Imperfectly Bad (11 page)

Unfortunately for us, it seemed as though everyone and their mother had had the same idea as us.
Let’s go out tonight. To some new bar. We’ll relax
. Yeah, considering the crowd, that wasn’t about to happen.

The place was packed and I felt, rather than heard, Emma groan next to me. “I’m gonna have to bump everyone out of the way with my belly tonight.”

Props to the girl for even coming out with us. It had to majorly suck knowing that you couldn’t participate in the planned shenanigans. Lifting my hands to rest on her shoulders I steered us through the crowd, scanning the crowd for Shane, Tyler and Elizabeth. We’d fallen way behind and they never really noticed. After a moment or two I spotted Shane waving frantically at us from the other end of the bar.

Emma literally pushed her way through the crowd. She’d brush against them with her stomach and they’d skirt to the side for her, waiting until she’d passed them before they gave her dirty looks, of course. It took a lot of effort but I managed to contain my urge to punch all of them in the face.

“Would it be wrong of me to order a Jägerbomb, just to sniff it?” she asked as we joined the gang.

Tyler laughed.

“I doubt you’d be able to keep yourself from drinking it,” Shane said, “so I ordered you a water instead.”

“Buzzkill.”

“Well, this place is nice,” Elizabeth piped up.

I had to hand it to her, the last few times I’d been around her had been easier. She was a much nicer person since she’d started working on her issues. Making an attempt to try and fit in and not be such a raging, judgmental bitch. Hell, I didn’t even mind it all that much when she and Emily came over to our apartment lately. She was tolerable.

What the fuck? Do I actually like Elizabeth Sloan?
I curled my lip in disgust at my own thought.

Because of the crowd it was a little while before we got our drinks but when we did we ordered enough to make sure we avoided another wait. The first round of shots went down quickly.

And the second.

Then the third.

I’d just gotten my buzz on when Elizabeth started to get handsy with Tyler. By the looks of it they would be leaving soon. Turning my body in the direction of Emma and Shane, I figured I could talk to them while the other two got busy, but Shane was whispering in Emma’s ear while he massaged her lower back.

Fuckin’ shit.
Great idea coming out as the fifth wheel, Rob.

Frustrated, I grabbed my beer off the bar and turned my back to it, complete with an Emma-esque pout. Had she seen it she would have been proud, but she was too busy canoodling with Shane. Jesus Christ. It really was disgusting.

And then I saw it.

A full head of flaming orange hair.

She was perched at a table. Laughing with some toolbag.

A toolbag that I totally recognized.

“Fuck!”

The gang jumped, roused from their love-induced stupor by my inability to keep my mouth shut.

“What the hell is your problem?” Shane asked, spinning around to follow my gaze. When he saw what I was looking at all he managed to say was, “Jesus…”

“Christ,” Tyler finished for him.

Emma was the last to turn around. I expected her to start freaking out but when she did, she started laughing and we all looked at her like she was crazy.

“Oh. My. God!” she managed to say between giggles.

I still didn’t see how it was funny.

Sorry, I should probably catch you up.

Jenny was sitting there with none other than Bradley.

A.K.A Mr. Wonderful.

A.K.A Douchebag.

A.K.A Asshole that just earned a night as my punching bag.

The gang was getting a big charge out of seeing them there, together, but I wasn’t finding the humor in it—at all. I thought a lot of things about Jenny. But I never once took her for a raging idiot.

I wasn’t going to let it happen. I chugged the remainder of my beer and started in their direction. If they’d been paying attention, I was sure one of the gang would have tried to stop me but they were oblivious, still caught up in seeing Bradley. Only Emma even knew who the woman with him was, and she was in no state to clue the rest of them in. I could hear their laughter behind me as I walked away.

Belatedly I heard them call out to me, but I just plain old didn’t give a fuck. That, and I was well on my way to drunk. Not the best of combinations at the best of times.

I reached their table and slammed my hands down on it. The glasses on the table lifted off with the force and they both jumped and turned toward me.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?”

“Rob?” Bradley asked, shocked I was sure.

I scrunched my face up. “No, you moron, it’s me—baby Jesus himself.”

The words had hardly left my mouth when Jenny was up on her feet, and in my face. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she hissed.

Bradley was definitely confused by this point. “You
know
him?”

As his gaze darted back and forth between me and Jenny I began mocking him further, clapping my hands together slowly in a move designed to do nothing more than embarrass the prick. “No shit, Sherlock.”

Jenny sighed in defeat and fell back into her seat. “Seriously, how is New York City this small?”

Not content with just drawing attention to them, I grabbed an extra chair from the next table and pulled it up. I sat down and they looked at each other, slightly uneasy with my presence. “So, how did you two meet?”

They stared at me in silence. I smiled smugly.

“Rob, leave them alone.”

Why I’d thought she would be able to stay out of it, I had no idea. Without bothering to turn around I said, “Leave me alone, Emma. Can’t you see I’m catching up with old friends?”

Bradley took the opportunity to look at her. Seeing the look on his face reminded me of how much I really wanted to punch him.

“Emma.” He stood as though he was going to give her a hug.

Angry that he would even attempt to
speak
to her after what he’d done, I pushed him back down in his seat. “You don’t get to touch her, buddy.”

Bradley scoffed and looked like he was ready for a fight, until he caught sight of Shane and Tyler a few steps behind me. The look on his face was priceless and I laughed out loud.

Such a pussy.

I looked over at Jenny, who still had no clue of what was going on, or how we all knew each other. “Anyone care to fill me in here?” she finally asked.

Bradley started to talk. But I cut him off and gave her the cliff notes version. “Emma and Bradley used to date. Bradley’s a prick. Bradley can’t keep his dick in his pants, and I know for a fact that you hate cheaters.”

I struck a nerve and she visibly cringed. Bingo.

Completely satisfied with myself, I held my hand out for her. “Now, let me buy you a drink.” She looked up at me innocently, and I could tell that she was feeling pensive. Torn between escaping from the clutches of douchecanoe, and muddying up our past.

With a swift movement, Bradley had his hand on her forearm. “Jenny, don’t.”

Okay, I’d said I was done with Jenny, but nobody deserved to be played by that asshole. I’d kick the shit out of him but I was rather liking this new place and I didn’t really feel like getting kicked out and blacklisted.

“She can make her own fuckin’ decisions, dipshit.”

In an instant, Bradley was on his feet, nose to nose with me. My testosterone surged and I bumped him with my chest. “I thought you’d have realized by now that I’m not scared of you.” I was ready for a fight, but it wasn’t in the cards for me, at least not in the immediate future because out of nowhere, Tyler surged forward, his hands sending Bradley tumbling backward.

Wide with fear, Bradley’s eyes met Jenny’s again for a brief second. “I don’t need this shit, Jenny. Call me later.” And just like that he was walking out with his tail between his legs once again.

Once a pussy, always a pussy.

Looking broken, Jenny’s green eyes met mine and I felt an ache in the left side of my chest just before she placed her hand in mine. Shane and Emma were laughing once we rejoined them.

“Rob, you never cease to amaze me.” Shane chuckled. “Let me buy you another drink.”

“Get something for the lady too,” Tyler said then offered up his hand. “We haven’t met, I’m Tyler.”

Jenny and Tyler shook, while Shane continued to laugh. “But of course. What’ll it be…”

“Jenny,” she said, without missing a beat.

Tyler and Shane stopped in their tracks. With their mouths slightly agape, they stared at me in complete disbelief. During an awkward few moments of silence, they pieced the situation together, and I was curious as to how this would go down. Shane finally spoke.

“Ironic doesn’t even begin to cover this.” He cleared his throat, more than likely along with his head. “So about that drink…”

Given what had just gone down, I knew what she’d say. It was her drink of choice—her poison—and it would be exactly what she’d want in a moment like this.

“I’ll have a shot of tequila. Hold the lime and salt.”

Bingo.

“Make it two,” I said, my eyes never leaving hers.

The bar had emptied somewhat and Shane made light conversation with the bartender, ordering our next round of drinks while we all went back to our evening. It crossed my mind that I didn’t know where the dickhead went, but then again I really didn’t care. Was it too much to hope that he’d get hit by a bus on the way home?

“So, how long have you been mixed up with Bradley?” Emma finally asked Jenny.

“Not long. He came into the coffee shop a few weeks ago and asked me out. He was hot enough, I was just looking for a good time.”

In true Jenny fashion, she was trying to downplay what had just gone down, but I could tell she was upset, probably even mad at herself for letting her guard down.

“If you wanted a good time all you had to do was ask.” I laughed.

She rolled her eyes. “Been there, done that. Didn’t work out so well for me last time.”

“Burn!” Elizabeth yelled, not really sensing the tension. Such a ditz. No, bitch was more accurate. And just like that I hated Elizabeth again.

Emma gestured across her throat for Elizabeth to cut it out, which only caused the tension to rise further, reaching epic levels. Thankfully Shane returned with our shots and we sucked them back in unison, grateful for the reprieve.

“I think we’re gonna head out,” Shane said as he threw down some money.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mumbled under my breath.

“Us too.”

Elizabeth stood on her tiptoes and kissed Tyler’s neck.

Even though I knew it was useless I attempted to persuade them some more. “We just got here!” I said, but they just shrugged their shoulders. Fuckers all had better shit to do than stay out with me and get hammered. I hated it.

The mood plummeted further, if that was even possible, and I motioned for the bartender. I needed another stiff drink. Tonight hadn’t panned out quite like I’d hoped it would. “You guys suck.”

Emma shrugged and used her hands to gesture towards her belly. “I’m so tired.”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it. You’re, like, all responsible and shit.”

They left me hanging. Standing there with the one person who could wreck me.

“I should go too,” Jenny said as soon as the gang made their way out the door.

“Fuck that.” I grabbed her arm, preventing her from escaping. “You’re going to keep me company. My friends aren’t any fun any more. And I bet we can still have fun together.”

She grinned. It was the devilish grin that I’d seen a million times years ago and it was still just as cute and hot as it ever was.

“Just fun?”

“Of course. Haven’t you heard? It’s all I’m ever about anymore.”

“All right.” She sighed as she squeezed back into the bar next to me. I couldn’t tell if she was excited or annoyed, and I made it my mission to find out.

“But we’re definitely going to need more to drink.”

By the time Jenny and I stumbled out of the bar it was nearing two a.m. but the streets were still fairly empty as we laughed out loud, each of us struggling to walk. That was New York for you.

“I haven’t been this drunk in a long time,” she said, slurring her words as she steadied herself against a street sign.

The alcohol had caught up with both of us and I stopped in my tracks, my eyes seizing the opportunity to take her in. Without a doubt she was still as beautiful as she had been all those years ago. Possibly even more so.

Without thinking, I found myself closing the distance between us and my hand rested on her cheek, cupping it. Why, I didn’t know, and I expected her to shy away from my touch, but instead she pushed her face harder into my hand, her own hand finding its way to mine.

Feeling brave, I took another step into her. By this time there was barely an inch between us, and the air around became charged with… I didn’t know what, but it was potent, intoxicating…
real.

“I fuckin’ missed you, Jenny.”

My voice was hoarse and not from the alcohol. Her eyes twinkled as they met mine. I expected her to say something along the same lines—because you can’t just forget the past, right?—but she didn’t.