Page 22 of Something Spontaneous

“Okay.” I sit back on the barstool and give her a look that I hope conveys please, get this over with and end my misery.

Thankfully, she doesn’t screw around and waste any more time.

“Josie’s back in town,” she says, her voice trailing up. The glint in her eye tells me she’s hoping for some kind of reaction from me.

I know they’ve been spending time together this week. While I’m glad my sister is happy, I’ve made it a point to stay away from Josie because I know I burned that bridge a long time ago, and any hope of repairing it is gone.

I arch a brow. “And? That’s more of a statement than a question.”

She tosses her head back and groans. “Do you always have to be so…” She gestures vaguely at me, “you? I just thought you’d have an opinion, or maybe some kind of thought in that unreadable head of yours.”

“Nope,” I say unenthusiastically, popping the p and shrugging. “Why does it matter to you anyway? You guys don’t need me to hang out with you.”

“Okay, Sisi. I got the shots. Why did you wa—” My sister and I both turn as Josie reaches the table, carrying a tray with three shot glasses of what I can only assume is tequila, because there’s also a few lime wedges, a dish of salt, and a bowl of popcorn.

Her eyes widen, making it clear she wasn’t expecting me, which is entirely fair because I didn’t know she would be here either. In unison, we slowly turn toward my sister, who’s already innocently smiling at us.

“And that’s why you asked me to get three shots. Here I was thinking you were just ready to have some fun on a Saturday night.”

“Oh, I am ready for some fun,” my sister says, waggling her brows, “but I also knew his grumpy ass would need some liquid courage to grease his gears tonight.”

I glare at Sisi while lifting a shot from the tray still in Josie’s hands. “You’re so thoughtful.”

“Please stay,” she says, batting her lashes. “Pretty please?”

“Fuck it. You already got me out.”

“And you really went all out,” Josie chimes in sarcastically. I look her way and catch her eyes roaming up and down my frame, probably noticing my worn T-shirt, joggers, and high-top sneakers. I don’t bother to look down at myself. I like the fact my high-tops don’t make it obvious that I have a prosthetic. It’s not that I’m hiding it. It’s a small enough town that almost anyone here knows about my accident, so there’s no point in being shy about it. There are times, like when people feel emboldened by a couple of beers, that they start to ask me more, and I just don’t feel like talking about it. At least that’s what I’m telling myself tonight anyway.

I roll my eyes at Sisi and turn to Josie, reaching toward the tray still in her hands as she just stands there. I remember the age-old ritual for drinking cheap tequila.

Lick. Swallow. Suck.

I hold Josie’s gaze and dip my thumb in the salt and lick it. Then I grab the shot and toss it back, enjoying the burn of the tequila. I quirk a brow at her as I grab one of the limes and suck it. “That wasn’t cheap tequila. Why did you get limes and salt?”

“It’s just part of the fun.” She smirks back at me. “Didn’t think you’d know what good tequila tastes like. I guess you’re joining us tonight, then?”

I nod, ignoring her subtle jab because in the end, tequila all burns the same. “If that’s okay with you.”

She tilts her head to my sister. “I don’t think she’s going to give us a choice.”

With that, Josie sets the tray on the table and hands a shot to Sisi before grabbing the remaining one for herself. She repeats the ritual I just did, but it’s not the same.

It feels like her tongue lingers on her thumb for an obscene amount of time. Then I see the way her cheeks hollow, and her throat bobs when she swallows the liquor. Then there’s the lime—and the little whimper she makes when she bites into it.

Lick. Swallow. Suck.

Fuck. Me.

This is going to be a long night.

I don’t know if it’s the multiple rounds of not-cheap tequila in between beers or my unexpected company tonight, but I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed an evening out with other people. My mind is a little fuzzy at this point, but I can’t recall the last time I chose to go out. I did go out with my brothers and TJ around Sisi’s rehearsal dinner just over a month ago, but that wasn’t exactly my own choice, so I’m not counting it.

“I still can’t believe you were face-to-face with a bear. Did you have to use your bear spray?” my sister asks, completely unable to hide her incredulous excitement.

Josie scoffs with an unimpressed shrug. “No, but I really thought I might have to for a second.” She takes a sip of her water. “The electric sliding door was really taking its sweet time to close.”

“Call me old-fashioned, but that wouldn’t have happened with the reliable manual doors. I’ve had to fix too many of those electric ones.”