“I don’t know.” I shrug. “Maybe someday.”
He grabs another onion ring, but before putting it in his mouth, he hesitates. “You want one?”
“No,” I say firmly. I would happily starve to death before I would ever let Parker Ashmont feed me.
He pats my belly, which makes me flinch. “Well, I don’t think it would kill you to cut back on the onion rings.”
I glare at him. I’m still quite a bit lighter than I was before my injury, but thanks to the lack of muscles to hold in the contents of my stomach, I’ve got a gut I’ll never get rid of. I miss the days when I had a washboard abdomen without even trying. I hadn’t thought it was that noticeable when I was dressed, but Parker has relieved me of that delusion. Thanks, Parker.
“Hey, you know what you need?” he says, his face lighting up. “One of those helper monkeys. You could train it to feed you.”
I don’t even know what to say to that, other than I’m not getting a fucking helper monkey. I’m not even sure those exist. Even if they do, I’m not getting one. I have enough problems without some monkey going crazy on me and scratching out my eyes.
“That’s okay,” I say, feeling suddenly tired. Dealing with Parker is exhausting—I don’t have the energy I used to.
Also, where’s Doug? I hope he’s not looking for me. We made some vague plans to meet up after he was done for the day, but I haven’t heard from him. I look down at my phone, but the screen is black. I wonder what the connection is like in this place…
“I made it through the wilderness…”
The clear voice cuts through the background music, and I turn my head best I can to look at the stage. Holy shit, it’s Nellie. She’s onstage in her little tank top and tiny shorts, belting out Madonna into the microphone. She has a decent voice.
But forget her voice—she’s freaking sexy. My breath catches in my throat as I watch her.
And then she takes the microphone off the stand and starts strutting around the stage. Her amazing tits are bouncing with each step. I know without looking that every guy in the audience is ogling her. Goddamn.
Mental boner. That’s the word for it.
“Jesus Christ,” I hear Parker breathe.
Looks like I’m not the only one getting turned on.
“Look at her,” he says, nudging my shoulder. “I bet she’s a wildcat in the sack, huh, Warner?”
I can’t answer that question. I don’t have any experience with Nellie in the sack, so to speak. And even if I did, I wouldn’t be talking to Parker about it.
Nellie slides down to get on her knees on the stage as she sings, “Touched for the very first time…” I think she’s trying to be funny by hamming it up—she doesn’t even realize she’s driving every guy in the room nuts.
Then all of a sudden, her eyes are entirely focused on me and me alone. It’s like every other person in the room has vanished, and it’s just the two of us.
And she winks.
I hate Nellie right now. I really do. Because up until tonight, I was okay with being single for the rest of my life. I mean, I wasn’t thrilled. But I was fine with it. Yeah, I was disappointed when online dating was a bust, and I got pangs of jealousy when my brother talked about his new girlfriend, but for the most part, I had accepted it. So I wasn’t going to have a girlfriend any time in the near (or far) future. I could deal. There were worse things.
But now…
Now that this crazy sexy girl has sat in my lap, her body pressed against mine, her soft arms wrapped around my neck… now that I’ve watched her on the stage being sexy as all hell, and… shit, that wink she just gave me…
Why the hell did she have to wink? I was okay until the wink.
And now I’m wrecked. All I can do is stare at Nellie Levy, helplessly growing more and more infatuated with her with each gyration of her hips. I’m not okay with being single. It’s not fucking okay that I don’t even have a chance with a girl like Nellie. A real relationship with Nellie Levy? Not even a remote possibility for a guy like me. No way.
Christ, I want her. I want her to be my real girlfriend, not just a fake who’s tolerating me for a cool two-thou. I want her to sit on my lap for the whole night, not just feed me a few fries and hop off. I want her deep purple fingernails to run through my short hair and set every nerve on fire. I want to feel those soft pink lips on my mouth and her tongue massaging mine. I want to spend a night with her and figure out how my mouth is capable of pleasuring a woman.
I want her. I want her so bad, my chest aches.
Quit dreaming, Warner. Look and pretend all you want, but it’s never going to happen.
It’ll never happen. Reality is a real kick in the teeth.
Chapter 26
Nellie
I get a standing ovation for my version of “Like a Virgin.”
Good deal. I don’t get a standing ovation for my comedy bits. Maybe I missed my career as a singer. Too bad I can’t hold a tune. Well, I’m not awful. But I’m no Alicia Keys. Hell, I’m no Ke$ha. I suspect it was the wagging of my butt that got me the standing ovation.
Meh, I’ll take it.
When I get back to our table, Alex is staring at me like… well, like every other guy in the room is staring at me. His jaw is hanging open, and he has a dazed look in his eyes. Even Parker is giving me that look, which creeps the hell out of me. I don’t need Parker slobbering over me. At least I’ve got Alex’s giant wheelchair as a buffer between the two of us.
“You were great,” Alex says quietly.
The way he’s looking at me… his gray eyes are completely focused on me. Like we’re the only two people in the room. It takes my breath away is the truth. I’ve never been looked at quite that way.
What if I asked him to go up to his room right now, just the two of us?
No, I can’t ask him that. Up until a few hours ago, he was just barely tolerating me. Better to keep things simple. The last thing I want is to antagonize the guy.
“You were fan-fucking-tastic,” Parker chimes in. He gives me that thousand-watt smile I’m sure wins over half the females on the planet, but not this female. “How come someone as sexy as you is dating this loser?”
I run my hand up Alex’s shoulder to the back of his neck. I notice all the hairs are standing at attention. “I like this loser.”
“Well, you could do better is all I’m saying.” Parker lets out a little chuckle. “How did you guys meet anyway, Nellie?”
If there’s one thing I can do, it’s think quick on my feet. Also, I got lots of experience from lying to my parents back when I was in high school. The best strategy is to keep the lies simple and never waver. Before he can see me hesitate, I say, “I was waiting on Alex’s table at a restaurant. We started flirting and… at the end of the meal, I slipped him my number.”
“So that’s how you met.” Parker’s grin broadens. “Interesting.”
I look over at Alex, who seems strangely pale all of a sudden. He coughs a few times, a weak sound that makes me nervous he’s choking.
“So Alex tells me you’re a standup comedian,” Parker says. I can tell he’s trying to get my attention away from Alex, and I hate that it’s working. It’s clear Parker’s good at manipulating people. “Is that true?”
“Uh huh,” I say.
“Are you funny?” he asks. Seriously?
“Of course she’s funny!” Alex manages, although he punctuates it with a cough.
“So, listen,” Parker says. The smile drops off his face and his eyes are focused on me. “This friend of mine, Blake Howard, is coming to the rehearsal dinner tomorrow. You know who he is?”
I shake my head no.
“Blake Howard,” Parker says with authority, “owns half the fucking nightclubs in Las Vegas. And plenty in New York too.”
“He… he does?”
“He sure does, Wednesday.” My toes curl as he calls me by that nickname I hate, but I can’t be rude. Not now. “I’d be happy to introduce you at the d
inner tomorrow. You guys are coming, right?”
I glance at Alex, who has a pained expression on his face. But after a moment, he nods almost imperceptibly. “Sure,” I say.
“Perfect!” Parker claps his hands together. “I’m happy to help.”
I have to admit, an hour ago, I was close to pouring another drink on Parker Ashmont’s head. But right now, he’s doing a good job changing my opinion of him. This guy Blake Howard could be the big break I’ve been waiting for. It would be ironic if after costing me my job, Parker could keep me out of waitressing for good. Imagine if I could do comedy full time…
That would be amazing. A dream come true.
I dig around in my purse to google this guy Blake Howard. Except when I pull out my phone, I see there are five missed calls from Doug Warner.
Uh oh.
Chapter 27
Alex
“Doug, will you relax?”
My brother is pissed off at me, but it’s not my fault. My phone somehow came unplugged from the charger and the battery died while at the karaoke bar, so I had no clue he was trying to reach me. And Nellie didn’t hear him calling because of the loud music in the bar, plus she was up on stage during two of the calls. By the time she called him back, he was nearly hysterical. When we told him where we were, he came running.
He’s still fuming. It’s an hour later, and he’s still mumbling under his breath. We’re back in the hotel room, I’m lying in the bed, and he’s getting me ready to have a shower, so we don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn to do it tomorrow. The travel shower chair is all set up in the bathroom.
“You could have called me and told me where you were going,” he huffs, as he works my jeans down over my legs.
“You knew I was with Nellie,” I point out.
“It’s not like I know Nellie so well.” He’s taking off my left sock. Without shoes or the boots I wear at night, my foot points downward. “What if she took off and left you somewhere? How was I supposed to know?”
“So I would have gone to the front desk and asked them to call you.” I try to catch my brother’s eye. “I’m not helpless, Doug.”
He rips my right sock off my foot. “Look, we’re in a different city. We’re not home. I don’t think it’s crazy that I was worried.”
I can’t decide if it’s flattering or insulting that my brother was so worried about me. Maybe a little of both. But unlike him, I trust Nellie. She never would have left me alone without asking if it was okay.
“I’m going to stay home tonight,” Doug says.
“No, you’re not.” After he’s done helping me, Doug is supposed to get a late dinner and drinks with some of his friends. “You should go. You haven’t even eaten yet.”
“I’ll get room service.”
“Doug, stop it. I’m fine.” I smile at him. “Nellie is next door.”
“We’ll see.”
Because I don’t have any clothes to grab onto anymore, Doug does a dependent carry in which he cradles me in his arms to get me into the shower. Doug is one of the few people in my life who is strong enough to lift me that way. It’s not my favorite thing, but it’s the easiest way to get into the shower, given our limited equipment.
Once he’s got me settled in the shower chair, he turns on the warm water. The accessible hotel room has a handheld nozzle he can use to help wash me. It’s been at least a year since Doug has showered me—usually, it’s my PCA or my mother doing it—and I can’t help but feel that stupid twinge of self-consciousness at how my naked body looks. I wish I could turn it off but I can’t. My little brother isn’t supposed to be fucking bathing me. That’s not a normal thing brothers do for each other.
But Doug is always cool about stuff like this. As he soaps up my arm, he makes conversation with me like he’s washing dishes instead of washing me. “So how was it hanging out with Isabelle?” he asks.
“Uh, not too bad,” I say. He still doesn’t know my goal was to keep Isabelle from getting married. Only Nellie knows the whole story. And Isabelle too, I guess.
“She’s nice,” he says. “I always liked her. I can’t say I don’t think it was a dumb idea to come to the wedding, but maybe the two of you really can be friends. If that’s what you want.”
“Yeah, we’ll see.”
Doug is using the handheld nozzle to rinse off the soap on my upper body. “Are you sure you don’t want to come out with me tonight?”
“Definitely not.”
“It’s not people you’ve met before.” He moves on to my legs. “So it won’t be too weird. Although now that you’ve gone to karaoke with Parker Ashmont, I’m not sure I can let you use that excuse anymore.”
“I can’t fucking believe Parker was the guy who got Nellie fired…” I shake my head. “How come you didn’t say anything?”
“I think it’s pretty obvious,” Doug snorts. “I didn’t tell Nellie because she might not have agreed to come. And I didn’t tell you because you would have told Nellie to keep her from coming.”
“You’re slicker than you look, Dougie.”
“I didn’t feel slick when Nellie was yelling at me.” He turns the nozzle on my legs to rinse them off. “She really handed me my ass.”
“Yeah.” I grin at the memory of Nellie sticking her finger in Doug’s face and telling him in no uncertain terms what she thought of his deception. “She sure did.”
“So was Parker a dick to you?”
“He was Parker.”
Doug laughs, because it’s true. Parker was always a dick to the point where it was sometimes charming. He was always good for a laugh, at least. And I appreciate that he offered Nellie an opportunity to showcase her talent—this could be huge for her. And all because of Parker.
Maybe I was wrong to try to stop this wedding from happening. Maybe Parker is a better man than I gave him credit for.
Then I remember the way he asked me how Nellie and I met, then asked her the same question. He was trying to trip us up, and he was successful. And now he knows the truth. Well, maybe not the whole truth, but he knows Nellie isn’t my girlfriend. He wanted to humiliate me, and he succeeded.
Doug stops talking as he soaps up my junk. There are no two ways about it—this part is awkward. Especially since I’m chanting to myself as he does it: Please don’t get an erection. Please don’t get an erection. I have no control over it though, so it’s really up to my body. Thankfully, my dick gives me a break and stays soft.
My hair is very short and quick to shampoo and rinse. As soon as he’s done with that, Doug throws a clean towel over me to dry me off and give me a little of my dignity back. “Are you sure you’re okay with my going out?” he asks.
“I’m sure! Doug, go!”
“All right.” He smiles crookedly. “But I won’t stay out as late as last night. I’m pretty wiped.”
I know the reason he’s so wiped is partially my fault. He woke up two hours earlier than he would have to help me in the morning. I couldn’t ask for a better brother than Doug. He’s pitched in everywhere he’s needed to since my injury.
It’s going to be rough on me if he ever does get serious with a girl and starts a life of his own with her. I hate that there’s part of me hoping Doug stays single, even though he deserves a wonderful girl to spend his life with. I don’t want him to give up his chance of having a great relationship. It’s bad enough I had to give it up.
By nine o’clock. I’m in bed, wearing my boxers and an undershirt. My hair is still damp, but my skin is dry and my mouth tastes like mint toothpaste. My brother keeps glancing at his watch, because he’s running late, but he’s reluctant to leave me.
“Do you want to sit up or lie down?” he asks me.
“Um…” I don’t feel quite ready to go to sleep yet. “You can sit me up and… maybe see if Nellie will come over.”
A smile breaks out on Doug’s face. “Nellie, huh?”
I avoid his eyes, looking down at my splinted hands. “Just to have some company.”<
br />
“Sure, whatever you say…”
I roll my eyes, because I can’t make myself admit the truth, even to my brother. I don’t want him to know I’ve developed an incredibly pointless infatuation with Nellie Levy. I don’t want to see the look of pity in his eyes. I don’t want him to know how devastated I’ll be if he knocks on Nellie’s door and she’s not there.
Doug adjusts me in bed and goes to knock on the connecting door. He raps twice as my heart speeds up in my chest. And we wait.
No answer.
Damn.
“I guess she went out,” he says.
Right. Of course she went out. Why would a sexy girl want to spend one of her few nights in Las Vegas hanging around the hotel room with me? Especially after she already had to spend the whole goddamn day with me. Christ, why was I even thinking she’d be sitting around, waiting to be invited over? Last night she was tired from the trip, but I’m sure she’s downstairs at the bar now, having some real fun.
Fine. Good for her.
“Let me knock again,” Doug says, giving the door another rap.
I shake my head, trying to push away the sick feeling in my chest. “Forget it. She’s out.”
Except then the door opens. And there’s Nellie. Wearing another of those sexy oversized T-shirts that shows off her curvy white legs. My breath catches in my throat.
“Hey,” Nellie says. “What’s up?”
Doug steps back, his face barely registering how freaking hot she looks right now. Is he blind? Why am I the only one with my mouth hanging open?
“I’m going out,” Doug says. “And Alex was wondering if you wanted to come over.”
A grin spreads across Nellie’s lips as she peeks around the door at me. “Was he?”
“I figured you were going to come over anyway,” I mumble. But she’s no dummy—she can see the hopeful expression on my face.
“I suppose I can hang here for a bit,” Nellie agrees.
She’s staying. Holy shit, she’s spending her evening in my hotel room instead of going out and having a good time. I want to ask her what the hell she’s thinking, but I don’t want her to think about it too hard and reconsider. I want her to stay.
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