Wicked Brew was the newest bar and arcade in town and it hadn't taken very long before it became the preferred college hangout.

It had something for everyone, moody lighting, arcades, a slightly too-small dance floor under a giant DJ booth, the old classic bowling, and everyone's new favorites archery and axe throwing. They ID'd at the door, but Ember would have been surprised if a single one wasn't fake. In spite of Bel's repeated attempts to make Ember purchase her own fake ID, she found herself with the only yellow armband, a color that announced she was under twenty-one and boringly sober.

When the three entered the place was in full party mode, the DJ already working on the crowd that had formed on the dance floor, Ember recognized a few people from her classes, mostly girls all dressed in their most revealing outfits she waved at one or two before assuring Bel and Eric that she would meet them at the bar when she found Jude.

She dove into the haze of people. Who'd have guessed a six-foot-three model male specimen would be so hard to spot in a place like this? Even if it was dimly lit on purpose. She just hoped he wouldn't suddenly show up becau-

"Hello, again." A hand pressed lightly against the small of her back, and she went rigid, taking several deep breaths before turning to face who she hoped was Jude.

Jude was smiling down at her, with perfectly straight white teeth that would make a dentist melt. He smelled amazing too, and she recognized his cologne as Aqua Di Gio. Why is my mouth literally watering? She thought.

His eyes drifted down her face, landing on the slit on her thigh and she felt that familiar feeling of her stomach somersaulting, Christ, it was only his eyes on her and her knees had almost given out twice in a single moment.

"You look incredible. All on account of me?"

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" Ember blurted out, immediately following it up with an awkward bleet of a laugh. Her eyes went wide, and she forced a smile. What the hell was she saying?!

"Is this Jude?" Bel asked when they arrived at the bar, the excitement in her voice telling Jude that Ember had obviously been talking about him.

"You brought a friend," he smiled politely.

"Two, actually." Eric joined the group and held out his hand, "great to see you again."

Jude shook his hand in greeting, but for a moment his eyes seemed to narrow in scrutiny. "You as well, Ero-"

"Er-ic!" he spluttered, and Ember arched an eyebrow at them. It seemed an easy name to remember especially if they'd met before.

She brushed it off and introduced Bel, while he greeted her Ember took the opportunity to give Jude a once over. He was in a beige sweater with slim-fitting navy slacks fitted with a brown leather belt and matching boots, but it didn't matter what he wore, she could tell that if he'd showed up in pajamas he would still look like an Adonis.

Jude ran a hand through his hair and leaned toward Ember, "What do you drink?" He whispered, his lips nearly grazing her ear and she had the strong desire to turn and kiss him, but she shoved the intrusive thought away and politely asked for a club soda and lime.

The four found a high-top table near the archery range and Ember decided to dive straight into the reason for their meeting. "So, um I'm in Interior Design, that's my major. Cuz you said you forgot to ask before and Hi!" What was she doing? She kicked herself internally. She needed to stop opening her mouth and sounding like a mental woman!

Jude tilted his head and gave Ember a soft smirk, "Honestly? It seemed like the easiest excuse to see you again, but not the most original I suppose."

Ember sucked in a jagged breath that she hoped he hadn't noticed and avoided Bel's eyes who was grinning from ear to ear like a maniac. "Really? I thought business and pleasure didn't mix."

"I agree, but you don't work for me, and I have a strong feeling that Amara wouldn't mind."

"She wouldn't." Eric agreed, "If she hadn't gone into the wine business she'd probably be the CEO of some dating App that'd make the 70s look like a nunnery."

Bel laughed and nudged Eric's shoulder playfully, "I'm sure it helps that she surrounds herself with handsome men."

Ember was impressed, that had been a pretty forward statement from her friend who clearly seemed smitten with her impromptu date. She turned back to Jude as Eric and Bel dove into their own conversation,

"How long have you known Amara?"

"Long enough that I can't even give you an accurate guess at how many years it's been."

"When I met you, you told me she'd never hire a girl, what's that all about?"

"Well," Jude sighed, "as Bel pointed out she likes to surround herself with men, in other words, she likes to be the only woman in a crowd, no competition."

Ember laughed. "How could anyone be in competition with her? She's far too beautiful to feel threatened."

"You'd be surprised," Jude mused, "where we come from Amara has quite a few women to compete with."

"London?" Ember asked.

"You're nearly there, but think warmer and a bit further south."

Ember thought for a moment, Amara clearly sounded British and so did Jude and now that she thought about it, Eric and Henry did as well. Maybe her ear for accents was off, "Greece?"

Jude crowed, taking a sip of his gin and tonic and shrugging. "The mountain our estate sits upon is quite near there so we'll say close enough."

Interesting, she didn't think any of them looked Greek, but then again she'd never been there, perhaps they came in all shapes, sizes, and shades just like Americans, and had he said mountain and estate in the same breath? "So do you own the Amaranth Vineyard?"

"A close friend of mine does, I run it while he's away on business. Maybe I can show you around sometime, you didn't get the full experience when you came for the tasting."

"I think I'd like that."

"Hey, Jude, they've got bows and fifteen arrows a piece, it's been a few years. Let me embarrass you in front of your new friend."

Ember watched as Jude's eyes grew dark and a sly smile spread across his face, "Are you sure you want to do that to yourself?"

"I've been waiting for a rematch for a hundred years."

"Ladies?" Jude asked looking between Bel and Ember, "How about it?"

"Every Amazon trains for the day she will receive the call, today is my day. FOR ATHENA!" Bel burst out of her seat and charged toward the archery range, Eric chasing after her in a fit of hysterics.

Ten minutes later they were standing on a lane, bows in hand, and provided with fifteen arrows each.

"Ladies first," Jude said, waving his hand in the air to lead the way for Ember.

She had no idea how to shoot, but she'd watched enough movies to have a rough idea. She positioned her bow and nocked an arrow, closing one eye and aiming shakily at the hay bale fitted with a paper target. She pulled back and let go watching as her arrow plummeted straight down and landed at her feet.

Jude snatched it up before she could even think about how she was going to bend down without ripping Amara's dress, that would have been a terrible conversation, she could only imagine how expensive it was.

Lifting the arrow back to the bowstring, Jude quickly adjusted Ember's hands and secured her grip. "May I?" he asked as he lined himself parallel to her, steading her arms and waist with a gentle touch. She nodded almost unconsciously, hyper-aware of how close he was.

"Keep your elbow slightly bent, and pull the string back with everything you've got, don't be afraid."

She followed his instruction and let her arrow fly, watching as it pierced the target on the outer rings.

"Well done!" Jude clapped, "a natural."

"Seems easy enough," Bel stepped forward and copied the instruction that Jude had given Ember, and she was good, her arrow nearly hitting the center.

"The name is Robin Hood, don't worry Em, you can be my Tiny Tim!" Bel laughed.

Jude was next and before Ember could blink his arrow was through the air and piercing the target dead center. Eric wasted no time, his shot almost splitting Jude's arrow in half.

"Lucky," Jude hissed.

"I think we both know better than that." Eric chided.

Ember and Bel met each other's eyes, similar expressions of surprise on their faces. These two were competitive. They hung back while Eric and Jude got lost in their game, shooting arrows back and forth so quickly that the girls offered their remaining arrows up. She hated to admit it but she was actually on a date, in fact, a double date with her best friend. And they were having a great time, though she wondered silently if their dates were Olympic Archers or secret Larpers, she had no idea but it was wonderful.

"Last shot!" Eric shouted and Jude stepped beside him, the two raising their bows side by side, their arrows flew at the same time, soaring through the air as one and vanished, buried deep into the hay bale.

Ember clapped, "Wow! So who won? I can't tell."

"A tie." Eric groaned, "As usual."

"Don't worry, one day I'll win outright." Jude snickered.

"I need a refill," Bel announced and she and Eric disappeared back toward the bar.

"Sorry about that," Jude said, "I promise it won't happen more than two or three times tonight."

"It's okay, it was great to watch. Do you need another drink too?"

Ember turned toward the direction of the bar and froze. She spotted unwelcome faces on the dancefloor, grinding and rubbing against each other like two uncoordinated marionettes.

"Uh, actually, I'm going to run to the bathroom, I'll meet you at the bar!" She made her best attempt to disappear into the crowd, making her way to the back of the bar and slipping into a hall. She rushed into the bathroom and sighed with relief that there wasn't a line yet. She only had to wait three terrifying minutes by the sinks until a stall was available.

The moment the stall door locked she could barely hold back her hyperventilating and began to frantically dig through her purse for her phone. It should have been in the side pocket, why isn't it there? She was only about to have a heart attack but her cell phone being where she knew she'd placed it was clearly too much to ask... Oh there it was.

She needed Bel. Bel could get her out of there.

Ember: We have to go!

Ember: Miranda and Tyler are here.

Ember: ANNABEL! We need to leave like now!

She waited for what felt like hours but still, there was no response, she was going to have to risk walking by the dancefloor and hope Tyler and Miranda wouldn't spot her. She took a deep breath and exited the stall, taking a moment to assess herself in the mirror. Her makeup was still intact, her hair in place as if the top down on the convertible had never created a rat's nest of it. She straightened her dress and exited.

Approaching the end of the hall, Ember heard a voice that froze her in place, she pressed flat against the wall and inched closer to the source of Miranda Milton's nauseating voice.

"Hey, are you with the redhead in the green? Did you just meet her tonight?"

"Correct."

No! Anxiety swirled in Ember's chest, Miranda was talking to Jude.

"Well then you should know she's a skank, everyone else does, and you're way too sexy to be seen with a chick like that."

"Please keep your hands to yourself." Jude sneered, "I have a strong feeling the definition of class is lost on you, Miss Milton, so turn around and crawl back into whatever lair of insecurity you came from, and make sure you don't lose track of your lap dog of a boyfriend. Yes, the one staring right at us clearly startled by the sudden attention."

"I'm just trying to help you," Miranda whined.

"I doubt that."

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Someone who has seen more than one person with an inferiority complex in his life and you can try to hide it behind your contempt for others. But, to some of us no matter what you wear you will always be ugly and sad and I feel sorry for you."

When there was no response Ember counted to ten before peeking around the corner. Miranda had gone and Jude was leaning calmly against the wall. That urge to kiss him was becoming ever harder to suppress. No one had ever stood up for her like that, and he hadn't even done it with her present. She regretted ever thinking about canceling on him. Did men like this really exist, or did they just stop making them after a certain year? How old was he anyway?

"Hey!" Ember smiled up at him as she stepped around the corner.

"Hey yourself! I know you asked me to wait by the bar, but you never know what kind of creeps you'll run into back here."

"Thank you," Ember said and she knew her expression was bashful, but she couldn't help it, he was handsome, smart, an expert in archery, and seemingly very loyal. Uh oh, danger, danger, Ember Michaelson, danger, danger! But she knew it was too late to heed her own warnings, she already liked this guy.

"Shall we rescue the innocent bystanders from our friends?" Jude asked, reaching his hand out for her.

She laced his fingers with his and headed for the bar, making a mental note to kiss Bel when she got home for insisting she text Jude back.