An Inconvenient Flame

Chapter 4 - Into the Unknown

Jade sat at the bar sipping a blackberry martini. It wasn't as delicious as the Watkins Waterhole, but it was doing its job because she felt great. Jade felt looser than she usually did after one glass of Watkins Waterhole, but she wasn't going to complain.

She hummed lightly as she looked around. There were mostly couples in the medium sized bar and it was cute. She loved people watching and she could tell from what she saw that love was definitely in the air. "Let me breathe it in so I can get some too." She giggled a bit tipsy.

"If you're going to see the show it's time to close your tabs and head over to the theatre." One of the many bartenders called out. Jade had already closed out her tab as she only intended on getting one drink. She finished her cocktail and stood up cautiously. She wasn't feeling sloppy, but she did feel like floating.

She followed the small crowd out of the bar and into the theatre. Jenna had left her ticket on the counter next to her drink, so she knew early that she had one of the best seats in the house. The usher led her to her seat and she wasn't sure if he did so because he thought she was drunk or if that was just a perk of the VIP treatment. Either way, she felt taken care of.

The seats were plush and comfortable and she settled in ready for a good time. The play was a modern take on A Midsummer Night's Dream. Jade knew Quinn would be a jealous mess once she found out. Quinn was a Shakespeare slut. She loved all of his works, including the bad ones. Jade couldn't care either way, but this was one of her more favorite plays of his.

"Is this seat taken?" Jade snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at the man in front of her. She didn't want to be like every Wattpad girl in the world and say he was the sexiest man alive, but he was close. He had blonde hair that was styled perfectly. He wore a navy-blue suit and tie and had a smile that was breathtaking. "N-No. It's not taken."

He sat next to her and Jade thought she'd faint. She was a cologne whore and whatever he was wearing had her soaked. "Damn it!" She mumbled earning his attention.

"Excuse me?" She smiled at him and shook her head. "Nothing." He nodded. "I'm Jason." He said holding out a hand. "Jade." He smiled at her. "We've got the J names in common. I think we're off to a good start."

Jade chuckled at his corniness. "You here alone?" He asked and she eyed him suspiciously. "Why are you trying to abduct me and sell my organs on the black market?" Jason looked at her with wide eyes.

"First of all, that was scary specific. Second of all, I was asking because I think you're gorgeous and wanted to know if you wanted to grab drinks after this. Third of all, was your accusation race motivated?"

It was Jade's turn to look at him wide eyed. "What? No! Why would you say that?" Jason shrugged his shoulders. "White men do seem to have a monopoly on the serial killer game. I'm just saying."

Jade looked at him before bursting into a fit of laughs. He joined in loving the sound. Her laugh was welcoming and invited you in. "You've crossed off possible serial killer from my assumptions list." She gave him a warm smile. "Thank you for the compliment. I'd love to have drinks with you."

Jade was shocking the hell out of herself and was internally freaking out. She normally would not be so willing to have drinks with a perfect stranger. She wouldn't be so willing to speak to a stranger, but he was handsome and funny and she felt like she had mustered enough moxie to last the whole weekend.

"We've determined that you're not a serial killer, so what are you? Tell me about Jason." He smiled at her and Jade couldn't help but commit it to memory. He had a small dimple in his left cheek and his blue eyes seemed to dazzle even more.

His blonde beard looked like it would be softer than wool. Jade found herself clenching a fist to stop herself from touching it. "There's not much to tell. I'm actually visiting Vegas for the weekend. I'm from Houston, Texas. I work with the baseball team there."