by Max Monroe
Kline: I had to find one somewhere. Walter certainly isn’t filling the position.
I smiled at his ongoing battle with his cat. Every day I witnessed or heard about something else.
Me: What are you accusing my best friend of now?
Kline: I’m not accusing him of anything. I recount the facts. I went to all the trouble of fixing him a fresh bowl of milk, in the dish he likes, mind you, and the grumpy bastard took one drink and spit it out in front of me.
Me: That’s probably because you should really be giving him water, not milk. He’s probably dehydrated.
Kline: You always take his side.
Another message came before I could send a sarcastic response.
Kline: Are you standing around in your bedroom naked?
Me: Don’t try to change the subject.
Kline: I’m not. I’m merely moving on to more important subjects.
I glanced at myself in the full-length mirror on my armoire, fully dressed and about five minutes away from being ready to walk out the door.
Me: Yes, dirty boy. I am very naked.
Kline: Liar.
Me: I’ll never tell.
Kline: I’ll tell you one thing, I’m going to take your panties off with my teeth tonight. I promise you that.
Well, shit. That had me wishing the night out was just a night in…in Kline’s bed, to be specific.
Kline: We’re still going out, Benny. Finish getting ready. We’ll revisit this conversation later.
Did he suddenly become a mind reader?
Me: In your bed, later?
Kline: My bed. My couch. The floor. Against the wall. Shower. When it comes to my version of later, the sky’s the limit.
Me: See you at 8. I’ll be the girl with red lips and sexy heels.
Kline: Tease.
Me: You know it, baby ;)
“Okay, you’ve got about thirty minutes to get ready. We’re supposed to meet Kline and Will at eight. That leaves us with about an hour to grab a drink at Barcelona,” I shouted from my room as I sat on the edge of the bed, slipping on my new shoes.
“Wait…Will is going to be there?” Her amused voice echoed down the hall.
Internally, I groaned, knowing full well where this was headed. “Yes, my brother will be there.”
“I’m definitely going with the dress, then! And sky-high stilettos!”
“I hope you break an ankle!”
“Me too! That way Will and I can play doctor and naughty patient!”
“You are not banging my brother, Cass! He is off-limits!”
“When you say bang…what exactly do you mean?”
“No touching my brother!”
This was an ongoing joke between us. Cassie loved telling me how hot my older brother was. She adored him, and he mostly treated her like his little sister, but every once in a while, she could get him to play along and tease me about the two of them hooking up.
The mere idea of them together had me cringing. They’d be like oil and water. Both were far too opinionated and outspoken. If they got together, my life would implode from their bickering.
Grabbing my silver-studded clutch, I walked out into the kitchen and got my purse in order. Phone, wallet, lipstick, and keys—that’s all I’d need for the night. When it came to New York, you learned quickly that the less crap you had to carry around, the better.
Cass came strutting out a few minutes later, legs on full display beneath a form-fitting gray dress and black stilettos. She did a little twirl, grinning at me. “How do I look?”
“Tell me you have underwear on underneath that.”
“Of course I do.” She feigned offense. “I have a thong on, Georgie.”
“Go back in there—” I pointed toward the hall “—and put on another pair. Something that covers your entire ass. When you’re around my brother and dressed like that, you’d best be double bagging that shit.”
She laughed.
“I’m serious!”
“I know you are. I’m serious too. I’m real serious about getting Will naked. I guarantee his body is—”
“All right, that’s enough.” I held up my hand. “You made your point. Are we even?”
She nodded, visibly proud of herself for one-upping me. “Yes, I will forget about the Tatum incident.”
“Good.” I grabbed my clutch and headed for the door. “Eugene would be proud of you.”
She groaned behind me. “You’re an asshole.”
“Let’s go get drinks!” I shouted, fist pumping my clutch in the air.
Cass and I caught the train and made it to Barcelona in record time. We hung out for an hour, chatting and laughing and dancing for a few songs to the house band. We were one flaming Harry Potter shot and a beer deep by the time we left to meet the guys.
The Raines Law Room was located in Chelsea, fairly close to my apartment. I had a feeling Kline had had that fact in mind when he’d given in to Will’s demands, always trying to make things easy and convenient for me. I’d heard all kinds of cool things about the speakeasy bar, but it was my first time making an appearance.
Hesitantly, I rang the doorbell outside of the discreetly marked door.
“I feel like we’re going into a top secret sex club,” Cass whispered even though no one was around us. “Shit, now my hopes are up. I’m going to be so disappointed if we’re at the right place.”
I gaped at her. “Of all the places your mind could go, you’re sticking with sex club?”
She shrugged. “I’ve never been to one.”
“I’m pretty sure most people have never been to one.”
“Guess we need to add it to our bucket list, Georgie.”
“No,” I responded through a quiet laugh. “That’s not going on my bucket list.”
“Speak for yourself.”
The door was opened and an attractive guy dressed in a vest and tie answered.
I gave him Kline’s name and, just like that, access granted.
In an instant, we were surrounded by silky music, velvety curtains, plush sofas, and dimmed lights. I felt like I had been transported back into the 1920s. Any second a girl in a flapper dress with a glass of gin was going to stroll past me.
Will had already spotted us, walking toward the entrance.
“Well, hello, Cassie Phillips,” he greeted, a devilish grin on his face. He picked her up in a bear hug. The second her feet were off the ground, she squealed.
“Just so we’re clear, I’m hating both of you right now,” I teased, feigning annoyance.
He set Cass down and pulled me in for a tight squeeze. “Aw, don’t get mad, Gigi. You know I love you the most.”
“Why aren’t you with Kline?” I asked, scanning the room.
“I had to make a pit stop in the bathroom. He’s at the bar with one of his buddies.”
“Buddies?”
Will nodded. “Have you met Thatch?”
I shook my head, more than ready to meet the notorious Thatch. I’d heard enough stories to understand he was an infamous jokester and a ton of fun to hang out with, but Kline and I had yet to get around to hanging out with him.
“Well, follow me, ladies.” Will gestured toward the bar. “Your boyfriend’s been wondering where you were. I told him you guys probably stopped for shots and dancing at Barcelona before heading this way.”
“That sounds like nothing we would do,” Cass disagreed, hiding her smile.
“Uh-huh,” Will said, grinning. “I’m sure you didn’t get Harry Potter shots and request the house band to play Britney Spears either.”
I shook my head, biting my cheek. “Nope. Definitely didn’t do that.”
We totally did.
It had taken a round of beers for the band to play Cass’s request, “I’m A Slave 4 U,” but they’d done it, and we’d danced like fools. It was an ongoing inside joke when we went out together. If we were going to request songs, it had to be a cheesy pop song. We loved seeing the reactions of the patrons in the es
tablishment when our ridiculous request started to play—annoyed, groaning, cursing our names—but like clockwork, by the end of the song, everyone would be singing and dancing along with us.
“Yeah, no way we did that,” Cass agreed, laughing quietly.
As we walked toward the bar, I caught Kline’s reflection in the giant mirror accented by liquor bottles. My gaze moved to the attractive guy sitting beside him and déjà vu hit me full force, damn near knocking me to the ground.
Holy shit.
I stopped dead in my tracks, holding on to Cass’s arm in a viselike grip.
“What the hell?” She turned toward me, confused.
My hands shook as I realized why I knew the guy next to Kline.
It was Ruck.
Oh, no.
Ruck was here and he was sitting beside Kline, chatting like they were the best of friends.
Oh. Fuck.
I pulled Cassie away from the bar.
Will turned toward us, hands pushed out in a what the fuck? gesture.
“I forgot I need to go to the bathroom!” I called over my shoulder, damn near dragging Cassie across the floor.
“Holy hell, what is going on?” she questioned as I pushed through the crowd.
I didn’t answer her until we were safely tucked inside the ladies’ restroom.
“Oh my God, Cass!” I groaned, my voice echoing in the dimly lit room.
“I’m so confused,” she muttered. “What is going on?”
“I know that guy next to Kline.”
“Because he’s Kline’s friend Thatch, right?”
I shook my head, pacing the confined room like a caged animal.
“Are you going to give me a hint here or do I need to keep guessing?”
“He’s Ruck.”
“Huh?”
“Ruck! TapNext Ruck!” I stopped, my arms flying out in front of me.
She tilted her head. “The guy who sent the Hunchcock?”
I nodded maniacally. “Well, it wasn’t really his Hunchcock,” I started to explain, but realized we really didn’t have time for that.
“I think I’m still missing something? I’m not really understanding your panic here…” She paused, waiting for me to give an explanation.
“Well, I never really stopped talking to him,” I muttered, feeling ashamed to admit it out loud.
“Excuse me?” she asked, her eyes popping out in shock. “You’ve been talking to him this whole time?”
I nodded.
Cassie shook her head like she couldn’t process it.
“Listen, I’ll tell you all of the details later, but you need to act like you’re familiar with him.”
“With who?” She was still not catching on.
“Ruck!”
“Wait…who’s Ruck again?”
I was about three seconds away from pulling my hair out.
“Kline’s friend, Thatch! That’s Ruck!” I whisper-yelled.
“Okay, okay.” She gripped my shoulders. “Just take some breaths, G. Everything will be fine.”
I took a few cleansing breaths, calming my racing heart down.
“Just tell me one thing. Why do I need to act like I know him?”
I sighed, staring down at my feet.
“Georgia?”
“Because you’re still my profile picture,” I whispered in a rush, hoping she wouldn’t understand.
She started laughing and shaking her head in disbelief. “Remember this moment.” She pointed a finger in my direction. “Because you owe me. Big time.”
I nodded. “Anything you want.”
“When we get home, you’re going to explain why you’re still talking to other guys when you’re very happy with Kline.”
“I swear to you, it’s not like that.”
She quirked a brow.
“I promise. I really like Kline. I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that. Ruck is dating someone. I’m dating someone. And we never make plans to meet in person.”
“Okay, I believe you.” Cass pulled me in for a hug. “Who knows? Maybe he won’t even know it’s you…well, me…fuck, this is confusing.”
I groaned. “How do I get myself into these situations?”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ve got your back. I’ll distract what’s-his-face while you and Kline enjoy a night out.”
“Thank you.”
She handed me my clutch off the sink and moved toward the door.
I glanced at myself in the mirror, making sure I didn’t look as crazy as I felt. My makeup was still intact, not a hair out of place. All I needed was another drink, or five, to calm my nerves and I’d be good to go.
Maybe.
As I walked past Cassie, she whispered, “Just so you know, this is really screwing with my big plan of seducing your brother tonight.”
I rolled my eyes.
She held the door open for me. “Don’t worry, I’ll save it for another night,” she added, a smirk on her face.
“Good plan, you slutty turncoat.”
“Heyyy,” she slurred, hinting at less sobriety than I’d hoped for going into a situation like this. “I’m no fucking traitor and you know it. I’m getting ready to eye-fuck the shit out of this guy for an entire evening just for you.”
“No,” I corrected. “No fucking, eye or otherwise. Just talking. We’re friends.”
She smirked as we rounded the corner and the guys came into view.
“What’s his name again?” she asked, her eyes glowing like the last embers of a dying fire.
“Thatch,” I answered by rote, minutely horrified that another member of my work world knew I was a virgin—or that I used to be—even though he didn’t know I was me…I was Rose. Whatever. “Thatcher Kelly.”
“Mmm,” she moaned, fluffing her breasts into an even higher elevation in the cups of her bra and licking her lips.
“I’d thatch that.”
Fuckkk. I should have known. For Cass, it was all in the name. This was going to be one long-ass night.
“This place is unreal. You come here all the time?” Will asked as we walked into The Raines Law Room, dim lights and old-style sofas filled to the brim surrounding us.
“Not really,” I answered honestly, knowing it wasn’t really the place but the actual going that was the problem. “This is really more Thatch’s style.” The vibe was chill, but the allure was the drama. “The cloak and dagger, the limited access.”
Will laughed and nodded in understanding.
I turned from him to the room to finish what I’d already started. My eyes had scanned the crowded bar immediately upon our arrival regardless of my knowledge that such an exercise was foolish and futile. My Georgie would be late to our wedding, the birth of our kids, and her own funeral.
Wait. What?
I glanced at her brother, panicked that he could read my mind, but he must have seen something other than outright terror in my eyes.
“Don’t worry, man. George’ll be here eventually.” He laughed. “But if Cass is with her, they probably stopped at Barcelona Bar before even thinking about coming this way. That girl actually gives no fucks.”
I nodded along as though I understood, but I was barely even listening.
I mean, I could almost understand the wedding thing. I was crazy about her, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. But the kids?
Jesus.
My thoughts were in a tailspin, headed straight for the harsh reality of a quickly approaching ground when my pinballing eyes caught on something unexpected and unwelcome. Loud, boisterous, and impossible to ignore, it was quite possibly the only thing that could have superseded my line of thinking at that point.
Shoving through the crowd as gently as possible, checking to see that Will was trailing along behind me, I sought confirmation of my new, much more immediate fears.
Bodies moved with ease, and flirty smiles bombarded me from several female angles. I didn’t have eyes for any of them, though, and for the first time in weeks, it wasn�
�t because of Georgia.
Thatch turned as I approached, a shit-eating grin topping his redwoodlike frame at the sight of me. “K-man! Fuck yes! Out on the town! I thought I’d seen the last of this,” he spewed out in quick succession, the effect of being several drinks deep slightly loosening his already slack tongue.
Will smiled at his greeting, and I tried not to cringe.
I really didn’t need Thatch to be there tonight. I’d stupidly believed I could keep being Ruck and myself without the gun going off in my face. I was wrong. This was what happened when people played with things they weren’t responsible enough to handle.
The walls collapsed, or at least, they felt like they did, and my tie set out to strangle me. Will smiled and greeted Thatch happily.
I ran through the consequences of his presence and tried not to puke.
God, if I couldn’t get him the fuck out of here quickly, I was in trouble. His picture was on my profile. His face was the one Georgia had been associating with Ruck.
What was already a goatfuck of dishonesty was setting up to turn into an all-out cluster.
I leaned forward and right to Thatch’s ear, using the crowd noise as an excuse to keep Will out of the loop.
“You need to leave,” I told him succinctly, knowing that if ever there was a time my girl would be less than forty-five minutes late, this was it.
He laughed and slapped me on the back.
“It’s good to see you too, man. I miss you. I only get to see you at practice these days.”
I shook my head in frustration.
He laughed some more.
“I’m gonna run to the restroom, guys,” Will excused himself, fading into the crowd fairly quickly.
