Fight Me

by Lacey Black

  “What size are you?” she asks.

  “Small underwear and a 32C cup,” I say as I try to hide my face behind my hair conveniently hanging down in my face.

  “You seem like a very simple, but elegant woman. I think you should go timeless and classic.”

  “Okay.”

  “Sure, you can go all super-slut and throw on some lace garters and crotchless panties – and I’m sure ‘Jeff’ would appreciate that – but I think you would feel more comfortable in something less scandalous.”

  “I agree. So what does that leave us with?”

  “This!” Avery exclaims as she holds up a black and white satin and lace bra. The basic bra is white satin that feels like silk to the touch. There’s touches of thin black lace over the cup of the bra and even has a little red heart hanging from the center between the cleavage. I’ll admit, it’s beautiful.

  “I like it.”

  “I think it’s very you. It’s classic and sexy but with an edge. And here,” Avery says as she digs in the drawer full of matching panties. “There are several different styles of panties, but I think these are hot!” Avery holds up a pair of white satin and black lace boy-cut underwear. “You won’t have to worry about wedgies all night long with this cut. Boy cut is super cute and will flatter your firm butt.”

  “I have a firm butt?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.

  “Of course you have a firm butt! That’s like the first thing I noticed when Jake brought you over the night we moved.”

  Well then.

  “Go try these on!” she exclaims as she drags me towards the dressing rooms in back.

  When I get inside the dressing room – and thank you Jesus that Avery didn’t insist on coming in with me – I stand and stare at the undergarments in my hands. I can do this. I can be sexy for my man!

  The soft satin feels amazing against my skin. I’ve always wore whatever cheap Target bras I could find, but I have to admit that this material is amazing. The black lace is a stark contrast to my skin tone and the white satin is thin enough that you can see the pink outline of my nipples. As I slide on the matching panties, I can’t help but already feel the difference that a pair of great underwear makes. I feel instantly sexy. Desirable. A vixen.

  As I look at the back, I have to agree with Avery. My butt looks pretty damn good in these!

  “How do they look?” Avery asks through the closed door of the dressing room.

  “Amazing. I can’t believe I haven’t made purchases like this before. I’m definitely getting them!”

  “And ‘Jeff’ will die of heart failure when he strips you out of your clothes later tonight,” she says through the door with a chuckle. “Since you’re all set, I’m going to go find my man a little something to discover later on tonight. I’ll meet you up front at the register.”

  As I dress back in my basic bra and panties, I can’t help the huge smile that is spread across my face. I can’t wait for Jake to make his own discovery later tonight, too.

  *****

  The limo pulls up in front of my house at six o’clock. Before I can even get my door locked, half dozen girls are pouring out of the sunroof and doors of the limo. We’re a small group tonight which includes Avery, her best friend Holly who planned the party, Maddox’s sister Jessica, his mom, Avery’s mom, three girls that went to high school with Avery and Holly who immediately introduced themselves as Amber, Cara, and Robin, and of course, me.

  I stumble a little in the heels I’m wearing for the evening. I am sooo not used to wearing heels. I’m more of a flats girl for work, but Avery convinced me that these sexy black pumps were the way to go. So, after sliding into a pair of dark skinny jeans and a black sweater with a very deep plunge in the front and back that is so tight it’s almost hard to breathe, I put on the borrowed black pumps and made my way - very carefully - down the front steps of my house.

  My hair was down in soft curls that extended past my shoulders and my make-up is soft yet sultry. I’ll admit…I look good.

  After piling in the limo, which Holly rented so that no one had to drive from stop to stop while drinking, I was handed a glass of bubbly champagne. It’s been a pretty long time since I’ve had champagne, so I start to feel the effects of the mixture of bubbles and alcohol after my first glass.

  Our first stop is to St. Charles for dinner. We’re heading to this seafood place that Maddox and Avery went to on their first date – when they were still sneaking around and hiding from everyone. It’s a nice little place with mismatched everything. Avery right away tells everyone the story about the hostess who was working that night several months ago who was flat out hitting on Maddox in front of her. I laugh along with her dramatic and energetic version of the story, but it makes me think of my pizza date last night with Jake. It actually feels good to know that I’m not the only one who gets ignored while the man gets propositioned.

  I’ve been told that after dinner we will hit a few bars, have a few drinks, dance, and end up at Jack’s Pub at the end of the night. I’m not sure exactly what the guys are up to tonight. Jake was pretty vague about it and I didn’t want to push the subject too far. He did mention, though, that he would be seeing me by the end of the night.

  I’m having a great time at dinner. It feels like I’ve been friends with these women forever. We all laugh and joke and carry on like friends do. Even Mrs. Stevens and Mrs. Jackson join in the fun by sharing jokes and stories that have us practically rolling on the ground laughing with tears streaming down our faces.

  Our first stop after dinner is to a country bar in St. Charles. I’ve never been a big fan of country music and have no clue how to line dance, but the girls seem excited so I just go with it.

  After the first round of drinks are purchased, Holly announced that the “games” are beginning.

  “So, here’s the deal. Avery has a few games to play tonight. First, we’re going to have a Bachelorette Scavenger Hunt! Here’s the list of all the ‘goodies’ Avery needs to collect or tasks she must complete by midnight tonight. We have one more stop here in St. Charles before we head back to Rivers Edge. Once we’re at Rivers Edge, we’ll hit up the saloon first and end the night at Jack’s where we have some very special end-of-the-night partying to do,” Holly says with a wink.

  “Okay, so first on the list is find a guy to buy you a shot at each stop,” Mrs. Stevens says. “That’ll be easy. Excuse me, young man,” Mrs. Stevens says as she turns to the first guy walking past our group. “It’s my daughter’s bachelorette party. Would you like to buy her a shot?”

  “Mother!” Avery exclaims, looking horrified.

  “What? He’s cute. Let the boy buy you a shot!”

  I drop my little penis straw into my draft beer and take a big swig. Oh, this is going to be a great night! I look over the rest of the scavenger hunt list. Avery has to find a guy to serenade her with song, write her name in lipstick on some guy’s chest, get a guy’s phone number on a bar napkin, be the only girl on the dance floor full of guys, body shot off of a guy’s stomach, and talk the bartender into giving her an interesting souvenir at each stop along the way. I can’t forget that she has to distribute condoms to three different guys at each of our four stop. Oh, and did I mention she has to offer a condom demonstration with each one?

  All I can say is thank goodness it’s her and not me!

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jake

  At six sharp, I’m pulling into the driveway of my best friend and sister’s house to pick up Maddox. I have Nate, James, and Maddox’s brother, Aiden, squeezed in the backseat of Maddox’s crew cab like sardines. My dad has Maddox’s dad, Will, Travis, and our cousin Barry following behind us in my mom’s car. The other guys from the force or friends of Maddox’s are meeting us at Jack’s Pub after dinner.

  I wanted dinner to be small with just a few family members and close friends. I’m also footing that bill, so smaller works better with the budget. We are fortunate enough to get the back part of the dining room at
Laverne’s Steakhouse reserved for tonight. Usually, since Laverne’s is the best Saturday night dinner location in Rivers Edge, they use the back part for regular seating to accommodate the crowd. But since I went to school with Pete, I was able to pull a few strings.

  When we walk inside, of course, Lauren is the hostess. She looks up at the big group of guys and flashes her best ‘do me’ smile as she looks from guy to guy. I can see her checking everyone out like dessert at some man-buffet. When I walk up to the booth, her smile falters as she looks up at me but doesn’t disappear completely from her face.

  “We have a reservation for the back room.”

  “Oh, yes. The bachelor party.” Lauren purrs as she grabs a stack of menus, and announces, “Right this way, gentlemen.” As she saunters to the back, her hips sway so far to the left and right that I’m surprised she doesn’t throw a hip out of whack. She shows us to our table and starts to place a menu at each setting, leaning over seductively and giving the room as many full cleavage shots as she can get in.

  “There you are gentlemen. Will there be anything else?” she asks and bats her eyelashes.

  “Nope, we’re good,” I reply and turn away from her. Lauren huffs off and we all take our seats around the large table.

  Two waiters arrive at our table a few moments later. I order two pitchers of beer and a bunch of appetizers to get us started. As soon as the waiters return with our first round of drinks, I take the opportunity to say a few words. “Gentlemen, tonight is about celebrating Maddox’s last weekend as a bachelor. Next Saturday, he will be marrying my little sister. I couldn’t picture Avery marrying a better man than Maddox. So, let’s raise our beers and toast our friend, son, and brother, Maddox Jackson. And may he remember how much we love him when he’s puking his guts up tomorrow morning.”

  I hear a resounding “Here here!” and “To Maddox!” from around the table mixed with laughter. Everyone takes a drink of their beer and the conversation starts to flow. As much as I want to drink a beer with my family and friends, I stick with Coke for the night. I’m also itching to buy Maddox his first shot of the night, but I definitely want to make sure the guys all get plenty of food in them before they hit the hard stuff.

  After everyone orders their dinner, the conversation quickly turns to women. Everyone is teasing Maddox about jumping ship, following the straight and narrow or crossing over to the dark side. Maddox sits there and smiles the entire time as the fellas razz him about giving up his bachelorhood.

  “You guys will understand someday,” he says with a small smile that lights up his face.

  “That’s right. There’s nothing better than the love of a good woman,” my dad chimes in as he raises his glass towards Maddox like a solute. “And you have a damn good one, if I do say so myself,” he adds with a wink.

  “I agree, son. Just remember that marriage is all about give and take. You will give and she will take,” Maddox’s dad says with a laugh.

  “That is a very true statement,” my dad throws in.

  “I can’t wait for the first time I hear ‘Yes, dear’ come out of your mouth,” I add.

  “Or what about ‘You’re right’. I bet that one will burn his tongue,” Nate chimes in.

  “And we all know Avery well enough to know that dear ol’ Maddox here will be saying that a lot!” Travis quips.

  “I will gladly say it if the results get her naked at the end of the night, my friends.”

  Instantly, the table erupts into groans and sighs. Maddox laughs as half the table reminds him that she’s their sister.

  “I should punch you for that,” I mumble as I take another drink of my Coke, wishing it had a little Jack in it at that moment. I know Avery has sex, obviously – she has my niece – but I still don’t want to picture it or think about it or hear it. There are just some lines that brothers and sisters should never, ever cross.

  After our steaks are consumed and the bill is paid, the guys and I all file out of the restaurant and head towards our vehicles. All of the guys threw in some money to cover a generous tip and both dads tried to slip me some money on the sly, but I didn’t want it. I wanted to do this for Maddox tonight. Before I can get out the front door with the rest of the guys, Lauren stops me.

  “So do you have entertainment lined up for this party?”

  “Why?” I ask, curious as to where she’s going with this.

  “Well, I’d be more than happy to come by after work and help entertain you and your friends,” she purrs as if everything that’s happened between us – which nothing happened between us much to her displeasure – is all forgotten.

  I take in her plain white button up shirt and tight black skirt. She’s not bad looking, really. Actually she’s pretty hot, but I just don’t want her anywhere near the pub tonight. “Thanks for the offer, but we’re all set for tonight,” I say as I turn and push open the door. “Have a good night.”

  “Are you still seeing that girl you brought here?”

  I stop and turn back around to face her. “Not that it’s any of your business, but yes.”

  “Well, when you get tired of her, give me a call.”

  “Who says I’m going to get tired of her?” I throw back, instantly insulted on Erin’s behalf.

  “Oh everyone. No one believes for a second that you’ll be in this relationship with her longer than a few weeks. You’ll get bored, Jake, and move on just like you always do,” she says as she turns back around and walks away.

  I stand there for a minute before I hear Nate over my shoulder. “You coming, man?”

  “Yep.” I turn and head towards the truck, my mind processing what Lauren just said. True, I may not have been a relationship kinda guy in the past, but Erin makes me want to explore that side and be that guy. I want to with her tonight, tomorrow, and maybe even forever. And that thought doesn’t scare me as much as it used to. It actually feels pretty damn good.

  After we hit every bar in Rivers Edge, we reach our final destination around eleven. Maddox and the rest of the guys are well on their way to being completely hammered. I’ve been shoving shot after shot into his hand all night long. As long as I’m driving him, I don’t care how much he drinks tonight because I know he’ll get home in one piece.

  There are two rooms in the back of Jack’s Pub that not too many people know about. We are occupying the larger of the two rooms for the evening that houses an extra pool table in it and Avery is now occupying the smaller one with just a few extra tables and chairs inside. As far as I know, neither Maddox nor Avery knows that the other one is here somewhere. It’s all part of the master plan that Holly and I came up with.

  Gabe brought in one of his extra bartenders to serve solely our party for the night. The drinks and shots are flowing freely, everyone is laughing and having a great time, and it’s almost time for the entertainment to arrive. Several of our fellow officers are here – well, those that didn’t get stuck working tonight – as well as a few of our superiors. A handful of local guys we’ve become friends with or went to school with are also here for the big party.

  Everyone seems to be having a great time, buying drinks and shots for Maddox, and asking me when the strippers will be there. It’s getting pretty late into the evening and everyone is starting to get a little rowdy. My brothers are shooting pool which is where I’d love to be, but I’m keeping a close eye on Maddox for the night. I’m trying to avoid distractions like a pool game. The dad’s are even still hanging with us, sitting in the back nursing a few beers and chatting about cars and work.

  When Gabe comes into the private room at eleven thirty, he has a sour look on his face. “Hey, man. Can I talk to you real quick?”

  “Sure. What’s up?” I ask as we head over the corner of the room.

  “Uhh, your stripper just called and said she’s at home with food poisoning. She ain’t coming, man. She tried to call a friend to fill in, but she was unavailable too.”

  “Shit! So, we have no stripper?”

  �
��Nope. Sorry. I could make a couple of calls and probably try to find someone real quick for you, though I can’t guarantee the quality of stripper so last minute.”

  “No, that’s okay. He’ll just have to deal with not having one. Thanks, man.”

  “No problem. I’ll throw in a couple of rounds of drinks for you guys tonight. Sorry about the last minute cancellation. She’s never done this to me before. She’s usually pretty professional. Well, as professional as you can get for a stripper,” he says as he walks out of the room.

  “Well, that sucks,” I mumble as I return to where my brothers are standing.

  “What’s the matter?” Nate asks.

  “The stripper’s not coming. Apparently she has food poisoning.”

  “Well, that sucks! I was looking forward to that part the most.”

  “No shit! I couldn’t wait for her to embarrass the hell out of Maddox.”

  The only redeeming part of this night now is thinking about what’s going to happen when we make a surprise visit to the little room next door. There is one stripper still here that no one is expecting.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Erin

  We made our way to Jack’s Pub and are now in the private small room in the back that I didn’t even know was here. Around eleven-thirty, there’s a loud knock at the door.

  “Avery, someone’s here. Will you get the door?” Holly hollers in a sing-song voice.

  “Ugh! I can barely walk straight, Holly,” Avery mumbles as she walks – or more like stumbles - towards the door.

  When she throws open the door, a very large, very muscular cop is filling the entire doorway. Though he’s wearing a hat, I can tell he has long, almost shaggy blond hair and huge muscles. Hell, his muscles have muscles. The exposed skin on his arms is covered in tattoos and his uniform is skin tight. There’s no hiding anything in that thing! I can’t tell what color his eyes are because he’s wearing Maverick from Top Gun style sunglasses – at night and inside a building – which is a huge indication of what kind of ‘cop’ this man really is.