by Alex Grayson
Doubting they truly are okay with me shutting them out, I still tell Mac, “I’ll go, Mac. I owe them that much at least. They were always there when things got bad at my house with my dad.”
“You don’t owe them anything, Mia. They don’t blame you for not coming around. They knew it would be too hard on you. But they’d love to see you again.”
I smile at him, “I’d like that too. I’ve really missed them.
Mac brings my hand up and flips it over so he can kiss the inside of my wrist. I have to force back the tears that are threatening to fall. I’ve missed the sweet kisses Mac used to give me. Ever since the day that I grew the courage to give Mac the innocent kiss on his cheek at the lake and he kissed my wrist, he started doing it all the time. I miss so many things about Mac. I wish with all my heart that I could be brave again and give us another chance, but the pain I remember feeling, the pain I still feel sometimes, holds me back. I can’t get over him being with Tessa. I know it’s irrational, but I can’t help but still be hurt that he didn’t recognize that it wasn’t me that he was with until it was too late.
Beside me, I hear Bailey and Chris talking about this weekend. All three of us, along with Karyn, are going out to Lucki’s, a bar in the next town over. Bailey had to beg Jaxon to give both her and me the night off together. Of course, she didn’t have to beg too hard. Jaxon would give both balls over if it meant keeping his Angel happy. I was actually shocked that Bailey was willing to go. She normally doesn’t like crowds, especially crowds that can become rowdy. She’s come along way in the last two years, but she’s still very reserved, with good reason.
“So what time are we heading out?” I ask the other two.
“I’m picking Bailey up at eight. After, we’ll swing by and get you and Karyn. Jaxon said he would come get us when we’re ready to leave so we can all drink. He’ll come get my car the next day.”
This surprises me as well. In the two years that I’ve known Bailey, I think I’ve only seen her drink a few beers. She prefers to stay sober so she can watch her surroundings. Men scare her, not as much as they used to, but she’s still leery around ones that she doesn’t know. I’m proud of her for taking this step. I’ll have to make sure to keep an eye on her to ensure she stays okay with the situation.
“That sounds good to me.”
“Where are y’all going?” Mac asks.
“Lucki’s,” I tell him and watch as displeasure crosses his face.
“You’re letting your girl go to Lucki’s?” Nick pipes in, looking at Jaxon in astonishment.
“I won’t be far away. I’ll be at Bounce until they call me,” Jaxon says looking back at Nick with the brow that has a piercing raised.
“What about the bar? Who’s going to be here?” Mac asks.
“I’m closing early. People won’t like it, but I don’t give a fuck. My Angel wants a girl’s night and she deserves one. We’ll be okay to close one night early.”
“What’s wrong with Lucki’s?” Bailey asks, looking worried.
“Don’t let them scare you, Bailey,” I tell her and give the guys a dirty look. “Nothing’s wrong with Lucki’s. Years ago, it was a bad place to go to, but it’s since changed owners. They’ve cleaned the place up.”
Still looking worried, she just nods her head and doesn’t say anything else. I look to Chris and see her watching Bailey with a troubled expression.
I reach over the bar, take her hand, and give it a squeeze. “Come on, Bailey. It’ll be fun and we’ll be fine.”
“I don’t know. Lucki’s doesn’t sound like a safe place to go. We could just stay here and—”
“No, we need to get out of this town for the night. I promise, Bailey, you’ll enjoy yourself.”
“I could go along,” Andrew says. “Would that make you feel better? No one would dare mess with you if I’m there.” Andrew doesn’t just say this because he’s cocky. Well, he is cocky, but the truth is, no one would dare mess with Andrew. He can be very intimidating when he needs to be. It’s all the tattoos and muscles. I know he would never let anything happen to any of us girls.
Bailey perks up at that. “Could you go?”
He gives her a seductive smile and replies, “You just want to see my moves, don’t you? All you had to do is ask.”
That causes Bailey and the rest of us to laugh and all her worries are forgotten. You’ve got to love Andrew.
“Don’t forget, I’ve already seen your moves, Andrew.”
“Oh, baby, you haven’t seen nothing yet. You just wait until we’re away from the work place. I’ll be making all your panties wet.”
Chris sputters out a laugh, and Bailey looks like her face is going to explode from all the blood rushing to her face. I reach over and slug him on his arm.
“Ow!” He rubs his arm in mock hurt. We all know my light punch was like a tap. “What? I’m only speaking the truth.”
“You are so lucky that you like dick, Andrew,” Jaxon says with amusement.
I hear Mac grunt in agreement. When I look to Nick, I see his lips twitching.
Andrew jumps up from his stool and gives Chris a loud smack on the lips. Reaching over, he gives me the same treatment. After he’s done, he jumps up on the bar, swings around, jumps down on the other side, and plants a kiss on Bailey’s lips as well. We all laugh when Andrew next moves to Jaxon, who just stands there.
“Watch it, Andrew. Come near me with those lips and I can’t promise you’ll have your looks going for you anymore.”
Andrew stops in his tracks and contemplates his next move, as if he’s debating on whether or not it would be worth it. Jaxon doesn’t move from his spot. He stands there, expression impassive.
After a couple of minutes, Andrew steps back. “Now we can’t have that, can we? Can’t blame a guy for trying though.”
He gives Chris a beer, takes Mac’s and Nick’s old bottles, and gives them fresh ones.
“Prepare yourselves, ladies,” he says loudly. “I’m about to show you the right way to party and have a good time!”
Shit, God help us all.
Chapter Fourteen
Mia
Her curves…
I stand in front of the mirror and admire myself. Tonight I’m wearing a dark gray, slinky halter-top. When I lift my arms, it shows a peek of my trim belly and the belly ring I have. The only thing holding the material up is the clasp around my neck. The skirt I’m wearing is black and flows loosely around my upper thighs. I applied my make-up to give me a smokey look. My ears are adorned with multiple earrings. I also have in my diamond nose stud. With my arms bare, you can see the colorful tattoos covering my arms. For my shoes, I chose a pair of black knee high boots that zip up the sides. My black and red hair is spiked in all the right places. As I look at the red tips, I contemplate on whether I should go with a different color soon. I’m not full of myself, but I also know that I look damn good tonight.
I hear a knock at the door and know the girls and Andrew are here. If I’m being honest with myself, I have to admit I’m really looking forward to tonight. It’s been a long time since I’ve looked forward to a night out, preferring to stay in. Hell, it’s been a long time since I’ve looked forward to anything. After I got over the initial hurt of what Mac did, I went a little wild in retaliation of Mac. I slept around with a lot of guys. It’s hard to do that here because the town is so small, so I chose guys from the next town.
When another knock comes, I pull myself from the past, determined to enjoy myself to the fullest. I grab the small change purse that carries my money and ID and leave my bedroom. When I open the door, I’m met with a extremely hot Andrew decked out in ripped jeans that hug his lean hips, a white t-shirt that shows a pussy cat with a big X over it, and black motorcycle boots. His thick brown hair is left untamed.
“Damn girl, you look hot!” Andrew says and wraps his arms around me and plants a kiss on my lips.
I pull back from his arms so I can smile at him. “You look pretty hot you
rself.”
He lets me go but slings an arm around my shoulders and winks. “I know. Are you ready?”
“Yep, all ready.” I close my door, and we both make our way to the waiting car where the girls are. Ever the gentleman, Andrew opens the door for me and I climb into the back seat with Chris and Karyn. Chris’s car isn’t the biggest, so it’s kind of cramped, but we manage to get comfortable. Andrew gets behind the wheel with Bailey sitting in the passenger seat, and we take off.
The atmosphere inside the car is exuberant. We’re all looking forward to getting the night started. Even Bailey is bouncing in her seat. I’m amazed at her excitement. I thought she would become more nervous the closer we got. I can only deduce her attitude stems from Andrew being with us. She knows that he would never let anything happen to her. Chris has a Maroon 5 CD playing, and she and Karyn are singing along with the song, Animals.
It takes about thirty minutes to reach Lucki’s. I was telling the truth when I told Bailey that it used to be a rough place. Looking at it now, though, you would have never guessed. The building is old, but you can see that it’s been updated. There’s a big black sign that has the word Lucki’s painted in white. The windows are blacked out so no one can see inside. We get in the small line waiting outside. It moves fairly quickly and before we know it, we’re inside.
It’s dark inside except for the colored lights placed throughout the ceiling. It’s not a huge place, but has enough room to maneuver around. There are pool tables ad tables for sitting to the right and the bar is to the left. The dance floor and stage are straight ahead. Being a Friday night, there is a live band playing rock music.
“You ladies go grab a table while I go get us drinks,” Andrew tells us. “What would you all like?”
We give him our drink orders and move through the crowd toward the tables. There are not many empty ones left and we snag one before it’s taken. I sit next to Bailey, who is sporting a pair of cute straight-legged jeans and a sleeveless deep red silk top. It’s modest compared to the rest of us, but I didn’t expect anything less. Bailey is still self-conscious of the scars she carries on her back, neck, and legs she got from her life of hell with her ex, Steven.
Chris sits on the other side of her. She’s wearing a green tube top that flows to her waist and brings out the green in her stunning eyes. She’s paired it with a short jean skirt. Karyn, who sits opposite of us, is wearing a strappy dark red dress that leaves her arms and shoulders bare.
A few minutes later, Andrew walks up carefully carrying a tray filled with shot glasses. There’s got to be enough for each of us to have three shots a piece.
“Jesus, Andrew. Are you trying to get us drunk?” I yell at him over the music.
“Yes! Drink up, ladies. It’s time to get this party started!” He says and picks up one of the shot glasses and throws it back.
We all grab a shot and look at the liquid inside before tipping it back.
“Damn! That’s good!” Chris hollers. “What is it?”
Andrew gives her a mischievous grin. “Cocksucking Cowboy.”
She rolls her eyes and her silent lips form the word, “Figures.”
“Come on, bottoms up! I wanna dance!” Karyn says and we all finish the remaining shots.
I look over to Bailey and see a nervous look on her face. Chris notices as well. We both grab one of her arms and pull her from her seat.
“Let’s dance. It’ll be fun,” I tell her with an encouraging smile.
We all make our way through the crowd and find an empty spot on the dance floor. Andrew walks up to us, grabs Bailey’s arm, and wraps his around her.
“First dance is mine. Let’s see what you got, baby,” he says, which makes Bailey laugh and the worry to leave her face.
The song’s pace is fast and soon Chris, Karyn, and I are dipping and grinding on the dance floor. It feels so nice to let loose and just enjoy the music. I haven’t really danced in years. There have been a few times while I was on shift at Jaxon’s that I’ve danced, but not like this. I’m not a shy person, but I’ve never really wanted or felt the desire to let go like I am right now. I know part of it is the shots we had, but another part of it is that I feel lighter than I have in years. The truth that I found out about Mac and Tessa relieved a little of the pain I’ve carried for so long. The weight on my chest isn’t quite so heavy. I’m able to let my guard down a little.
A slow song starts and I feel warm arms wrap around me from behind. The slight musky scent of man and pine tells me it’s Andrew. I close my eyes and let my head fall back on his firm chest. We sway and grind against each other. There’s nothing sexual about it. We are just two people that feel comfortable with each other.
When the song comes to a stop, I turn around and see Andrew staring down at me with a smile.
“Thanks for the dance, Andy,” I tell him loudly.
A slap to my ass is his retribution for calling him by his nickname. “Watch it, Mia Pia,” he growls.
I look around and see Bailey dancing with Karyn and Chris. All three have flushed faces, but are having a good time. It’s nice seeing Bailey lose her inhibitions. It’s a sight to see her having such a good time.
“I’m going to go grab a drink!” I yell in Andrew’s ear.
“Want me to grab it?” He yells back.
I shake my head, “No, you stay and dance. I’m going to go rest my feet. They’re killing me.”
I leave him on the dance floor grinding against Chris while he has Bailey pulled in front of him. She looks embarrassed, but determined to join in the fun. I laugh at the three of them.
There’s not much room at the bar, but I manage to wiggle my way in between two guys. It benefits being so small sometimes. I order a Jack and Coke and wait for the bartender to get my drink.
I feel a presence at my back before a deep voice says, “Hey, sugar, why don’t you let me buy you a drink?”
I turn on my stool and regard the guy standing too close for comfort. He’s not bad looking, if you like the stuck up type. He’s wearing a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Every piece of his blonde hair is in perfect place with gel. So not my type. I like my men rugged.
“No, thanks. I’ve already got my drink.” I go to turn back around and feel him grab my arm.
“Ah, come on, baby. Will you at least dance with me?”
I look down at the hand that’s holding my arm. With his slightly intoxicated state, I’m able to maneuver my hand out of his grip and twist his so it’s at an awkward angle before he realizes what happened. It’s a move that Jaxon showed me when I was younger.
The guy lets out a howl of pain and bends at the waist, trying to relieve the pressure on his wrist. I don’t let up when I get in his face. “Don’t touch me. I don’t want you to buy me a drink. I don’t want to dance with you. What I do want is for you to leave me alone. Do we understand each other?”
“Yes,” the guy narrows his eyes at me and says through gritted teeth. I can’t tell if it’s from pain or anger. Doesn’t matter.
I release his arm and he immediately grabs it and starts rubbing it. After glaring at me for a couple minutes, he turns around and walks off, but not before I hear him mutter, “Didn’t want to dance with the dirty bitch anyway.”
I turn back in my seat and see my drink sitting in front of me. I pick it up and take a big swallow.
“Nice move,” I hear beside me. I look over, ready to get rid of another jackass. The guy sitting beside me looks harmless enough, if a little young. He has short light brown hair and a tanned complexion. He’s not looking at me, instead he has his eyes trained on the TV sitting behind the bar.
I turn back to my drink and take another sip when he talks again.
“You know it’s not safe to turn your back on your drink in a place like this, right?”
I quickly look back at him and see an innocent expression on his face. I narrow my eyes at him. Is he trying to tell me something? He turns his eyes my way
and I see no malicious intent on his face, just genuine concern.
“It’s okay. I watched it for you, but you need to be careful. There’s no telling what someone would slip in your drink.” After he’s done, he turns his attention back to the TV.
“Thanks,” I mutter.
Okay, that was weird. I think to myself.
I turn back around and look in my drink. After thinking about it for a few minutes, I deem it safe. Obviously, the guy was just trying to warn me to be careful. I didn’t get any creepy vibes from him. I decide to sit at the bar to finish my drink and watch the football game that’s playing. I’ll go find the others in a bit. The guy beside me doesn’t say anything else.
When I get up from my stool a few minutes later, I lose my footing and sway to the side. I shouldn’t have drunk that last drink. I was already feeling the effects of the shots Andrew brought us earlier.
I feel hands grab my arms to steady me. I look up and see the guy that was sitting beside me.
“Easy there, let’s take a seat for a minute. Looks like you had too much to drink,” he says in a calm voice.
I let him place me back on the stool, grateful for the help. I slump down on the stool. My head’s a fuzzy mess. I really shouldn’t have had that drink. My eyes are heavy and all I want to do is sleep.
The guy beside me asks, “Are you okay?”
