Page 57 of Damaged Protector
“Where are you living, Scott?” Connor asked.
“The Highlands. It’s super expensive. The pool is like something out of a resort, and the floor plans are the best in the DFW area.” His flagrant bragging annoyed me but not as much as his hand, which was now sitting on my right shoulder. “Where do you guys live?”
Megan and Connor mentioned their apartment complexes, but I simply said, “I’m living in a house right now with a friend, but I’ll be moving into the graduate student dorms in August.” Shrugging away from Scott, I stood. “I need to use the restroom.”
“Me too,” Meg said instantly.
Once we were in the relative quiet of the ladies’ room, she giggled and said, “Bruh-Man is totally into you.”
“God help me,” I groaned. “Are you sure your parents don’t want to come another weekend?”
She patted my arm. “I’m sorry, Mallori. It won’t be bad if it’s a group of you going, right?”
“Yeah, I guess. Are you ready to go yet, or do you want to talk to Connor some more?” I asked, giving her a teasing wink.
Megan blushed to the roots of her hair. “I really like him. He’s so nice.”
“Okay, we can stay. I’ll try to find Lauren and see if she wants to dance some more.”
“You rang?”
We turned to find Lauren strolling into the restroom, a smug grin on her face. She tugged down her very tiny skirt, but it didn’t help much. The girl had legs for days.
“You have to come out with us for dinner next Friday. I’ve somehow gotten myself into a group thing with Scott, and I need a buffer.” My voice was damn near begging level.
My heart dropped when her eyebrows furrowed. “Oh shit, Mal. I can’t. That hot guy I was dancing with asked me out that night. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine,” I told her, waving my hand. “There’s a group of us going, so it’s not a big deal. I’ll just do my best to avoid the bruuuuh.”
The girls laughed, and then Megan let out a loud burp, her eyes widening in embarrassment. “Shit, sorry.” She burped again, and her face paled even more than usual. “Maybe we should go.”
No argument from me. I pulled out my phone and ordered an Uber. “Five minutes,” I informed my friends, leading them from the restroom.
“You two go ahead. I’m going to stay a while and talk to Jack. Or was it Jim?” Lauren shook her head, her long hair swaying back and forth. “What-the-fuck-ever that hottie’s name is.”
We exchanged quick hugs. “Okay, be safe,” I told her.
“Always, babes.”
“Oh, and can you tell Scott and Connor that we left so they’re not looking for us?” And so I don’t have to talk to Scott again…
“No problemo. Call me tomorrow. But not early.”
I grinned and assured her I would as I guided a now-swaying Megan through the crowd.
Lord, I hope she doesn’t puke in the Uber.
“Where are you?” my mother demanded, her voice trembling like a tuning fork through the phone.
“I’m, uh…”
“I’ve been calling you for two hours.”
My eyes darted to Megan beside me in the back of the Uber, but she was half-asleep and not paying any attention to my conversation.
My annoyance was overtaken by momentary worry. It was after midnight. “Is something wrong, Mama? Is Daddy okay?”
“He won’t be if I tell him where you were tonight. A bar, Mallori?”