13 Flames | gxg

5 - no promises

Palmer

We get to the restaurant and follow the hostess to a round table set for the seven of us. I move to take a seat when the hostess turns suddenly and bumps into me. She nearly drops the menus she holds but I catch her hands, steadying her.

"I'm so sorry," she rushes out.

I smile kindly. "It's okay-" My eyes flash to her name tag. "Becca. Don't worry about it."

She returns my smile and I raise an eyebrow when she doesn't pull away. Her gaze traces my chest, trails up my neck and meets my eyes. She blinks, like she just remembered where she is. She quickly steps back, putting the menus on the table.

"Right, uh, thanks," she stutters.

I take the last remaining seat in between Lexa and Peyton as she tells us our waiter will be right over. Becca glances towards me as she talks and stumbles over her words when she meets my eyes. "Have a nice meal," she finishes quickly. She rushes away as color rises in her cheeks. My eyes follow her back and I smile.

Peyton cracks up beside me, one hand over her mouth as she tries to contain her laughter. "Palmer," she giggles, "we've been here for three seconds."

I shrug. "I didn't do anything."

Across the table, Alex leans towards Brayden, his eyes on me. "Bet you ten bucks they make out in the bathroom later?"

Brayden also looks towards me and I roll my eyes. "Deal," he agrees, and they fist bump.

"Guys, I'm right here," I remind them.

"We know," Alex says with a grin.

Peyton and Lexa laugh on either side of me and I shake my head. The conversation subsides as we read the menu and the waiter takes our orders. I love Italian food; I order an expensive bolognese dish with penne pasta. Lexa goes next and orders a simple Italian salad. After the waiter moves on to Joseph, I lean closer to her, a half smile on my face. "We can get the most expensive thing on this menu, without paying for it, and you pick salad?" I tease.

She shrugs. "I like salad."

"Okay, Lex, just don't go stealing my food," I joke as I lean back in my seat.

She flashes me a sly smile, her red lips separating to show pearly white teeth. "No promises."

I smile back, my eyes passing over her face. Her green eyes shine brightly, dark mascara on her long, curling lashes. Her cheekbones sit high on her face, her skin flawless. Her hair is pulled back on the sides and forms a crown around her head. My eyes trail down to the necklace resting between her cleavage, a simple golden circle. With her navy blue dress... she looks amazing.

She turns back to the group conversation but my eyes remain on her. I finally pull my gaze away when she moves her left arm, resting her hand on the table. My eyes land on the sparkling diamond on her ring finger and my smile vanishes.

What the fuck, Palmer? She's getting married. Wake the hell up.

The rest of dinner goes well as we take turns getting to know each other. Lexa steals a bite of my dish every few minutes. I don't mind sharing.

I have a good feeling about this group. Peyton, Alex, and Brayden are all around my age, and we've become fast friends. John and Joseph have already taken on the role of being the parents of the group, the oldest ones here. They easily fit into the commanding roles of Fire Chief and Lieutenant.

And then Lexa. I don't know what, but there's something about her. Something drawing me in. I keep finding my eyes passing over her body before I remember there's an engagement ring on her finger. I shouldn't have sat next to her. Sighing, I shake away the feelings swirling inside me.

When it comes time to pay we use the company card and stand to leave. Once we walk out the door, I turn to Alex.

"You owe Brayden ten bucks," I remind him, a smile tugging at my lips.

"Aw, shit! I forgot." He pulls a ten dollar bill from his wallet. "I was going to ask her to come back to the table."

"Too late now bro," Brayden says as he takes it with a smile.

Peyton checks her phone. "They said we had a week's pass to the casino across the street. You guys in?"

I smile. "Hell yeah."

Lexa looks at me questioningly but agrees along with everyone else.

Alex takes the lead. "All right, let's go!" I laugh as I follow him across the busy street, Brayden right next to me and the others behind us.

"Can I buy you a drink?" he asks me.

I roll my eyes playfully. "We're not even at the bar yet. And the whole trip is covered."

"Alright, do you want to grab a drink with me? As friends," he adds with a cocky grin. He's wearing formal dress paints and a nice, short-sleeved collared shirt. His long blonde hair is tousled messily on his head, his blue eyes bright and shining in the neon lighting.

"We'll see," I reply with a mysterious smile.

When we enter the casino the first thing I notice is the noise. There's people everywhere, the bar, the tables, the slot machines. Music plays but I don't know where it's coming from. And everyone is talking.

We stand in a kind of line near the entrance, none of us quite sure where to go. I look to Brayden on my left and Lexa on my right. I take a few steps forward and turn to face them.

"Guys! We're in Vegas. For free!" I tell them. "Enjoy it," I add with a wide smile. They finally get moving, splitting off in a couple directions. Joseph and Brayden head to play some blackjack, John goes to the nearest seat at the bar and Lexa, Peyton, and Alex find a table.

Once they've all walked away, I walk through the room to an open seat at the bar. I sit down and cross my legs but don't order anything just yet.

I don't have to wait long before a young man comes over to me. He puts one arm on the counter and sits on the open stool to my right, facing me.

"Can I buy you a drink?" he asks kindly.

I smile. "Sure. I'll take a beer."

He returns the grin and calls over the bartender, ordering and paying for two beers. He hands one to me and I take a small sip.

We chat for a while. He's actually a pretty nice guy, funny too. He has short, wavy blonde hair and light hazel eyes, almost green. He wears a navy blue polo shirt, the muscles of his arms exposed.

We're laughing at something I've said when I feel a hand on my shoulder. "Hey! There you are."

I turn to see a woman standing at my shoulder. She has dark brown hair, almost black, falling straight down her back and around her shoulders. She's wearing a tight, vibrant purple dress. I have no idea who she is.

"Hi?" I say with a confused smile.

She turns to the guy I'm talking to as she puts an arm around me. "Who are you?"

"Um, Tyler. And you are?"

"Brooke. Her girlfriend."

I turn to her in shock. Um, what?

"Palmer, you didn't say you had a girlfriend." Tyler looks hurt.

"I'm sorry, I don't-" I stop talking as he walks away.

Brooke moves around me with a smile and takes Tyler's seat.

"What the hell?" I ask her.

"I want to get to know you," she says casually.

I eye her curiously. "So did he," I tell her before taking a small sip of my beer.

She takes the drink from my hand and puts it on the bar, peeling my fingers from the glass and then lacing them into hers. "But I really want to get to know you," she says again, playing with my fingers and licking her lips.

I lean forward. "There's plenty of people in this bar. Why you?"

She brings her other hand to my chin and tips my head up. "Come with me and find out."