Page 6 of A Legacy of the Light

“Let's go say hi!” She pulls me out of the booth before going over to them, adding an extra sway to her hips.

I gulp the last of my drink and take a deep breath to prepare myself for small talk and pretending I'm not a complete mess. You’ve got this, Elsie.

◆◆◆

Luke and Elliot turn out to be better company than I expected. Luke, a blonde successful accountant, is already in love with Rach—she has that effect on people. They sit opposite each other, leaning across the tall table to chat and flirt. Someone is definitely getting lucky tonight.

“Tell me about yourself, Elsie?” Elliot asks me.

We’ve exchanged pleasantries up until this point, and basic information like what we did and how we all know each other.

“Really, that’s what you’re going with? I thought you’d have a little more game than that, Elliot,” I tease.

Elliot also has blonde hair, a touch darker than his companion’s, and light eyes. The bar’s dimness means I can’t tell what color they are, but I suspect they are a shade close to my own green eyes.

“Oh, you do bite. I was beginning to think you were just humoring me. Maybe we could have some fun after all, Elsie,” he says, leaning closer.

I smile seductively at him. “Do you like it when a woman bites?”

I’m definitely drunk—sober me would never say that.

Elliot laughs and we chat a little more, about our lives and our jobs. I leave out the last eighteen months, not wanting to ruin a pleasant conversation. For the most part, Elliot is kind, driven, and sort of sexy.

“Care for a dance?” I ask him; Rach and Luke are already heading onto the dance floor.

“Sure thing, babe.”

I have to fight my eye roll. I’m not a fan of pet names, and babe is the top of my ick list.

As I lead him out onto the dance floor, his hand rests on the small of my back and a smile plays across my mouth. The intimate touch of a man is something I haven’t felt in a long time, and it’s not unwelcome tonight.

The music turns to a sultry number that we can really move to. Elliot presses against me from behind and slowly moves his hands to my hips. Leaning my head back on his shoulder, I reach one hand up to cup the back of his neck and place my other hand on top of his at my hip as we move to the music together.

Elliot leans down to murmur in my ear, “You're the most stunning person in this place tonight. The second you walked in, I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”

I smile at the compliment. It’s not often I’m the first person someone looks at—I consider myself average at best in terms of how I look. It feels good to have the attention of an attractive man. I turn around to face him and keep one hand on the back of his neck. I trace the other hand up his surprisingly muscular arm.

“You're not so bad yourself,” I reply, looking up at him.

This close, the pale green of his eyes are clear, and locked onto my lips as we dance. His gaze flicks up to mine.

“I'd really like to kiss you, Elsie,” he says, wetting his lower lip.

“I'd really like it if you did, Elliot.”

He smiles before he leans down and brushes his lips gently over mine, once, twice, seeing how I respond to him.

He pulls back and his mouth tips up at one side before he pulls me closer to him and kisses me deeply.

My head spins as I pull away, a genuine smile on my face for the first time in a while. I think Elliot is someone I could really get along with and I would like to see him again. It helps that he’s a hell of a kisser.

Elliot smiles down at me as I look around for Rach. She’s at a tall table by the bar with Luke, a huge grin on her face, fist pumping as I finally get some action.

Luke laughs and shakes his head behind her. Chuckling at my friend’s ridiculous reaction to one kiss, I ask Elliot if he would like to grab another drink. My feet are throbbing in these heels and I need to sit.

We join Rach and Luke as she pulls me into a drunken hug and shouts, “Yes, girl!”

“Play it cool, Rach, I might actually want to see him again!” I laugh, poking her in the ribs.