5. Montana

-for a few dollars more-

“Holy cow!” Kelly whispered, her mouth hanging open with amazement.

“What is it?” Pearl asked.

“Oh my God, Oh my God. I can’t believe it.”

“Can’t believe what?” Natalie asked impatiently.

“Don’t everybody turn around at the same time to look, but you’ll never guess who just swaggered in looking all hunky and sexy,” Kelly squealed excitedly.

“I’ll look first,” Natalie said and casually turned her head. When she turned back, she was grinning from ear to ear.

“It’s the guy with the broken-down car from earlier,” she announced, looking directly at me. “We’ve found your man for tonight, Montana.”

“Hang on a minute,” Kelly protested immediately. “He’s only here because I invited him. He came for me.”

“If Montana switches off the light there’ll be no difference between you and her,” Natalie answered tartly.

“Hello! I’m sitting right here,” I reminded but no one took any notice of me.

Kelly looked sulkily at Natalie. “He wouldn’t be here if not for me.”

“Come on, Kelly. Let Montana have him. You know you can have any guy you want,” Pearl persuaded in her gentle way.

“But I’ve never had anyone as special as him. I mean, look at him. He’s one in a billion.”

“It won’t matter in the morning, will it?” Natalie asked. “He’ll just be another guy you slept with, but you’ll feel bad because you cheated Montana out of an experience she will cherish for the rest of her life.”

Kelly sighed, then looked at me mournfully. “All right. You can have him.”

“Actually, you can keep him. I don’t want him. Especially, not if it’s you he wants,” I said.

Kelly brightened. “Really?”

I shrugged and grinned at her. “Yeah, go for it.”

“No,” Natalie argued. “This night is supposed to be for you. We went to all this trouble because we wanted this night to be special for you.”

I looked at Natalie. “Thanks, Natalie. I know you mean well, but honestly, I don’t want to sleep with anyone who’s not totally into me too. No matter how gorgeous he is. Look, the night is young. I’m sure I’ll find someone else equally hunky if not better.” I knew that was a lie. Kelly was not lying when she said he was one in a billion.

“Are you sure?” Kelly asked, her eyes shining with hope and excitement.

“Totally,” I confirmed, but the word stuck in my throat like a hard rock.

“Guys, he’s walking towards our table,” Pearl hissed suddenly.

Kelly tossed her head, and her red hair bounced like fire on her shoulders, but really there was no time to do anything. Suddenly, he was standing next to our table. My eyes travelled slowly up from his black jeans to his leather belt up to his denim shirt, along the strong brown column of his throat, up to his hard jaw, sensuous lips, narrow nostrils and up towards his eyes. Oh God! Those eyes! They were amazing and they were looking directly at me. I was so shocked I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t do anything except stare back at him.

“Ladies, can I get you a drink?” he asked, never taking his gaze off me.

“I’ll have a glass of white wine,” Kelly breathed sexily.

“Same for me,” Pearl said.

“A bowl of tomato soup for me.”

It was my turn to talk, but I was dumbstruck by the intensity of his stare. I’d never been in such a bewildering situation before. This man made my skin tingle. I could feel hot color rushing into my face.

“Montana will have a Dirty Martini,” Natalie said into the awkward moment.

“I’ll get a waiter to bring your order over,” he said and began to turn away.

“Why don’t you join us?” Kelly invited.

“Thanks, but I’ll be at the bar if you need me,” he replied, making eye contact with me again.

“My God! That guy is a sex god,” Pearl breathed, her voice, low and awed.

Kelly moved, but Natalie caught her wrist. “Where do you think you’re going, young lady?”

“Just to the bar.”

“No, you’re not. That man is not interested in you, Kelly. He barely glanced at you. He wants Montana.”

Kelly frowned.

“What do you say, Pearl? Am I right?” Natalie asked.

“Sorry, Kelly, but Natalie is right,” Pearl agreed softly. “He had eyes only for Montana.”

“Eyes for Montana,” Natalie scoffed. “He was eating her alive.”

Kelly leaned back in defeat. “Fine. Montana can have him.”

Natalie turned to me. “Time for you to go to the Ladies, Missy. Make sure you stop by the bar on your merry way.”

“No, I can’t just go and throw myself at him,” I protested, but my heart was racing with excitement.

“No need to do any such thing. Just casually say hello and thank him for buying us drinks, and if he starts a conversation, stay and talk to him for a bit. We’ll be right here until the bar closes, and because I was so sure you’d get lucky, I’ve booked a room for us upstairs. We’ll wait there for you until you’re ready to leave.”

“You never said you booked a room,” I said surprised.

Natalie smiled smugly. “I’m not known as a meticulous planner for nothing.”

“I can’t believe you ordered a tomato soup,” Pearl said.

“Why wouldn’t I? They do a good tomato soup here and I always drink copious amounts of it when I’m raging inside. It calms me down. But enough chit-chat about me. Get going, Montana, before he gets the impression you’re not interested.”

She shuffled out of the banquet booth and looked at me expectantly.

I hesitated. “Won’t I be so obvious?”

“Yes, but he made himself obvious when he marched up here and stripped you naked with his eyes.”

“He didn’t do that.”

“Yes, he did,” Pearl said. “And anyway, isn’t that what we came here for?”

“Exactly. Off you go,” Natalie urged. “We live in a tiny backwater town so it’s not every day that a guy like that comes into our reach so grab him with both hands.”

I glanced at Kelly and Pearl. Kelly looked openly envious and Pearl gazed back encouragingly. “Go on, Montana,” she mouthed.

I took a deep breath and scooted out of the seat.

“Give him a smile,” Kelly said suddenly.

I looked at her and she smiled at me wryly. “Not the hyena one, the sexy one where you lift only one side of your mouth.”

“Thanks for the tip, Kelly,” I said softly. I knew it had taken a lot for her to say that. It was clear she wanted the man for herself.

“Now go. Go get him, girl,” Natalie whispered, giving my ass a stinging smack.

I squared my shoulders and turned away from the safe and the familiar.