Catching Avery

by M. E. Clayton

  Nicholas vacated Q’s seat and placed himself directly in front of me. Even sitting on a high top table chair, I had to lean my head back to be able to look up at him. The fucker was tall. He placed his right hand on the back of my chair and his left hand on the table top, effectively caging me in, as he narrowed his chocolate babies at me. “Are you really this brave, Ms. Ellis, or is all that alcohol in your system making you feel invincible?”

  I narrowed my eyes back at him. “You mean the alcohol that’s responsible for my buzz that you’re currently killing?”

  He leaned in closer and I noticed his eyes would occasionally drop down towards my lips and it made me want to lick them. But there’s no way, with his pick of any woman on the West Coast, would Nicholas Savage be interested in me. I must be drunker than I thought. Maybe he was drunker than I thought.

  “Are you drunk,” I ungracefully blurted out.

  He shook his head. “No. Not by a long shot. But make no mistake, even if I had been, seeing that putz hitting on you would have sobered me up quick.”

  Okay, so then I was drunker than I thought, because why would he say that? Nothing he was saying was making any drunken goddamn sense! I shook my head a little to try to clear the alcoholic fog that was clearly making me stupid. “Look, I get that the universe quakes, quivers and bow downs at your command, but you’re jacking me up here. Say what you mean and mean what you say, because I don’t have the time for games. Drunk or sober.”

  I was so getting fired. Hopefully I didn’t take Quinn with me.

  Nicholas leaned in closer-if that was possible-and was about to comment when Quinn and Isabella finally made it back to our table. And because, clearly The Good Lord was mad at me, they weren’t alone.

  Izzy, Mr. Alexander and Mr. Moretti’s expressions were casual, but Quinn’s was looking at me like-as I said earlier-what in the ever loving fuck?!

  Nicholas must have heard their approached, because he moved to stand next to me, making room for Quinn and Izzy to sit back in their seats.

  “Hey, Ace.” Quinn’s eyebrows were back down where they belonged. “Sorry we took so long, but we got held up.” She tilted her head towards the other two buzz killers. Iz remained quiet.

  “I see.” I was already reeling from having to deal with Nicholas. Bringing these two into the mix was not going to help my situation at all. The oodles of testosterone were suffocating.

  “Ms. Ellis.”

  “Avery.”

  “Good to see you Mr. Moretti, Mr. Alexander.” I looked back at the girls to get some kind of clue as to what the hell was going on, but they were no help. They looked to be just as dumbfounded as I was.

  “What’d we miss, Ace?” I wanted to laugh. Quinn was already looking around for Rhonda.

  I know, Q…..believe me, I know.

  And because apparently alcohol was just as angry with me as God was, my mouth lost its filter. “Oh, not much. I was sitting here minding my own goddamn business, when this really cute guy named Jeremy came up to me asking for my phone number, but before I could give it to him, Mr. Savage here scared him away.”

  “Ace-” Later on in life, I’ll appreciate how Q tried to save me, but not so much now.

  “And now it’s almost midnight and I still haven’t found a random stranger to make my sexual fantasy a reality. I’m peanut butterless, Q. Peanut butterless!”

  Nicholas~

  The table had gone completely quiet.

  Peanut butterless?

  I looked around the table to get an idea of what the fuck she was talking about, but no one was any help. Julian had his eyes closed and was shaking his head. Chase’s eyebrows where damn near on the top of his head, no doubt trying to figure out where peanut butter fell into all of this. Mystery Girl straight up face palmed herself. Quinn was clearly looking around for a waitress to bring them more drinks. And Avery looked like the top of her ice cream cone just went splat.

  Good times.

  Before I could ask the question that was on every man’s mind, at least, every man at this table-Becky made an appearance and added another side show to this circus. “Oh, wow! These are your wives?” She looked the girls over. “You ladies are so lucky to have such loving husbands. See those girls over there,” she nodded her head towards the table of blondes that had sent over the shots earlier, “they were trying to get invited up to the VIP with these guys, but they made it very clear they were taken.” Becky took the girls’ stunned expressions as permission to continue. “And they were sweethearts all night long, I usually get a lot of pricks posted up there, but your husbands were just dears. You ladies are very lucky.”

  Chase threw his arm around a confused Quinn. “Nah, Becks…we’re the lucky ones.” He moved to give Quinn a kiss on top of her head. “I wouldn’t be where I am right now if it wasn’t for this gorgeous woman.”

  Before Becky could respond, Mystery Girl erupted, “Shots, Becky. We need shots.”

  “And another bucket of beers please,” Quinn chokingly added.

  “Of course, “she smiled. “Coming right up.”

  The table had gone silent again once Becky walked back to the bar to get the girls their drinks.

  After a few seconds, Mystery Girl threw an upward glance at Julian. “So do I need to hit the DMV tomorrow and change my name to Isabella Moretti?” With Chase having his arm around Quinn and me practically sitting on Avery, it wasn’t rocket science for her to see that she was paired up with Julian.

  Julian cocked his head and looked down at her. “Don’t forget the bank and social security office, too.” Then he winked at her.

  I looked around the club and saw that it was too packed to find a table that would accommodate all six of us. So, either we could go back to the VIP room, or we’d be stuck standing the rest of the night. Before I could suggest we head back upstairs with the girls in tow, Becky arrived with the beers and round of shots. “Here you go ladies.” She placed a bucket in the center of the table and placed a shot in front of each of the girls. “That’ll be an even fifty.”

  “Please add it to our tab, Becky, along with whatever else they order for the rest of the night.” I placed my arm around the back of Avery’s chair, hoping she didn’t break off the end of one of the empty beer bottles and stab me with it. I didn’t take her for the violent type, but alcohol did things to people, so you could never be too careful.

  “It’s crowed down here, why don’t we go back up to the VIP?” I was grateful Chase suggested it. I wasn’t sure how Avery would have received it had it come from me.

  “Yes. Why don’t you,” Avery encouraged.

  “Yeah, don’t let us stop you,” Quinn chimed in.

  Isabella (which I have to say suited her better than Mystery Girl) grabbed a shot and held it up to signal the girls to grab theirs. They all three held up their shots in a toast and drank down the shots like professionals. I studied Avery to see if I could tell just how drunk she was. “How many shots have you had tonight?”

  If looks could kill, Chase and Julian would be preparing my eulogy right now. “It’s going to take being married to me for longer than an thirty minutes before you can start dictating what I can and cannot do, Nicholas.”

  I huffed, but I was so happy that she finally said my name; I didn’t care how ridiculous the conversation about our fake marriage was. I leaned close enough that my lips touched her ear. “That’s not how this works, baby. The second you said ‘I do’ I had full control over you and that body of yours.”

  I felt her shiver and it took everything I had not to grab a handful of her hair, yank her head back and kiss the fuck out of her in full view of the entire club. Luckily Julian voice brought me back from that brink of madness.

  “I don’t know about your guys’ marriages, but in mine, I wear the goddamn pants.” And with that, he grabbed Isabella by the hand, yanked her out of her seat and maneuvered her around the back of Quinn’s chair and started cutting through the dance floor to take her up to the VIP balcony
.

  I could barely hear her shouting over the music, but like the good little kidnapped victim she was, Isabella just shouted, “Grab my purse, please!”

  Avery and Quinn looked after her with identical looks of shock on their faces, but before either of them could comment, Chase grabbed, what I assume was Isabella’s purse, and Quinn’s since they were on their side of the table and pulled the same move that Julian did. “Looks like we’re going with Plan B, Sav.” He grinned and dragged a protesting Quinn behind him.

  I got my wallet out and left another hundred on the table top. “Are you going to come quietly or do I have to throw you over my shoulder kicking and screaming?” When I looked over at her, I honest to goodness wanted to laugh. She had the most serious look on her face like she was giving it some real consideration. I grabbed her chin with my thumb and forefinger and tilted her head so she had to look straight at me. “Make no mistake, Mrs. Savage. I will carry you kicking and screaming, no matter who’s watching or recording us on their phones.” I could see the mention of recording give her pause. No sane person wanted to be immortalized on the internet forever for stupid shit.

  She focused her gaze on me, internally waging if I was serious or not. I was about to hoist her up off her chair when her next question stopped me. “If my ring is at the jeweler’s, getting reset, where’s your ring, Mr. Happily-Married?”

  God, she was enchanting. In the short thirty minutes that I’ve been in her company, she has shown to be beautiful, fierce, quirky, sweet and a complete smartass. ‘You trust me so implicitly that I don’t need to wear a ring.”

  She snorted and while she reached for a beer with her right hand, she flipped me off with her left.

  I laughed. I couldn’t help it. I wonder if she’s this quirky sober. “Come on,” I angled my head towards the VIP area, “your friends are waiting.”

  She grabbed her purse and I grabbed the bucket of remaining beers. “I want you to know, the only reason I am following you up there is to rescue my friends.”

  I helped her off her chair, but kept hold of her elbow with my right hand so she wouldn’t take off without me. As I began to lead her away from the table, Rhonda appeared. “Is this table open now?”

  “Yes, thank you, Rhonda. Avery, Quinn and Isabella will be upstairs with us for the rest of the night.”

  “You want a new round of drinks?” she asked, already clearing off the table.

  “Yes, please.” I didn’t know what made me do it, but as I pulled Avery in front of me so that I could follow her upstairs, I kissed her on the top of her head. “Come on, Imp. Let’s go.”

  She peered up at me and raised her brows, but blessedly, she didn’t give me any shit and headed towards the VIP stairway.

  I had been fighting a hard-on all night when I was watching her earlier, but being in direct view of her tight little ass in those jeans she was wearing as she walked up the stairs had me holding the bucket of beers in front of my crotch. Holy fucking hell, this woman was sexy. I didn’t have a particular preference when it came to women. Tall, short, thin, thick, blonde, brunette, redhead, I didn’t really care. If I was attracted, I was attracted. The only thing I couldn’t stand was a stupid, simpering female. Those I couldn’t deal with no matter how much gag reflex they lacked. But there was something decidedly female about Avery that had my dick threatening me with all kinds of bodily harm if I didn’t seal the deal. The second she looked up at me with those fucking silver eyes of hers, I knew I was fucked.

  When we finally made it to the room, Isabella was cradled next to Julian on one end of the couch, looking rather cozy and Quinn was next to Chase on the other end of the couch, looking a might bit sour. Looked like Avery was going to be stuck sitting on my lap in one of the single chairs.

  I set the bucket on the table and Quinn quickly reached right over to pluck out a beer. “This is turning out to be a complete disaster, Ace.” Quinn shot Isabella a sidelong glance. “Except for Izzy, she might still manage to have a successful night.” She plunked herself backwards, elbowing Chase in the gut.

  “Oomph.”

  I sat down and pulled Avery down onto my lap, but asked, “Ace?”

  Avery waved the question away. “Nickname based off my initials, Avery Christine Ellis.” And because she hadn’t tortured me enough for one night, she bent over and stretched out to grab a beer out of the bucket on the table. She was going to sit back down on a surprise, but it couldn’t be helped. While I knew she didn’t do it with the purpose of seducing me, what did she expect?

  I knew the second she recognized what she was sitting on, because she tensed and immediately started to jump up off my lap. I wrapped my arms around her waist and dragged her back down and held her there. If she wasn’t going to help my dick go down, then she could damn sure hide it from view.

  “I prefer Imp.”

  She scoffed. “I don’t care what you prefer. I’m still filing for divorce tomorrow.”

  “Law offices are closed on the weekend.” She was not fake divorcing me. Period.

  Rhonda chose that moment to show up with our drinks and she noticed Quinn was looking none too happy. “Oh honey, don’t be mad at your man. You guys are too cute to be cross with each other.” She gave Quinn a sassy wink and then left just as quickly as she arrived.

  Chase leaned over to nuzzle Quinn‘s neck behind her ear. “Yeah, babe, don’t be cross with me.”

  Isabella laughed softly and even Julian let out a quiet chuckle. It looked like out of the six of us, those two were the only ones going with the flow. No doubt Julian was thinking karma was a wonderful thing. “Okay, looks like we can just try again next weekend.” Quinn looked pointedly at Chase. “Somewhere else.”

  Chase gave her an irritated look, which surprised the shit out of me, because out of the three of us, Chase was the most laid back and didn’t stress over women. “Try what again, exactly?”

  To my horror, it was Avery who drunkenly answered. “What do you think? We came out tonight to get laid. Same as you, I suspect.”

  I heard a mumbled ‘Jesus’ out of Julian as he took a drink of his beer, but Chase was more vocal with his ‘motherfucker’ as he reached for his Seven & Seven on the table. I was so stunned at her honesty it took me a second to comprehend what she actually had said.

  And when I did…

  I stood up, forcing Avery to stand with me. “What the fuck did you just say?”

  As she turned around to face me, she placed her hands on her hips and got right up in my face. “I said we came out here tonight to get laid, same as you, Pot. Or do you prefer to be the Kettle?”

  Chapter 6

  Gluttony: Because apparently I need more drinks, how else would I be able to handle this lunatic’s fantasies??

  Nicholas~

  I knew I shouldn’t have been this unnerved by her declaration, but I was. No matter how strong a buzz I may have had going and no matter how much fun the banter was, I knew she wasn’t really my wife. She wasn’t my girlfriend. Hell, she wasn’t even really my date. The sad fact was that she was simply just one of my many employees, but unlike all my other employees, I just happened to want to fuck this one. And before her unfiltered outburst, I wasn’t concerned with anything farther than a one night stand. But now…I wasn’t sure where I was going with all of this.

  “Are you out of your fucking mind?!” I roared. I knew I didn’t have the right, but I didn’t care. And the fact that I saw Julian, Isabella, Chase and Quinn get comfortable on the couch to watch the fireworks, wasn’t going to deter me, either.

  I yanked the beer she was holding out of her hand. “I’m cutting you off, because you’re obviously drunk.”

  She snatched another beer out of the bucket. “I’m neither drunk nor out of my mind. We made these plans even before we started drinking.” She didn’t back down at all. “And I fail to see how it’s any of your business. I am off the damn clock, Boss!”

  I was really starting to hate that word. I got back in her fa
ce. “The way I see it, you must be out of your mind if you think I’m going to just sit back and watch you pick up some random stranger to take home. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?”

  She took a couple of steps back, so that she could spear me with her glare. “No more dangerous than it is for you to pick up some random female and take her home with you!”

  “Are you high? It’s not the same thing and you know it,” I responded. “The risks are not even close to comparable when it comes to men and women picking up strangers.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and regarded me with a one raised brow. “Oh, really?”

  No doubt all three ladies were going to want to stab me by the time I was done, but it needed to be said. “Don’t play stupid, Avery. Men are the dominant species, the odds of a woman causing us harm is way less than what a man is capable of doing to a woman.”

  “You sexist asshole!” I noticed everyone on the couch cringe. “So, you’re telling me that while a woman has you captivated by her silicone enhanced cleavage, it’s not possible for her to slip a drug in your drink?” She started pacing in front of the glass wall as she continued to make her arguments. “It’s not possible for her to lure you to her hotel room only to have some guys waiting there to beat you up and rob you? Are you saying that a woman is not capable of giving you an STD or poking a hold in the condom?” She stopped her pacing to come back and stand right in front of me again. “Men are every bit as in danger as women are, you arrogant prick!”

  “Avery-” Isabella tried to interrupted, no doubt trying to settle us down. After all, she seems to be the only one happy with the way the night was panning out, if the way she was nestled next to Julian was any indication.