“No shit!”
Shaking my head I return to the kitchen, walking into a throng of strangers, and wondering if Denise had me pegged. Maybe I am stubborn.
But I’ve had a crush for over a year.
Nicholas would chew me up and spit me out. I’m not like these party people who live for the thrill of immediacy and freedom.
I’m a nester. I prefer to stay at home, watch a great Sci-Fi movie, cook a delicious meal and go to bed early.
Introvert, that’s me.
Not stylish, also me.
Wishing I would go back in that room, lock the door, and get naked?
Me again.
CHAPTER 6
N ICHOLAS
L ook at her go, mmm.
When Maddie was slapping that gorgeous ass, my cock cheered.
Odd bird that one. She covers herself up, total Plain Jane, but when the anger was raging she was sexy as fuck. Like she dropped her invisible cloak or something. No wonder I never noticed her with the way she presents herself. I don’t like the clothes but I can always take them off.
I think I found my next goal.
But wait a second. People are looking at her and whispering.
Oh shit.
They think we had sex in there.
That’s my fault.
My reputation is inventing hers.
Frowning, I watch the effect it’s having on Madison. She sees their reactions. Like a wilting flower she begins to disappear right before my eyes.
Over the loud music I shout, “Hey Maddie, buddy, want another drink? I’ll go grab us one. What were you having again?”
That oughta dampen the gossip.
Over her shoulder, she blinks at me, eyes more vulnerable than when we were alone. “Um, gin and soda?” she ventures, uneasily.
“You got it. Find Denise and I’ll find you both.”
Still uncertain she says, “Okay.”
I give her an encouraging smile and we head in separate directions.
Matthew strolls through hordes of people who make way for him. “So Marla took off. Some dude came to her rescue and she left in his Porsche.”
“She flip out after I left?”
“Because you grabbed that other chick first, and not her? What do you think?”
We make our way to the bar, a disaster zone now.
Reaching under the tablecloth, I smirk, “Not to worry. Billy has back up,” and dig around until my hand finds purchase on the right bottle shape. “Bingo,” I mutter, handing a full Bombay Sapphire up to Matt. “What’d you think of her?”
“She’s a fuckin’ whack-job. But that’s probably why she’s great in the sack.”
I hand him red cups and a back-up Pellegrino bottle. “I meant Madison.”
“Who’s Madison?”
“Exactly. Look at all this ice. I love Billy.”
“Make me one, too. We lost our glasses, by the way. I went back for them and they were gone. Madison the new girl? This for her?” He holds the plastic cups so they don’t topple, his fingers stretched over three of them.
“Yeah. That’s the thing. She’s not new. Been here a lot from what I gathered. Knew who I was.”
Matt shrugs, “That’s not hard.”
“I’ve never seen her before. And we know Denise. I guess they’re friends.”
Matthew blinks at the cups. “Oh, you wanna get one for Denise, too?”
“I did. These are for you and them. I’m not having another. I’m driving your drunk ass home.”
He grins, “Better sober up then, because it’s getting late.”
“I am already. Whatever buzz I had is gone. Think that fight cleared my head. That was funny as hell.”
We start walking, and a path clears for us again. I take note of it because the opposite happened for her. Frowning I replay how we saw that fight break out, and all the nuances of our exchange in the empty bedroom. She’s interesting.
Glancing to Matthew, I take one of the drinks from his hand. He eyes me, so I ask a casual, “What?”
“You want to deliver it to her.”
“I’m the one who bent down to get the gin, remember?”
Billy shouts, “Meatballs!”
Matt and I shout, “Later!”
“Stop worrying about your waistlines, ladies, and eat my balls!”
I laugh.
Matt calls back, “If I was worried about my abs, Billy, I wouldn’t be drinking this!” He holds up his cup. “Get some real glass next time, you cheap sonofabitch!”
Billy waves him off and goes back to his business.
Some guy whose name I don’t know, asks me in passing, “Hey Nicholas, is your cousin Lexi single?”
“Fuck off.”
His smile drops.
Matt and I stroll into a cool January night made warmer by heat lamps placed throughout the modest suburban yard. I spot Denise but not her friend. A frown slides into my forehead as I search dozens of faces. As we get closer Maddie comes into view, and I relax. She’s squatting to pet a black Labrador whose long tail is wagging like crazy.
I have a soft spot for dogs. My family’s always had them, all the way back to Aslan and Noosh who were there when I was born.
“What a good boy,” Maddie murmurs as she strokes his soft ears.
Smiling at the Lab I ask, “Who’s this? Here you go, Slugger.”
Maddie laughs through her nose—a small, cute sound as she straightens up, eyeing me like she’s not sure why I got her a cocktail. “Thanks. He wandered over. But he’s so well behaved his owner probably just lets him roam.”
Denise thanks Matt for her drink.
I squat down to pet the dog, “Hey boy, how you doin? Aren’t you a handsome guy?”
“He’s very friendly,” Madison smiles.
“Sure is.” Touching under his snout I murmur, “Look at that face, huh?” Giving him a last pat I stand up and cross my arms. “So, Madison, what do you do for a living?”
She watches him amble into the crowd searching for his owners or for some more love from strangers. “I’m a nanny.”
“You go to school for that?”
She’s got great lips. Full in the center and slender on the sides. I’m imagining what it’d be like to chew on them. Feel her breath as it hitched right before I—
“I’ve taken parenting classes, and children’s psychology courses, as well as CPR, whatever would improve my skills.”
Impressed, Matt nods and hums his approval.
Denise is focused on me. “Nicholas,
