Hale Series Boxed Set
Page 29
“Twice.” I state.
“Twice?!?” He declares. Now he’s catching on. He’s well aware of the bullshit Jamie pulled which lead to my, until now, unbroken rule about no repeats.
“Yeah, Thursday night and then again Friday night.” I look up and register the expression of pure shock on his face.
“Let me get this straight. You spent like 48 hours with the same woman?” He stands up and settles down on the other weight bench across from me. Apparently this conversation requires face to face interaction.
“No!” I exclaim, as if it really makes the situation any different. “We met up Thursday, fucked and she left.” I shift on my seat uncomfortable with what I know I’m about to reveal. “I went to a different club on Friday and was about to leave with another woman when I ran into Alexa.”
“And you decided to do what? Trade the girl you were walking out with for Alexa?” I know his confusion is in direct relation to the limited details I’ve provided.
“No I opted for a threesome.” I say and smile over at him.
He nods his head, a small smile on his face that says get it boy! So you walk by with your new conquest and scoop Alexa up and she’s down for a three-way?”
“No! Fuck! Pay attention.” Why am I getting frustrated right now? “Alexa was on the dance floor grinding her ass on some hot blond chick, letting that woman grope all over her. I decided against the little brunette I was about to leave with, shot Alexa a text and told her, and her friend to meet me at a hotel.” I sit back and take a deep breath since I just got all that out on one inhalation of air.
“Why did you get rid of the brunette? You could’ve brought her with you and made it a four-way.” He smirks at me. “Which is something even I’ve never done.”
I sigh and I can tell by his demeanor that he knows that this is where the good stuff is going to come from.
“I had that hot, little brunette pinned against the wall…my mind telling me to take her right there or get to a room fast enough to seal the deal, and my body just wouldn’t get with the program.” I hang my head again, ashamed of what I had just admitted, almost like it made me less of a man.
“I see.” He leans in like he’s telling me a secret. “So you couldn’t get it up?”
I glare at him. “You don’t have to say it out loud!”
“I mean I thought you were putting it all out there!” He holds his hands up beside his head, in an attempt to ward off another verbal attack.
“Anyways, so I start to walk out with the brunette. I figure my body would work once I’m in the actual position to use it and I see Alexa on the dance floor. I swear the minute my brain is able to evaluate the situation, my dick was rock solid.”
“You did what any man would do in that situation. You went with the woman, well women in this case, that your brain told you to fuck.” He sits up and folds his arms across his chest like he solved the problem for me. He doesn’t even know the half of it.
“Yeah.” I say “That’s not all of it.” I spend the next minute or so battling with different parts of my brain about this next part, knowing that if I say the words I’m giving credit to even the idea of the possibility of having some sort of feelings for Alexa. My need to get to the bottom of it wins out. “When they showed up at the room,” I pause and have to look away from his eyes before I can finish the statement. “I had not one ounce of desire for the other chick. I mean she was hot and stacked and someone who would’ve caught my eye in another situation but she couldn’t even hold a candle to Alexa.”
He just stares at me like I’m some sort of anomaly so I continue, “I didn’t put one finger on the other girl. Every second of my attention Friday night was on Alexa, the other girl didn’t even register.”
“So you didn’t have a threesome, the other girl just sat there and watched?” He asks with no emotion on his face.
“Not exactly. I mean she sucked my dick for a bit and…” God, why am I going in to this much detail? “And she messed around with Alexa some, but I never put my hands on her.”
“So let me get this straight, you’re upset because you’re attracted to Alexa?” He asks.
“Ian, I’m attracted to many women. My issue is that I’ve never ran into a woman that I couldn’t turn down if they came sniffing for more after our one-night stand. My other issue is I sought her out. I texted her to meet me both times.” I huff. “It’s not like she was hanging all over me and I couldn’t resist her. I went after her.”
“What do you want me to tell you? You like the girl. You had to have known it would happen eventually.” I know he’s doing his best to make me comfortable with everything I’ve done.
I lean back over with my arms over my legs, head hung low, trying to work through all of this in my head. “I don’t want a relationship, man.”
“Does she? Has she given you any indication that she wants to tie you down and start dating?” Ah my voice of reason.
“No.” I tell him because it’s true. She’s been the one to get up and leave both times we’ve been together.
“So…FWB.” He says flatly.
“Friends with benefits?” I wonder if she’ll go for that. She told me she doesn’t do the repeat thing either, yet she showed up both times I asked her. She doesn’t seem to mind leaving when it’s done, so maybe she’d be okay with meeting up for sex periodically.
I smile over at him like he has just solved world hunger. “You know, I think that may work.”
He stands up and claps his hands on his thighs. “Well, now that’s settled, let’s finish this workout. I’ve a sleeping beauty to wake up from her nap.” He winks at me and walks towards the rack of free weights.
Less than an hour later I’m in my truck and decided to send Alexa a text before I can talk myself out of it.
Chapter 16
Alexa
I’ve kept myself busy with work the past few days in an attempt to not respond to Garrett’s text.
Garrett: We need to talk.
That’s it. Nothing more. I didn’t respond and he didn’t send another one. I figure if I ignore it then he’ll forget whatever it is he needs to talk about. I know deep down that I’m prolonging the inevitable. He broke his ‘once only’ rule and is obviously regretting it. Now he wants to make sure I understand that it’ll never happen again, which I get, but that doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it.
Thursday and Friday were crazy! I enjoyed almost every part of it. I still cringe when I think about Lacey. I’ve decided that girls are still not my thing. I’m freaking out because Garrett is the first guy in a long time that has made me want to beg for more, and Alexa Warner does not beg; she has guys begging for her.
I’ll fulfill my last obligation at Ampere with the wet t-shirt contest and then I’ll stay away from him. It’s my only recourse because I’m sure that running into him after he tells me what he needs to say will only wreak havoc on my self-esteem.
The smell of peppermint and lavender hits my nose as I make my way through the spa. I see the back of a client’s head as she leaves a massage room, pulling the door closed behind her. I put a professional smile on my face as she turns towards me.
“Mallory!” My smile turns genuine when I see her. I love this girl. Her dad is a super successful business man in Denver and she frequents Elite Spa regularly. I also know she likes to go out and have a good time! “Hey, girl” I stop in front of her and give her a quick hug.
“How have you been, Alexa?!?” She seems relaxed and her face has the tale-tell signs of a massage which include the little lines running down it from the hole in the table.
“Great. You?” I return her question.
“Awesome…hey? What are you doing this weekend? We haven’t been out together in ages!” Her eyes are bright and I’m actually surprised that she doesn’t have plans with her longtime boyfriend Samuel.
I can’t help to grin when I get ready to tell her what I’m doing on Saturday. “Actually I’ve volunteered to help
with a breast cancer fundraiser event.”
“I love volunteering! Want me to tag along?” I know she’s telling the truth. She has the kind of lifestyle where she spends her time with various non-profit organizations. I think it’s her way of giving back since she’ll never really have to have a job even though I know for a fact that she’s a college graduate.
“Well,” I try to stall. I know she’s somewhat of a party girl but I’m slightly uneasy about admitting my plans to someone who’s ultimately a client first. Fuck it! “It’s actually a wet t-shirt contest at the new club Ampere in LoDo.”
Her grin’s contagious. “Well, maybe I can help somehow without actual participation!” She blushes a little.
“I take it Samuel would be pissed if you participated in a wet t-shirt contest?” She groans and my smile falters.
“I don’t care what he thinks.” She looks down at her hands. “We broke up a couple of months ago.”
Crap. Now I feel like shit bringing him up. “I’d love for you to come along.” Maybe having a friend there’ll prevent Garrett’s need to talk with me.
“Yay!” She claps her hands together and I get the feeling she hasn’t gone out much since she and Samuel broke up. It wouldn’t surprise me; they were all but connected at the hip. “Meet up outside the club say nine-ish?” She glances down at her watch and starts to back away, obviously late for another appointment but trying not to be rude.
“Sounds great! See you then!” I give her a quick wave before she turns around fully and heads towards the front.
My run in with Mallory has lightened my mood considerably and I’m actually looking forward to Saturday. I’m doing my best to convince myself that it is because I’m ready to hang out with her when I know it’s because I’ll get to see Garrett, even if it means we’ll have to have his little ‘talk.’
***
I decided dark wash blue jeans and a cute top were best for tonight. I’ve seen wet t-shirt contests before and I know that the participants are given a very thin, white cotton shirt to wear; I figured it would be easiest to do in jeans.
I’m shifting my small duffle from one shoulder to the next when I see Mallory climbing out of a cab. She’s smoking tonight in a tiny, little black dress. The pair of bright red heels she has on says she may be looking for trouble. Yep, she hasn’t been out much since her break up. She doesn’t look desperate but she does have that look that says she wants to be noticed. Well, I can tell that’s going to happen!
“Alexa!” She exclaims as she makes her way over to me quickly.
After a quick little hug we make our way to the bouncer who unhooks the velvet rope without a word. I hear her gasp when she steps inside.
“I take it you haven’t been here before?” She shakes her head but the look on her face would’ve sufficed. She’s in awe, which is pretty much the same reaction I had the first time I stepped inside. I’ve been to practically every bar and club in Denver and Ampere is one of, if not the most, luxurious.
“Let’s head to the bar so we can grab a drink. I need to stow my bag and check the scheduling time for the contest.” She walks slowly beside me, her eyes raking over the magnificent décor and the tesela coils that are firing off all around the room and under the sunken dance floor.
We belly up to the bar. Johnny, the bartender lifts his head back, letting us know he sees us and will be right down here.
“Fuck.” I hear Mallory whisper.
I look over at her, prepared to ask her what’s wrong but notice the huge smile on her face. I follow her line of sight all the way to Johnny. I have to admit he’s hot. His caramel skin and double tattoo sleeves are incredibly sexy; an opinion which is more than agreed upon by Mallory if the way she’s eye fucking him is any indication.
When he starts to make his way over to us, I see her dip her head, a light hint of pink on her cheeks. She’s shy! That’s incredibly cute.
“Hey, Alexa. What can I…?” His words falter when his eyes land on Mallory. His shit eating grin can’t be contained. He clears his throat and begins again. “What can I get for you ladies?”
He makes eye contact with me and I wink at him, letting him know that I didn’t miss that little event. “Well, I’m participating in the contest.” I heave my bag up and sit it on the bar. “I’m hoping you can stash this back there for me until I’m done.”
“Sure thing,” he says and grabs the bag. He takes it into a small room behind the bar, testing to make sure the lock is engaged when he comes back out. “You ladies thirsty?” He asks as he slings a bar rag over his shoulder.
I look over at Mallory who’s apparently still rendered speechless. “Mal?” She looks up at me, cuts her eyes over to Johnny and then back to me. “Long Island Iced Tea?” She agrees with a tiny nod of her head. “Go ahead and add a few shots of Patron to that. I need to build a little courage before I climb on stage and show my goodies.”
“You got it,” he replies, already mixing our drinks.
“Do you know what the schedule looks like tonight for this little fundraiser?” He grins at me and checks his watch.
“Garrett’s around here somewhere, but I think he wants the participants in their shirts and walking around to advertise the event in about fifteen minutes.” He explains, setting the mixed drinks in front of us and reaching for the shot glasses.
“Advertising?” What the hell is he talking about? “I just figured we’d go up, get wet, and be done.”
“This contest is going to be a little different. Per usual, the cover charge tonight as well as the profit from drinks will be donated, but Garrett’s managed to think of a way to bring even more donations in.” He doesn’t elaborate further, but taps the bar with his knuckles and moves over to the next customer, giving me his own little wink.
I guess I’ll just have to wait and see! I always run a tab, but throw a twenty down on the bar for a tip.
“Let’s go find you a table up close.” I grab her hand and tug her towards the sitting areas. “I know you have nothing better to do than sit, drink, and stare at tits all night!”
“Well,” she says glancing back at the bar. “I can find a seat closer to the bar.”
I can’t help but laugh. “You want to be closer to the drinks or closer to Johnny? I can assure you the bottle and drink service is excellent here.”
She looks back one more time and tries to pretend she’s indifferent when her behavior says the opposite. “He’s quite the hunk, isn’t he?” I tease, tipping my head back towards Johnny.
“Yeah, he’s pretty freaking hot!” She fans herself in exaggeration.
“Well he wanders around the club chatting it up when the late shift bartenders show up. Maybe he’ll stop by our table later.” Her face lights up in hopeful anticipation.
I get Mallory a table, make sure she’s situated, and head out to find someone in charge, knowing that’s going to be Garrett. I walk past the guys setting up the stage for the event and notice the empty bar pitchers. Odd. I find Garrett talking to the DJ’s assistant and wait for him to finish.
When he turns and notices me his face lights up. I can’t help but smile back at him.
“Hey! I’m glad you made it.” He steps forward with his arms up like he’s about to hug me but then he stops and lowers his arms as if he changed his mind. Ouch. “I didn’t know if you were coming since you never responded to my text.” There’s no malice in his tone, but I do hear a mild hint of disappointment.
“So, Johnny said to meet up with you to get our shirts.” I’m doing my best to resist the urge to lick my lips at the sight of him. “He also mentioned some shit about advertising for the contest and I have to tell you, I’m not walking around here topless. A wet shirt is going to be bad enough.”
The smile on his face drops and he looks a little pissed. “I would never ask women to walk around my bar half naked. That would be classless much like, I don’t know, maybe letting someone you don’t know grope you up and down on a dance floor.”
“What size?” He inquires as he turns to a box overflowing with white shirts.
“Small.” I tell him with no emotion in my voice.
He reaches in, shifts them around a bit, and pulls out his selection. “Extra small it is,” he jokes with a smirk and hands the shirt over. “There’s a little changing area around back and small lock boxes for anything you don’t want to get wet.”
“And the ‘advertising’ entails what?” I prod using air quotes on the offending word.
Other girls have shown up and the DJ’s helper has begun to hand out shirts as they tell him what size. I notice the others all get the exact size they requested; I bristle.
“Ladies,” he shouts drawing the others attention to him. “This contest is going to be a little different than others you may have seen. We’re hoping to bring a lot of money tonight. If you don’t mind, I’d like for you to get your shirts on and mingle around the bar for the next thirty minutes or so.” He pauses as other women begin to arrive. “The amount of water your shirt will be getting wet with tonight is going to be based on the number of water shots the patrons buy.” He holds up an oversized shot glass for everyone to see. “Each shot is twenty dollars. The patron decides where his purchased shot goes! The more you ‘advertise’” he uses the same air quotes I did a few minutes ago and smirks over at me, “the more money you’ll raise for breast cancer research.”
I want to curl up and die. His idea is excellent. This is what I get for jumping to conclusions before hearing him out.
“At eleven we’ll cut the donations off and do the contest here on the stage.” He points behind him. “Then we’ll decide a winner by approval of the crowd.”