“Shut up.” I roll my eyes, bumping him with my shoulder. After Lathan’s cheery visit, I went to see Kat and Miles to take my mind off things. We ended up drinking margaritas with the Vixens. It felt so good to let off some steam and just have fun.
You’d think the Vixens would be this stuck-up, high-maintenance group of girls, but the truth is, they’re surprisingly laid-back. When they’re not on stage, they’re in sweat pants and no makeup, and just so…normal. They’re the kind of friends I wish I’d had back home. And the best part? They’re all sick of Selina. I took a shameful amount of sick pleasure hearing about how she’s managed to piss everyone off. Apparently, she’s a mess of epic proportions, showing up late or drunk or both, demanding to be the star of the show and not giving anyone else a chance to headline. I imagine they feel similarly to how I feel about Savannah. I’ll always have love for her, but I don’t like her a solid ninety percent of the time.
After Kat got me nice and buzzed, she made me promise to perform with the Vixens at least once this summer. I agreed, and then we spent the next hour showing each other different dances we’ve choreographed—her for the Vixens, and me for my pom team and the underclassman’s dance class that I taught as a senior. Hanging out with Kat is good for the soul. I’d forgotten how much I missed having a real friend. Same goes for Miles.
I was mid-split when I realized I’d lost track of time. When Miles and Kat learned where I was heading, they insisted on tagging along, and I was thankful because I was tipsy as hell and not ready to end the night.
I look over to Kat who’s on the other side of me, eyes wide with fascination as she watches them circle the cage, and I wonder if that’s the same face I wear when I look at Sebastian. “Do they ever crash?” she asks, leaning close so I can hear her over the noise.
“Not that I’ve seen.” And I hope I never do.
Miles snakes an arm over my shoulder, bringing his mouth close to my ear. “Heads-up. Satan has entered the building. I repeat, Satan has entered the building.” I roll my eyes, casually glancing around. Then I see her, sitting next to Elliot in her skintight, red halter top and black skinny jeans, looking every bit the lead Vixen. I suddenly feel extremely underdressed in my T-shirt and jeans. And what’s she doing with Elliot? If she thinks she can use him to get closer to Sebastian, she doesn’t know him as well as I thought.
Suddenly, the audience claps and cheers as the show ends, bringing my attention back to the globe. The guys ride down the ramp, taking off their helmets. When I make eye contact with Sebastian, he’s staring at me with a look I can’t decipher.
“Ooh, Daddy’s angry,” Miles teases, snatching his arm back from around my shoulders.
“Maybe you’ll get a spanking.” Kat’s eyebrows wiggle suggestively.
“Stop.” I laugh, standing to make my way toward Sebastian before the crowd of fangirls gets to him. “I’ll be right back.”
I shoulder through the crowd, and Sebastian jerks his chin for me to meet him behind the rope that surrounds the cage, acting as a barrier between them and the audience. I duck underneath, coming to a stop in front of him as he unzips his leather jacket before shrugging it off his broad shoulders. His hair and skin are slick with sweat, and I bite my lip, taking him in. Before he even says a word, liquid courage in the form of margaritas has me fisting the front of his shirt and pushing up onto my toes to press my lips to his.
Sebastian makes a surprised sound in the back of his throat, but he doesn’t pull away. He snakes one hand around my waist, his hand coming down to palm my ass as his tongue pushes into my mouth to dance with mine. It’s the first time that we’ve ever done anything like this in public. I don’t even know where we stand after last night, but he looked too good to resist.
“Hi,” I say innocently, unable to keep the stupid smile off my face. Sebastian peers down at me, assessing.
“New friends?” he asks, flicking his chin toward where Miles and Kat sit, his hand still gripping my ass.
“Mhm. And I really like these ones, so don’t be a dick.”
His forehead wrinkles. “Don’t be a dick?”
“Please?” I add, jutting out my bottom lip.
“As long as that fuck keeps his hands off you,” he says, referring to Miles.
“He’s not like that.” Miles loves to flirt, but he’s harmless.
“I know who he is. Kat’s one of the good ones, too,” he says.
“Are you implying that Miles also falls into that category?”
“He was until he got you drunk,” he grumbles, probably tasting the tequila on my tongue.
I roll my eyes. “That was Kat’s idea.”
“I have to finish up here,” he says, releasing my butt to drag his hand through his sweaty hair. For some reason, I love it when he comes out of the globe all dirty and glistening. “Meet me back at the bunkhouse in an hour.”
“Don’t shower.” I turn away from Sebastian’s heated gaze, only to find Selina on the other side of the rope, waiting for her turn. I fight the urge to glare at her in warning or flash her a taunting smirk, instead looking right past her, like she doesn’t exist, knowing that for girls like Selina, being irrelevant is a fate far worse than anything else.
I don’t take two steps before I hear Sebastian shout my name. I turn back, looking at him expectantly.
“Be safe.”
I nod, warmth radiating through me. Sebastian doesn’t care about anyone, but he seems to care about me.
Kat and Miles are practically jumping up and down when I get back to them. “Masterful,” Miles praises, giving me a golf clap.