Once Upon a Stream ● dreamwastaken

chapter 7

After ordering the first round, Brook turned to me with a pleased smile on her face.

"Spill."

"Spill what?"

"Sparks were flying." She wiggled her brows. "I got singed."

"When?" I leaned back against the bar, avoiding eye contact. "We've been here two minutes."

She snorted. "You can be so blind."

Tightening my smile, I pushed myself up and started for the seating area. "I'm going to go find the boys!" 

"You mean Major?" she called after me.

I could hear her grin.

My jaw ticked, but I kept walking and didn't stop until I found Major at one of the tucked away tables.

With a lift of his eyebrow, I could read the question on his mind.

"Brook." I collapsed into the chair beside him with a thump.

"I'm going to need a bit more than that."

"She's playing Cupid again."

A low laugh escaped his lips. "Let her have her fun," he said with a wave of his hand.

"Until she starts forcing things."

Major shot me a look. "Like? She can't really force us to date."

"She'll definitely try." I rested my chin in my hand.

"You can tell her to stop, you know."

Before I could answer, Brook bounced over to the table, her heels clicking against the ground. "Where's Rye?"

"Bathroom," Major rattled off, not taking his eyes from me.

Brook huffed, sagging her shoulders. "My friends are here and I want to dance."

"Then dance, Brooklin," he grumbled, staring at her coldly. "I'll tell Rye to meet you."

"What the hell is your problem?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

Major looked at me again. The irritation on his face was unmistakable.

"He's just tired," I said, finding his hand under the table.

She pursed her lips, about to whine, no doubt, when one of her friends called her name.

Well, squealed.

Any interest Brook had in us disappeared the second their squeals synced. She disappeared onto the dance floor with her friend at her heels.

I glared at the direction they went in, even though they were long gone in the mass of drunks.

"Up, Nini."

I lifted a brow at Major, looking between his outstretched hand and his calculating eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to ask a pretty girl to dance." He smiled at the blush floating up my neck.

"I'm not in the mood," I sighed, folding my hands in my lap.

"Nalani, cut the crap and come dance with me." He didn't wait for a response to reach around the table and lift me up by my armpits. I fell pathetically against him, a dwarf compared to him. I knew struggling was pointless when he was twice my size and stubborn.

"You rumpled the dress," I mumbled, letting him drag me toward the crowd.

"You'll live," he shot back, trudging into the crowd.