Holding You

by Kelly Elliott

  Alex jumped up. “Me. I’ve got this. I see my victim, too.” Taking a drink of her lemon drop, Alex started walking over to the blond-haired guy who had been sitting at the bar with three other good-looking guys. Alex walked up and placed her hand on his shoulder and whispered something into his ear.

  “Ah hell. Look at my girl go!” Grace shouted as we all laughed. I was silently thanking God they didn’t come up with this bet last night when they were all drunk.

  The blond stood up and wrapped his arm around Alex’s waist and moved her to the dance floor. “My brother would be going through the roof right now if he saw this,” Libby said.

  Some hip-hop song I’d never heard of began playing as the bass thumbed in my chest. Had Colt been here I would have been turned on by the idea of dancing all up on him. But he wasn’t, so I needed to stow away my naughty thoughts of him.

  Alex wrapped her arms around the guy’s neck and went after it with everything she had. She smiled, she tossed her head back and laughed, she whispered against his ear. She even turned and placed her backside to him. When he brushed his hand down her side and dangerously close to her breasts, she quickly turned around.

  “Oh! Nice move, Mathews!” Maegan shouted. Glancing to Taylor, she was watching Alex closely but smiling.

  The song ended and Alex walked back over to the bar with him. Less than thirty seconds later, she was walking back with a napkin and the guy’s number on it.

  Grace and Maegan’s smiles dropped. “What? No fucking way!” Maegan yelled as Alex walked up and smiled as she waved the napkin around. Grace shook her head and placed her hands on her hips and glared at Alex.

  Alex leaned over and whispered in Libby’s ear. Pulling back, Libby smiled and winked.

  “All right bitches, let’s see what the married one with a baby can do,” Grace said as she pointed to Libby.

  Libby stood up straighter, adjusted her breasts and said, “All right. Watch and learn ladies. Watch and learn.”

  Libby walked over to the same group of guys, but she zeroed in on one of the other guys. Turning, Libby pointed and four guys all turned and looked. The guy Alex danced with smiled at Alex as she gave him a flirty wave.

  “Shit, that guy wants in someone’s panties,” Grace teased Alex.

  One of the guys got up and followed Libby to the dance floor. Smoke began engulfing the dance floor as the song changed. All I heard in the song over and over was I want to fuck you all night long.

  Waving a hand in front of her, Grace picked up her water glass and ran it along her neck. “Shit if that song don’t turn you on!”

  Glancing back to Libby she was talking to the guy as they danced. His hands moved down to her hips as she placed her hand on his chest and bit down on her lower lip.

  Maegan laughed. “Oh my gosh! She’s still using the move she had in high school.” We all started laughing until the guy moved his lips to Libby’s neck. Dropping her neck back she let him kiss her.

  “Oh my God! What is she doing? She’s kissing,” Taylor shouted as she jumped up.

  Not really liking where this was going, I turned to Alex and she winked at me. Something was up with those two. Grace and Maegan were shouting and hollering as the guy pulled back and said something to Libby that caused her to start laughing. The song ended and he reached into her back pocket and pulled out her cell phone.

  “Oh. My. God. Are you kidding me?” Grace shouted as she stood there stunned. Libby gave the guy a flirtatious wave a she walked back over to us. Holding up her phone she showed everyone the number.

  Greg was his name and the moment Libby showed Maegan and Grace, she deleted the number. Sitting down next to me I turned to her. “How could you let him kiss your neck, Libby?”

  Leaning closer to me she said, “If you looked closely, his lips were nowhere near my neck. He was telling me about a kids’ show his daughter loves to watch on TV.”

  Wait. What? A kids’ show?

  I was about to ask what she was talking about when Grace announced it was her turn. Making her way back over to the guy she had just danced with, he took her hand and began dancing her around on the dance floor to a Luke Bryan song. She spun around and made sure at one point when he pulled her back in she was flush up against his body. Her hands were moving everywhere on his body and Alex yelled, “Slut!”

  Grace must have heard her, because she lifted her middle finger in Alex’s direction.

  The song ended and she handed him her phone. He punched his number in and she reached up and kissed him on lips. It wasn’t just a quick kiss. They were practically crawling into each other’s mouths. Laughing I turned to Alex and Libby and rolled my eyes. “I guess it doesn’t count since she had already gotten the number.

  Grace walked back up and declared she was keeping that cowboy’s number. Reaching for my water, I took a sip. It felt extremely hot in the dance club and I began feeling light headed. Gesh Lauren. Get it together. It’s just a bet. It’s not like you’re cheating on Colt. It’s just a dance. Simple as that. One dance.

  Maegan was next. She must have had her sights on someone because she walked up and whispered in the guy’s ear. He pulled back and nodded his head. Maegan glanced over her shoulder and winked.

  The guy pulled her into his arms as a slow song started to play. “Damn. Meg is all up in that shit!” Grace said as she tossed her head back and laughed. Staring out at Maegan dancing my heart broke for her and Grace. They were both so beautiful and I knew they could easily walk out of here tonight with a guy. The both wanted to have fun, but that was as far as it went.

  The song ended and Maegan followed the guy back to his table. I strained to see them through the crowd of people and for one brief second I began to worry. We had all agreed not to split up. What if this guy had taken Maegan off to a corner or something? Grace was trying to stand on her tippy toes to see Maegan. She turned and looked at Alex with a concerned look.

  “Why would she walk off with the guy?” Grace shouted.

  Maegan came walking up and pulled Grace’s hair as she said, “Because I needed to get my cowboy’s room number along with his phone number. I’m half tempted to go to his room tonight!” Maegan wiggled her eyebrows up and down and said, “He’s from Montana.”

  Grace laughed and said, “Montana dick. I bet it’s nice.”

  “Gross, Grace!” Taylor said as she pushed Grace, causing her to stumble a bit.

  Grace lost it laughing but pointed to Taylor. “Tay. You’re up.”

  Taylor began pulling and pushing her lower lip in and out of her teeth as she stood up and looked around. Maegan pointed to a guy standing near the bar. “He’s got a killer ass and I got a look at him earlier. The guy is fucking beautiful.”

  Taylor nodded her head and made her way over to the guy.

  “Fifty bucks she turns around before she even gets to him,” Alex yelled over the song now playing.

  Grace nodded her head. “I’m voting she’s gonna do it. I feel it in my bones. Our little Tay is growing up, y’all.”

  Standing up, I watched Taylor walk up to the guy. She placed her hands on his shoulders and stood up on her tippy toes, attempting to talk into his ear.

  “Oh my glitter! She didn’t even get a frontal view! She went in blind!”

  We all started yelling out Taylor’s name as the guy turned around and smiled. Taylor’s smile dropped instantly. Oh my. The guy was for sure very good looking. “Did he just say her name?” Libby asked.

  “Wait. Does she know him?” Maegan asked. My smiled faded as the guy took Taylor’s hand and led her to the dance floor. Taylor turned and looked at me with nothing but panic on her face. I mouthed, are you okay? Shaking her head she mouthed back, it’s Jase.

  “It’s, Jase! What are the odds?” I said out loud as four sets of eyes turned and looked at me.

  Grace took my arm and pulled me out of my trance. “Lauren, does she know him?”

  Nodding my head, I turned back to watch Taylor. “Yes! Oh my gosh
she was talking about him last night. He’s in one of her classes at UT, and she has a massive crush on him, y’all. She said he has never given her the time of day before.”

  All four of them said, “Wow,” at the same time. “Holy hell. That would never happen again if you planned it,” Grace said.

  Jase leaned down and spoke into Taylor’s ear. I could see the flush on her cheeks from where I was standing. Reaching her hands up, she placed them on his chest and smiled.

  “Look at that smile,” Libby said.

  The song ended and Jase and Taylor stood on the dance floor for a few minutes and talked. I was silently willing him to ask her out. For him to ask Taylor for her number. She glanced over to us and shrugged her shoulders as she flashed us a weak smile before looking back at Jase. Taking out his phone, he handed it to her. Taylor did the same. After another minute or so of talking, Jase placed his hand on Taylor’s arm and smiled as he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Taylor just stood there as he walked away.

  “W-what is she doing? Taylor, walk. Honey move your legs,” Maegan shouted.

  Grace threw her hands up in the air. “She’s breaking a major girl code right now y’all. She’s letting the guy see he affected her. Code red!”

  We all jumped up and went out to the dance floor and surrounded Taylor as we danced. Pulling her to me, I shouted, “What are the odds?”

  She giggled. “I know! But, Lauren he knew who I was. He knew who I was!”

  Pulling Taylor into my arms we both began jumping in excitement. “And y’all exchanged numbers!”

  Nodding her head Taylor did another little jump. “I know! Holy shit I know! He asked me for mine first!”

  Grace made her way to me and said, “Okay, Miss Striptease. It’s your turn.”

  Rolling my eyes, I glanced around the club. No one here held a candle to Colt. One of the guys that was sitting with the two guys Alex and Libby walked up to was looking out on the dance floor at us. I decided he was going to be my target. Making my way over to him, the girls were chanting my name as I walked his way. His smile caught me off guard. It was breathtaking. I hadn’t really noticed how cute he was until I got right up to him. “Hey, you need some help with that bet?”

  “What?” I asked in a shocked voice.

  The other guy who Alex danced with said, “Your two other friends already told us what was going on.”

  Glancing over my shoulder back at the girls, they were all watching. Turning back to the guys I laughed. “Yes. But I need to make mine bigger than just a number or a room number.” The two guys that Libby and Alex danced with held up their hands. “Sorry, we’re married.”

  Laughing, I shook my head and shouted, “No, I don’t mean anything like that.”

  Turning to the guy I had originally noticed, I sucked in a breath of air. He was looking at me like he wanted something more than to pretend he was giving me a number. Leaning in closer to him I asked over the loud music, “You married, too?”

  His eyes smoldered as he shook his head. “Just tell me what you want me to do, baby, and I’ll do it.”

  Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit. That can’t be good to have a guy say that to you.

  “I was just thinking you would give me your number and give me a little striptease on the bar.”

  The guy almost choked on his drink. “What? Are you serious?”

  Smiling, I gave him a taste of his own medicine. Giving my best innocent sexy look, I said, “Yeah. Totally serious.”

  Tilting his head, he asked, “Are you with someone?”

  Although the guy was drop-dead handsome, I felt nothing even though he was looking at me with nothing but lust in his eyes. All I could think of was Colt. I’d never do anything to hurt Colt. Not even for a bet.

  “Yes, I am with someone. I love him very much.”

  The guy nodded his head and gave me a sweet grin. “He’s a lucky guy.”

  Okay, so that made my stomach drop a little. “How do you know?” I shouted over the song. “You don’t even know me!”

  Nodding his head slightly, his eyes turned sad. “I know enough. How far you want the striptease to go?”

  Giggling, I leaned closer to his ear, “As far as you want it to go, but no penis shots. I may be taken, but I’m still a girl.” Pulling back, I winked as he started laughing.

  Standing he asked, “What’s your boyfriend’s name?”

  “Colt.”

  The air around us changed for one brief second as the guy turned and grabbed a napkin and wrote his number down on it before turning to me. “Well, angel eyes, if things don’t work out with Colt, you know where to find me. By the way, my name is Grayson.”

  Looking down, I felt my face flush. Glancing back up, I gave him a smile. “Lauren, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Grayson.”

  “Let’s do this!” He shouted as he jumped up on the bar. Leaning over, he yelled something to the bartender. She gave him a thumbs-up and walked to the other end of the bar. When she came back, she was holding a microphone.

  The DJ stopped the music as Grayson held up his hand. “All right, y’all. I’ve got a special request from my new friend, Lauren. DJ give me something sexy for my new girl.”

  My face blushed as everyone started yelling out. An older song played as Grayson started dancing to it. My eyes widened as I turned back and looked at the girls. All five of them had their mouths hanging open as they watched Grayson.

  Turning back, I watched Grayson move. Holy shit. Good lord this guy was hot. He was going to make some girl very happy someday. Chewing on my lower lip, I couldn’t pull my eyes off of him. His T-shirt was already gone as girls were screaming all around me.

  The guy who Alex danced with yelled close to my ear. “He’s a professional stripper. You couldn’t have picked a better thing for him to do.”

  Snapping my head to look at the guy, I shouted. “Are you kidding me? He’s a stripper?”

  The guy threw his head back and laughed. “He sure is.”

  Slowly looking back at Grayson, I watched as he worked the crowd on top of the bar. He turned and looked at me as he unzipped his pants.

  Oh wow. Look away Lauren. Look. Away. My eyes slowly made their way up Grayson’s chest to his eyes.

  A girl next to me screamed out, “He isn’t wearing underwear! Take it off, baby!”

  Grayson smiled as he winked at me. Glancing down he had his pants pulled down just enough to leave the rest up to your imagination.

  Snapping my eyes back up to his eyes, he shook his head no and yelled out, “No penis shots!”

  Laughing, I gave him a thumbs-up as I turned around and smiled at the girls. Grace and Maegan were yelling out for Grayson to pull his pants all the way down.

  “Fuck that! Penis shot! Penis. Shot!” Grace yelled out.

  The song ended as I turned back to Grayson. He zipped his pants back up and the bartender handed him back his T-shirt as every female in the place began booing. Jumping down off the bar, Grayson took me by the arm and pulled me closer to him. “How was that?”

  His touch did nothing to me, which had me breathing a sigh of relief because the bastard’s body sure had a slight effect on me. Taking my hand and fanning myself I said, “Perfect! I’m going to guess you’re good at your job?”

  Laughing he said, “It gets me through college.”

  Grinning, I said, “Thanks so much, Grayson.”

  His smile faded slightly as he nodded his head. “Sure. It was fun, Lauren. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

  “I will! Thank you again and sorry for getting all the girls worked up. Maybe you’ll end up getting lucky tonight!” I said with a chuckle. Grayson’s eyes turned dark as he shook his head.

  “I’m afraid the only girl I have my sights on is already taken.”

  Giving him a wink, I said my good-byes and made my way back over to the girls as I held up the napkin with Grayson’s number on it. Grace grabbed it out of my hand as she looked over my shoulder back at Grayson. “Fuck
, Lauren! You got the guy to strip on the bar.”

  Maegan threw her head back. “I declare Lauren Reynolds the biggest dick-tease of the night and the clear winner of this bet!”

  Alex, Libby, Taylor, Grace, and Maegan all busted out in cheer. Laughing, I shook my head. “Dick-tease? Please! He’s a stripper, so that was nothing for him.”

  Grace pulled me closer to her and said, “Lauren, you have no idea how much that guy wanted you. I could see it in his eyes from over here.”

  Laughing, I pushed Grace away. We all started dancing as I took a chance to look back over my shoulder only to see Grayson staring at me as two girls talked to him. Raising his hand to me, I lifted my hand in return and gave him a slight smile.

  Yeah, he may have been good looking and had a nice body, but he didn’t even come close to Colt.

  Colt.

  Turning away, I smiled as I pictured Colt hauling hay out of the barn with his T-shirt off and sweat covering his body. That familiar burning low in my stomach began to build as I closed my eyes. I could practically feel Colt’s hot breath on my neck.

  Turning to everyone, I shouted. “I’m ready to head on back to the hotel room.”

  Everyone agreed to call it a night as we made our way back to our table. Taking the napkin with Grayson’s name on it, I tossed it down onto the table. Pulling my cell phone out of my back pocket, I sent Colt a text message.

  Me: I miss you and I love you.

  Colt: I miss you and I love you more. See you in a few days!

  Me: I can’t wait!

  My heart felt as if it would burst within my chest. Nothing or no one would ever come between us.

  On the way back to our hotel, I made plans to talk the girls into leaving early. I wanted Colt. The sooner. The better.

  SITTING ON MY porch, I jumped up when I saw her car. Yesterday Lauren had sent me a text saying the girls were headed back early. I had been beyond thrilled when I got it. Luke and Will were with me and they had gotten the same message from Libby and Alex. I could see the relief wash over their faces and I wanted to tease them, but I felt the exact same way.

  I needed Lauren. Those few days with her gone felt as if a part of me was missing. I couldn’t wait to hold her in my arms.