by Nikki Paris
“Okay,” I yelled back. “Love you!”
“Love you, too! Be safe tonight!” And then the front door closed. Thank fuck, too, because my mom and Bea would both have plenty of negative opinions about my costume.
Matteo dug around in my makeup drawer and tsked at me. “Charlotte, your makeup collection makes my soul hurt!” He held a dull and broken eyeliner pencil between his thumb and finger with a look of disgust.
I shrugged and placed the cat ears on my head. “I don’t know what to tell you. I hate makeup. I do mascara and concealer, so I don’t look like a dude, but the rest is a waste of time.”
Matteo shook his head. “Those cheekbones and lips are wasted on you.” He dropped the eyeliner back in the drawer and dusted off his hands. “Does your sister have more makeup?”
“Uh, she does, but Bea’s really into sweet, pastel tones.”
“Ew, no. We need black or dark purple lipstick. I’m guessing your mother doesn’t own anything like that?”
I laughed and shook my head. “Hell no. I think Sienna has a sexy purple lipstick, though. We could swing by my brother’s place on our way to yours.”
“Oh fuck yes.” Matteo bit his lip. “You know I’m happy to see that gorgeous brother of yours any time!”
“Gross, Mattie.” I grabbed my phone and collapsed on my bed while Matteo turned back to my mirror to continue primping. He did look like the world’s sexiest shadow man. He was rocking the whole shirtless suit jacket thing. I sent a quick text to Sienna. Random question. Any chance I can borrow your sexy purple lipstick tonight?
Sienna responded immediately. Of course! I have it in my purse right now. Can you stop by the bar to grab it? Mason will let you in.
My heart pounded. Burke would be working tonight. He already told me he didn’t get Tess for Halloween. “We have to stop by the bar to get it.”
“Love it. Is your brother there?”
“Probably. He basically lives there.”
Matteo and I drove to ’69 and could hardly find a parking spot. We walked through the door, and Mason gave us a quick nod and let us pass.
As Matteo and I wove our way through the crowded bar, he gasped and gripped my arm. “Oh my fucking god, Charlotte. I just got hard.”
I followed his gaze to Burke and laughed out loud. “Tell me about it!” I yelled over the music. “Sexy as hell, right?”
Matteo pretended to wipe the drool from his chin. “That’s him, yeah? The sexy daddy you’re crushing on?”
I shrugged. After seeing his daughter and hanging out with him, it was more than a crush. Now, it could be classified as a mild obsession. Matteo and I reached the bar, and I cleared my throat. I waved Burke over with my heart pounding.
“Hey, Burke, can I get back there real quick? I’m borrowing some lipstick from Sienna, and she told me to grab it from her bag.”
Burke raised his eyebrows at me and gave me a half-smirk. “Can I trust you unsupervised in a room packed full of alcohol?”
I rolled my eyes and drummed my fingers against the shiny black bar. “I won’t touch anything but the lipstick! Promise. You can even smell my breath and pat me down after.”
Burke’s intense moss-green eyes flicked up and down my body. He rubbed his beard and grinned. “I don’t think you could handle a pat down from me, cutie.”
Matteo gasped at my side, and I immediately pictured Burke’s big, rough hands gliding over my breasts and pressing my thighs apart to check for hidden mini bottles. Whoa! Was my underwear damp now? Were my lady parts pulsing? What the hell was happening to my body? Pull it together, Charlie. I swallowed and tilted my chin up. “I think you’d be surprised what I can handle.”
He laughed out loud again and stepped to the side to let me behind the bar. It was a tight space, and there was no possible way for me to squeeze past him without pressing my body into his. My front connected with his front, and now I was reacquainted with the rock-hard muscle under his gray t-shirt. We locked gazes for a hot second, and fire shot through my veins.
I gulped. I. Gulped. And Burke noticed and grinned at me. He gripped my bare shoulders and scooted me to the side like I weighed nothing. “Gotta get back to work, cutie. Be good back there.” His voice was impossibly deep and sexy.
I hurried into the back room and grabbed Sienna’s purse from the top shelf. I dug around until I located the tube of lipstick and took a deep breath before heading back out to the bar. Burke caught my arm. “Give me a little spin.”
I laughed and turned in a slow circle with my hands raised. “See? No smuggled bottles.”
Burke grinned. “I know. I just wanted to see your costume.”
Fuuuuck. Breathe, Charlie. Breathe. My cheeks flooded with heat as I slid past him again, this time with my backside against his front. “Be safe tonight.” His voice was low and right in my ear.
I thought about asking Matteo to stop back at my house so I could change my damn underwear.
“Will do!” I waved at Burke over my shoulder and gave him what I hoped was a flirty smile. I held up the lipstick for Matteo to inspect.
“Um, thanks for introducing me!” Matteo snapped as we walked away.
“Shit. Sorry. I got nervous.”
“Charlotte, you have to fuck that man!”
“Oh my god, Mattie! Shut up!” I hissed at my friend and glanced over my shoulder. There was no way Burke heard that, right? It was way too loud in here.
“Oh, relax! He can’t hear me!” Matteo rolled his eyes and looped his arm through mine. “But I’m not kidding. Fuck. Him.”
We walked through the bar, and I caught Sienna’s eye as she set up her stool and microphone on stage. She waved and smiled, and I mouthed, “Thank you!” holding the lipstick in the air. I turned back to Matteo. “Burke is thirty-five. He has a kid. He works for my brother. There is no way he sees me that way. It’s. Not. Happening.”
Matteo laughed out loud and pressed a kiss to my cheek as we walked. “Sweet. Heart. Trust me. When a man looks at a woman the way Burke just looked at you, sex is on the fucking table.”
Suddenly I felt a pair of hands on my shoulders. “Charlotte Jane Cox! The hell are you wearing?” Evan sounded pissed.
I whipped around to face my brother, indignation filling me to the brim. He didn’t have to treat me like a child. “A costume, Evan!”
“Nope. No way. You’re covering that up before you go wherever the hell you think you’re going tonight.” He turned his angry gaze to Matteo. “Where are you taking her? Will there be straight assholes?”
Matteo bit his lip and gave my brother heart eyes. “Yes. I tried to stop her, but you know Charlotte.”
“Oh, fuck you, Mattie! You picked this outfit!”
Evan squared his jaw and pointed at Matteo. “Go wait in the car. You’re underage.” Then he gripped my arm and marched me back through the crowd. When we reached the bar, Burke looked up with raised eyebrows. “Excuse us,” Evan snapped and pulled me past Burke again to the back room. He grabbed a plain black t-shirt and yanked it over my head. The shirt was longer than my dress.
“Fuck, Evan!” I yelled. “I’m not wearing this!”
“Then you’re not going!” He yelled back at me.
“Why are you being such an ass?” I clenched my fists at my side.
“Why are you being so stupid?” Evan glared and folded his arms. “Charlie, you know what happens at fucking parties like that! Like hell I’m letting my little sister get groped and attacked by horny shitheads!”
“Maybe I want to get groped by shitheads!” I yelled and threw my hands up in the air. “I’m nineteen fucking years old! Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do? Isn’t that fucking normal, Evan? I haven’t felt normal for two damn years! I want to feel normal!” Tears burned the corners of my eyes.
I’d put my social life on pause the minute our dad got his diagnosis. Then I never fully turned it on again. I still wasn’t sure if I wanted to.
Evan opened his mouth to lecture me but
closed it when he saw a tear slip down my cheek. “Shit. Charlie.” He held open his arms for me, and I collapsed against his chest. My brother stroked my hair and said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I just… guys are assholes, and I want to protect you. I want to do what dad would have done.”
I pulled away from Evan and nodded, dabbing at my tears. He was right. Our dad would have lost his shit on me if I went to a party in this outfit. “This dress is so not me anyway.”
Evan smiled. “Not at all. You’re a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl.”
I rolled my eyes, but nodded and sank onto an empty crate. “Shit. I miss dad so much.”
“Me too.” Evan sighed and covered his face with both hands. “Can Matteo help you make that t-shirt look cute?”
I shrugged. “Probably.”
“Okay. Be safe, kid.” Evan reached out to mess up my hair, but I smacked his hand away before he could. He laughed and shook his head as he walked toward the door and wrenched it open. “After you, sis.”
I stepped back out into the noisy bar and immediately felt Burke’s eyes on me. My cheeks burned when he burst out laughing. “Smart, boss-man!” He yelled to Evan.
Evan nodded and gave me a pointed look. “See?”
I rolled my eyes and shoved past both of them. Matteo would be pissed that my brother ruined my costume, but he’d forgive him because Evan was so pretty.
7
Charlie
I pushed my way through Matteo’s dark, crowded house. Thriller blasted through the set of portable speakers that I gave him for Christmas last year, and sweaty bodies swayed and rubbed against each other. It smelled like beer and weed and so fucking much Axe body spray. Gag.
The decorations were on point, though. Matteo took great pride in decking out his house for these parties, and yes, the house actually belonged to him. His grandmother passed away two years ago and left it to him. In Matteo’s words, her judgmental ass wouldn’t have left him a damn thing if she’d known he was gay. He hid his sexuality from his parents until he was seventeen, and they were still hiding it from their surviving parents.
Matteo was sure that Grandma Sanchez was looking down with disgust and pleading for his soul in Catholic heaven.
Poor Mattie-boy. But while he was lacking in acceptance from his family, there was no love lost among our peers. They flocked to his bright personality like flies on honey.
As I tried to make my way to the kitchen, a dumbass dressed like a basketball player draped his arm over my shoulders and pressed me into his side. “Hey, sexy kitty.” He slurred. “You need something to dig your claws into?” His dark eyes scanned every inch of my body. Suddenly I was glad that Evan lost his shit and forced me into the plain black t-shirt.
Matteo had gasped when he saw my ruined costume. Then he’d rolled his eyes and said, “Whatever. Ditch the shirt at my house.”
I didn’t, and Matteo forgot to pressure me the second Jonah showed up.
Now, I inched away from the dumbass in the basketball jersey. “I’m de-clawed. Thanks for the offer.”
“Hold up!” He caught my wrist as I tried to walk away. “What’s your name?”
“Anna!” I yelled over the music and pried my wrist from his grasp. I kept walking and scanned the room for Matteo. I was here strictly for him because no amount of wine coolers or mini candy bars could make me like Halloween. I was determined to have a shitty time.
I spotted Matteo’s purple top hat in the kitchen. He waved his arms around and entertained a group of about twenty people with some animated story. Jonah stood to his left, smiling at him like he was the funniest guy in the world. Good for Mattie. I caught his eye and gave him a wink and a thumbs up. Matteo grinned at me and bit his lip.
If things were going well for my fabulous best friend, that meant I could leave soon, right? I slid out his back door and stepped onto the deck. It was still crowded out here, but not as loud. At first, the cool night air felt refreshing, but after a minute, I started to shiver and found myself wishing I hadn’t returned Burke’s jacket quite yet.
I slept in it Sunday night. The thought made me cringe with embarrassment, but it was the best damn sleep I’d gotten in months. Burke’s smell made me feel calm and warm. My phone vibrated against my chest, and I dug it out of my bra to check it.
Burke texted, and my heart raced as I opened the message. Did you take that t-shirt off the second you got to your party?
I bit my lip and replied. I did not. Why are you texting me? Aren’t you supposed to be collecting phone numbers from sexy, drunk MILF’s?
I’m on my break. Why are you replying? Aren’t you supposed to be driving dumbass college boys crazy?
Can’t. I’m all covered up.
Oh, cutie. Trust me. You’re still driving them crazy in that t-shirt.
My breathing quickened, and my palms started sweating. And now I was thinking about what Matteo said. Sweet. Heart. Trust me. When a man looks at a woman the way Burke just looked at you, sex is on the fucking table. Burke was flirting with me. I could flirt back a little, couldn’t I? It’s no fun to drive college boys crazy. I have my sights set a little higher, Burke.
He replied with the mind-blown emoji. I sent him a winking face, then felt a hand on my lower back. I whipped around and found myself face-to-face with Basketball Jersey from earlier.
“What’s up, Anna?” He smiled at me and stepped closer. “I thought I lost you in there. I’m Simon.”
“Hello, Simon.” I turned back to my phone to see if Burke had replied yet.
Simon tugged the phone from my hand, laughing. “How ‘bout you let me hold this for you while we have a drink, sexy.”
My instincts told me to knee him in the balls, grab my phone, and walk away. But that was an extreme reaction, wasn’t it? Society frowned on that behavior. Instead, I folded my arms and scanned his face: dark brown eyes, thick eyebrows, angular jaw, full lips. I was confident that if I lifted his jersey, I’d find a waxed six-pack, and if I looked up his Instagram and Tik Tok, I’d find hundreds of shirtless photos and videos.
Boring.
“How ‘bout you give me that phone back before I knee you in the balls, Simon?” I gave him a polite smile and held out my hand for my phone.
Simon threw his head back and laughed. “Damn, Anna.” He slapped my phone against my palm and watched with greedy eyes as I slid it back into my bra. “Girl, have I seen you around campus?”
I gave him a blank stare. “How the hell would I know what you’ve seen around campus?”
Simon rolled his eyes. “Do you go to UCC?”
“Yep.”
“Cool, same!” Simon grinned.
Holy shit, dude! What a coincidence! “I think everyone at this party goes there.” I turned back around to gaze out at Matteo’s yard. Hey, look, there’s the bush that I got to know so well last year.
Simon leaned against the deck railing, pressing his side into me for the second time tonight. And now I knew who the worst Axe body spray offender was. “What are you studying, Anna?” His arm snaked its way around my waist.
I slid away from him. “I don’t know yet. Just working on generals. It all feels like a massive waste of time.” Kind of like this conversation.
Simon laughed. “School’s a waste of time? What else are you going to do? Start a multimillion-dollar tech company out of your garage?”
I shrugged. “Maybe.” Did Matteo invite this guy on purpose? “So, how do you know Matteo?”
“Uh,” Simon scratched his freshly shaven chin. “Is that the little gay brown dude?”
I raised both eyebrows. What a fucking dumbass. “The little gay brown dude? Did you really just say that?”
Simon laughed. “What?”
The back door slid open, and Matteo yelled, “Charlotte!”
I glanced over at Simon. “Excuse me. The little gay brown dude needs me.”
Simon narrowed his eyes at me. “Charlotte?”
I shrugged and waved over m
y shoulder as I headed for Matteo’s grinning face. “Talk to me, boo.”
Matteo looped his arm through mine and led me back into his house. “Okay, so Jonah’s mom texted and asked him to come home and help with all the trick-or-treaters, so he had to leave early, but OH MY GOD! He is the sweetest thing, Charlotte! I walked him to his car, and he gave me this adorable little peck on the cheek, and I think I just melted like the wicked witch of the west!”
I grinned and bit my lip. “Mattie, that’s fucking adorable!” I pulled my best friend in for a hug.
“I’m dying, Charlotte! Look, my hands are shaking!” Matteo grinned and shook his head. “Oh!” He smacked my arm. “Who was the cutie you were talking to?”
I shook my head. “No one.” Then I smiled and leaned in to make sure he could hear me well over the music. “Burke texted.”
Matteo gaped at me. “Let. Me. See.”
I handed him my phone and watched him bite his bottom lip as he read my text exchange with Burke. Matteo glanced back up and reached for the hem of my shirt. “Whoa!” I slapped his hand away. “The hell are you doing?”
“I’m checking to see if your damn panties melted away!”
We both laughed, and I collapsed against my best friend. “Should I turn the flirt on? Should I go for it?”
Matteo smiled and tucked my hair behind my ears. “Honey, this is the first time you’ve ever even wanted to go for it. If you don’t, I will disown you.” He grabbed my hand. “Come in the kitchen and meet my new friends.”
I groaned but followed him. “I thought I could leave now that things with Jonah are going well!”
Matteo shot me a dirty look over his shoulder. “Just meet people! It won’t kill you!” he snapped.
“Fine, Mattie.”
I spent the rest of the night chatting with random people that Matteo put in my path, but my mind was on Burke and his deep green eyes.
8
Burke
I quickly fell into my new routine. I had Tess every other weekend, and when I didn’t have her, I worked at the bar. That was my life, and it was fine. I’d never had the world at my fingertips, and I didn’t need it.
