought out my inner asshole.
“How about I buy you a drink instead?” The words were out of my mouth before I’d thought it through, but she was beaming at me and there was no going back now.
The bartender made his way over and looked at us. I gestured for her to order first.
“Umm, let’s see…” She tapped her too-long, manicured fingernails on the bar. Could she even hold a drink with those things? “I’ll have a strawberry daiquiri please.”
“A beer for me. Whatever’s on tap.” I put some money down. “Make that two,” I said, almost forgetting about Finn. I fished another bill out of my almost empty wallet. Hopefully, she was a cheap date. “This is for my buddy over there.”
Natalie nodded, took a sip, and followed me back to the table.
