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I nod. “I’m actually living with him and my sister right now. I haven’t found a place of my own yet.”

“Tell him West said hello. Or maybe I could come say hello myself sometime,” he suggests with a smooth smile.

I laugh. Is he flirting with me? His friend invited me here.

“Try this,” Cash says, reaching around West to hand me a glass.

It’s a brownish-amber color, and I didn’t see him pour it, but I assume it’s from the bottle that was on the table.

I lift the glass to my lips and take a sip. It’s a little sweet, and it’s overpoweringly alcoholic.

I wince as I swallow it down, and it burns a hole down my chest.

“Good, right?” Cash asks.

I laugh. “No. It burns.”

“Take enough sips and you won’t notice,” Cash suggests. I’m pretty sure he wants to get me drunk, and a part of me wants to let him.

“Dude, you’re starting her with DJ42?” West says.

“What’s DJ42?” I ask.

“The tequila you’re drinking,” Cash tells me. “It’s always on the top shelf at Vegas bars, so it’s my go-to order.”

“I, on the other hand, am more of a tequila purist. That bottle has additives for flavor,” West says.

Cash rolls his eyes. “A tequila purist,” he mutters. “So what’s your drink, then?”

“I like the El Tesoro Paradiso, but most of the bars we frequent don’t carry it.” He shrugs and leans a little closer to me. “I just drink whatever Cash orders since he’s paying the bill.”

I try another sip of Cash’s go-to order, and he’s right. The more I sip it, the less it burns. “Have you met my friend Ashley?” I say to West, hoping he’ll take the hint and back off so I can get back to flirting with Cash.

Ashley looks like she might pass out when I bring up her name. “Oh my God, I’m a huge fan!” she squeals, and she throws her arms around his neck. Way to play it cool, Ash.

Cash chuckles as he pours another glass of the tequila and hands it over to Ashley. He holds his glass in the air, and I hold mine up, too. Ashley joins in, and then, reluctantly, West does as well.

“Kel!” Cash yells, and another attractive guy I assume is Kellan turns around, joining in with his glass held up.

“To staying positive and testing negative!” Kellan yells, inciting a huge laugh from the group of us toasting.

“I was just going to say here’s to a night we’ll never forget,” West chimes in.

“Or one we’ll never remember,” Cash adds, and he raises his eyebrows just for a beat as his eyes catch mine.

I tap my glass to his, and we all take a sip.

We drink. We laugh. We chat. The men try to one-up each other. Ashley still looks like she has stars in her eyes, but she’s starting to loosen up with tequila. I sip mine, and my glass is empty.

“Would you like more?” Cash asks me, and I nod.

I’m not sure if he’s being attentive or trying to get me drunk, but either way, the fire burning between us seems to be getting hotter and more palpable by the second.

I need to use the restroom, and I grab Ashley’s hand to drag her along with me.

“Oh my God, Ivy, this is incredible!” she screams at me once we’re behind the closed door.

I glance under the stalls and see we’re in here alone. I use the restroom, and we meet at the sink to wash our hands when we’re both done.