Flirting with the HR Girl

Chapter 46

"No, no, no, no, no," Jennifer said holding on to her craft beer for dear life, trying to stay planted in her chair. He was much bigger and easily lifted her and she was worried he would sweep her off her feet right there in the middle of the bar. She reluctantly let him take her to the stage.

"Austin, I can't do this," she said, thinking of how flat her voice sounded. "We can do anything but this."

"Then if you can do this, you can do anything," Austin said sounding like he had been reading one of Selena's self-help books.

"I don't need to do this in order to do anything," Jennifer said to save herself but became more and more aware of his hold on her as he typed a song into the karaoke machine.

"You can do this," he said as he yanked her onto the stage and Todd gave him a high five. She clung to his hand as he handed her a microphone. Feeling like it weighed a thousand pounds, she almost dropped it on the floor. He squeezed her hand and smiled at her. "Trust me."

"Hey, yeah, I wanna shoop, baby," Austin said next in a sing-songy voice as all the women in the bar screamed. He had chosen Shoop by Salt-N-Pepa, one of Jennifer's all-time favorite songs. A rap song that she knew and would not have to sing. She couldn't help but smile at him as he rapped to the first verse. He knew every single word by heart just like she did. She stopped laughing just before her part and she rapped her favorite song to the appreciation of Selena, Todd, and the entire bar. Especially Austin.

Jennifer was out of breath and giddy when they were done. The crowd cheered for them for a good two minutes. She never knew that potential life-threatening embarrassment could be so fun. She began to understand why people wanted to sing karaoke. Austin grabbed her hand and held it up in the air with his, and, for once in her life, she didn't turn bright red from the attention. He almost had to drag her off the stage, but what she really wanted was for him to drag her into his arms.

"You're a natural!" Austin said over the crowd as he pulled her back towards their table.

"No, you are!" she said, feeling high and happy and not wanting the night to end. "I can't believe that there are rap songs on there. I thought you always had to sing at karaoke!"

"So, you'll do it again with me?" Austin asked with a grin as they settled into the table and Todd and Selena came back. "I was thinking DMX, Why Do Good Girls Like Bad Guys."

"No way!" Jennifer's blush returned, thinking of all the explicit lyrics in that song.

"Jenny, I didn't know the HR girl had so much spunk in her!" Todd said as he plopped down in the chair next to her with an appraising look.

"HR are people, too," Jennifer said rolling her eyes right at him.

"You were fabulous!" Selena said breathlessly next to Austin.

"Let's have another round!" Todd said, throwing his hand in the air. Jennifer suddenly remembered that it was getting late, and she had to give Zack his pill. She pulled out her phone, tapping the screen to see the time. His pill was due right then. She was already late. She looked up at Austin and was acutely disappointed that she was going to have to leave.

"I gotta go, guys," Jennifer said reaching for her coat.

"What?" Austin asked, standing up quickly.

"I have to go home and give Zack his steroid," she explained.

"The cat?" Todd laughed. Selena elbowed him in the side, and he was quiet.

"Yes, my cat almost died last week," Jennifer said feeling defensive. The last thing she needed was this boob making fun of her for going home to take care of her pet.

"Are you ready to go?" Jennifer asked Selena.

"Yes," Selena said with a sigh.

"We can't already be done," Todd said, disappointment stark on his face.

"Well, if one of you can give Selena a ride home, I still have to go right now," Jennifer said a little bit uneasy leaving Selena with Todd but knowing that Austin could get her home safely.

"I rode with him," Austin said indicating Todd.

"I'll take everybody home," Todd said waving his hand benevolently as he did with his employees at work. Technically, they were all his employees.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?" Jennifer asked, looking at Selena.

"Yes," Selena said smiling around at everyone. She looked like she had had plenty to drink but not too much. Jennifer would never have left her there if she thought Selena was too drunk to make up her own mind. "I'll just get a ride home with Todd."

"Okay, then," Jennifer said set to go. She looked at Austin.

"I don't like the idea of you driving home alone in this neighborhood," Austin said as he came around the corner of the table. "Would you mind giving me a ride home?"

Both Selena and Todd raised their eyebrows, but Austin looked at them and explained, "My apartment is right on the way to hers."

"Hey, buddy, who am I to judge who goes home with whom?" Todd said with a smile. "You kids have fun."

"I can drive home by myself," Jennifer said acutely aware of Todd watching them. "You should stay here with them and have fun."

"No, thanks. They're just going to sing more obnoxious duets all night," Austin said as if they weren't sitting right there.

"Thank you, dude," Todd said but laughed. He and Selena had already started to move back toward the stage.

"Just take Austin with you, honey," Selena said, innocently enough but her eyes danced. "He's right about the neighborhood."

"Well, okay then," Jennifer said feeling too rushed to fight the decision. "I'll drop you off at your apartment."

Jennifer gave Selena a hug and Todd shook Austin's hand. Jennifer and Austin were silent as they walked through the rest of the bar. Once outside, they hustled to her car in the cold night air. As started the engine, Jennifer turned towards Austin. "What were you thinking?"

"That I needed a ride home," Austin said but had a grin on his face.

"We can't let Todd see us going somewhere together," she said thinking of all the ways Todd could hold it over her head. He'd be forcing them to all go out to the titty bar soon. But when she faced Austin, she had to try not to return his grin. "Now he's going to think you came home with me."

"Well, if he already thinks that..." Austin said brushing the hair back from her face.

"We're not supposed to be together!" Jennifer said as she slammed the car into reverse and backed out of the spot. Putting it in drive, she spit out of the parking lot. Her heart hammering as fast as her car's little four-cylinder engine roared. "I only have one more week until I get the job."

"Then let's wait one more week," Austin said putting his hand on her knee.

Jennifer didn't even bother to ask where Austin's apartment was. She needed to get home and give Zack his medicine. At least, that's what she told herself. She would deal with what to do with Austin later. She turned up the music and they drove quickly through the night, warm in their little cocoon, the anticipation rising in the car with every turn.