Keeping Secrets

College Bar

PEYTON

The bar was both crowded and loud, with every seat along the bar top occupied and people standing behind or next to those sitting, which made the bartenders very busy. Colorful twinkling lights hung from the ceiling, giving the bar a homey, intimate  feel but it also made it seem a little trashy. Regardless of the décor, the place was packed, so people clearly liked the place.

Dane took the lead, cutting a path through the crowd. I wasn't sure if it was because he was the tallest and could see over everyone, or if it was just the natural order of the group. I'd always assumed Lucas, as the lead singer, was the leader, but after spending some time with them, I realized that probably wasn't true.

I followed behind Amanda, who held my hand in a tight grip as we squeezed through the crowded room. The smell of bar food drifted in the air, and laughter mingled with the sound of southern rock playing over the speakers. I could see why it was such a popular place.

As we reached the back of the room, a booth became available, and Dane quickly claimed it for us.

"Nice spot," Beau said as he slid in behind me.

The booth was one of those half-circle types, with Amanda and me in the middle. Dane sat next to Amanda, and Lucas took the end seat, while Justin was next to Beau on the other side.

A waitress showed up right away and took our orders. She was in a hurry and didn't seem to realize that the guys hiding behind their baseball hats—or in Justin's case, his long hair—were, in fact, the famous band that had just played in the football arena. But then, dressed as they were, they blended into the college scene.

The guys ordered beers, fries and wings for the table. Amanda wanted some cider thing, and I asked for the same.

"Coming right up," the waitress responded and left.

"Wow," Amanda whispered in my ear. "She didn't ask for ID."

I exhaled the breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. "Yeah..."

And that was a very good thing because it would have been extremely humiliating to have been asked to leave, especially in front of these guys.

The service was quicker than I had expected it would be since the place was so crowded. It didn't take long for our waitress to come back with a tray of drinks.

"The food will be out in a few," she said and left again.

Beau handed out the drinks and when we all had one, he raised his cup and said, "awesome job today."

"To the tour," Dane added, and we all clinked glasses and drank.

"That must be so exciting," I said, "to get to travel and see the world."

Beau nodded, and there was a twinkle in his eye when he looked over at me.

"I still can't believe it."

"What are you looking forward to the most?" I asked.

He took a sip from his beer, appearing to give the question some genuine thought. "I've never traveled outside the US before. I can't wait to see all these different countries with old buildings, castles, and cobblestone streets."

"I haven't been outside the US either," I admitted. "I've barely been outside South Carolina."

He smiled softly and leaned a little closer, close enough for his woodsy, masculine scent to fill the air between us. And damn... I'd never associated that kind of scent with sexiness before. I was used to the clean, fresh cologne Max wore, but this... on Beau... Yeah. Just wow.