Read Out of the Blue for Free Online

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    “Anyway Cynthia, what do you do?” Justin said, coming back into the conversation.
    “Pardon?” Cynthia turned to him, and Nicole looked at Molly and shrugged, missing the wink Justin had sent her way.
    “Well you said you’d pay me more than Molly could, and she’s an engineer. So what do you do?”
    Cynthia flushed. “That was a joke.”
    “Like grabbing my butt?” He said. “’Cause that was sexual assault.”
    “That wasn’t—”
    “She’s not paying me,” he said. “And honestly, I prefer to be with someone who doesn’t have to grope other people’s dates because she doesn’t have one.”
    “Yeah, Cynthia,” Nicole cut in. “Where is your date?”
    The other girls with her were suddenly interested in their nails and the floor. Cynthia just glared. “I don’t have to bring a date to these things because I was never a loser. I don’t have anything to prove, unlike you.”
    “Or you couldn’t get a date because you have a terrible personality,” Molly said, quietly, from the corner of the group.
    “Shut up fatty.”
    “Don’t call her that.” Nicole stepped forward between Justin and Cynthia.
    Cynthia clenched her hands into small fists, and then turned to walk away. Rachel sent them a glare and followed, and Ally, the quietest of the group, sent them a helpless shrug, as if to apologize, and skulked off behind them.
    “Wow,” Justin said, coming up to Molly and standing beside her. “Quality people.”
    Molly brought a finger up to her mouth and started to bite the nail. Justin caught her hand and held it gently. “Don’t do that. You’ll hurt yourself.”
     
    Molly frowned and looked down at the red, angry nail. He was right. She rewarded him with a small smile and put her hands together in front of her. She looked up to see Sean approaching. He was an intimidating person, and even though Molly inherently trusted someone who had picked Nicole, she was a little wary around him. He was surly and seemed to command a natural distance from others. She guessed he didn’t get his butt pinched like Justin did.
    She was still embarrassed by her outburst. She hadn’t planned on making a scene. But she knew what it was like to be touched when you didn’t want to be, so she knew that someone needed to speak up. She also felt that Cynthia had no right. Justin was her date. The possessiveness welling up in her felt wrong and overwhelming.
    Quite a few faces were turned their way, some with cell phones out that were doubtless recording the drama.
    “My guess is a lot of people have been wanting to do what you did for a long time,” Justin said. “Looks like you’re going to have some new fans.”
    “She was acting like a bum,” Molly said. “And grabbing yours.”
    “Yeah,” Justin said. “I guess she was.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “Want to go out for some air?”
    “Yes.” Molly touched Nicole, who was eagerly updating Sean. “We’re going outside for a moment. Enjoy flaunting your man.”
    Nicole gave Molly a quick hug. “All right, be safe out there. Call if you need me to come to you.”
    “I’m not a baby.”
    Molly followed Justin out. When they exited the room, the air was a few degrees cooler and a few degrees fresher. They both took a deep breath, and held it. Then it became a silent competition to hold it the longest, and Justin won, mostly due to sheer lung size. He laughed at Molly’s defeated sigh and started towards the doors leading to the outside.
    Molly stopped him and pointed to a bench just inside the lobby that still had a good view out the side doors.
    “Can we sit there? I’m sun sensitive.”
    “Really?” he said, eyeing her pale skin. “I’d never have guessed.” She squinted at him and he laughed, shaking his head. “I was being sarcastic. Lowest form of humor. So shoot me.”
    “No,” she said. “I don’t think I will.”
    He dropped his head in his hands. “You’re really something.” He sat back up and leaned