Doe Hollow

Snake In The Grass

"One more round of shots, then I'm going to need to dance," Hayley laughed, signalling down the bar. The petite brunette bar tender handed two beers across the bar, wiped her hands on a towel, and made her way toward Hayley to set up another six shots of Fireball.

"It's my turn," Heather told the bartender, who added the round to Heather's tab. Hayley, Abby, Heather, Angela, Kelly, and Lilly raised their shot glasses to each other, took a collective breath, and quickly threw back the shots of cinnamon whiskey. They laughed at each other as they cleared their throats and took quick sips of Dr. Pepper.

"Now who's dancing?" Hayley demanded, pulling Kelly along toward the dance floor. Abby laughed, shaking her head, when Heather tried to pull her along after the others.

"Suit yourself," she shrugged, grinning, and left Abby alone at the bar. Abby ordered a Captain and Coke and pulled out a bar stool, taking a seat with her back to the bar so that she could watch her friends dancing. Her phone vibrated in the pocket of her jeans and she quickly retrieved it, smiling at a text from James.

Are you having a good time, love?

She thought for a moment before replying.

Yeah. But I can't wait to get out of here and see you. ;)

She gripped the phone in her hand and returned her attention to her friends, who seemed to be having a great time. I wish I could dance, Abby thought, sighing.

No more than fifteen feet away, Ryan Mason sat at a table with some friends, drinking beers and checking out the women in the bar. A flash of auburn hair in his peripheral vision caught his attention, and he glanced at the bar and the woman swinging her hair over her shoulder. He did a double-take, recognition hitting him like a bolt of lightning.

"Excuse me," he said to his friends, collecting his phone from the table and making his way toward  Abby. He casually leaned on the bar next to her and ordered a drink. When the bartender returned with a fresh beer, Ryan turned to face Abby as if noticing her for the first time.

"It's a sad state of affairs when a beautiful woman has to sit at a bar alone," he flirted, leaning slightly toward Abby. She glanced up from the text message she was reading and gave a friendly smile.

"Oh, my fiance is at home," she said, then nodded toward the dance floor. "It's girls' night and I don't dance." Ryan smiled as he realized she had no idea who he was.

"That's a shame," he joked, extending his hand. "I'm Drew, by the way," he added, giving her his middle name.

"Abby," she replied, shaking his hand. They chatted for a few moments about the scene in the bar, and were soon joined by Abby's friends and cousins, who returned to the bar to catch their breath over another round of drinks. Ryan quickly sized up the five other women, making a mental note of Hayley and Kelly's wedding bands. He turned his attention next to Lilly, who was grinning at a text message. Boyfriend, he thought to himself, moving on to Angela and Heather. Angela's blonde curls and mile-long legs held his attention for a good moment, and when she caught him looking at her, he gave her a flirtatious grin.

"Y'all this is Drew," Abby told the group. Angela returned his grin, looking away and biting her lip shyly. Ryan made a quick decision and spoke up.

"Let me buy you ladies a round," he said, signaling the bartender and quickly gesturing toward Abby and her friends. "Whatever they want," he told the bartender, then smiled at Angela again. "Enjoy your girls' night," he added, nodding to the women and taking his leave. He returned to his table and leaned back in his chair sipping his beer. He vaguely contributed to his friends' conversation as he kept an eye on Abby's group and waited to see if his plan would be set into motion.