Deb replied with a giant eggplant picture and a question mark.
I replied with “100/10, would definitely recommend.”
That got LOLs and laughing emojis all around.
“You sure you can’t come to Numbers, Deb?” Tara asks.
She shakes her head. “One drink and I’m meeting my new beau for dinner.”
“Or you’re avoiding Killian because you think he doesn’t want you there. He really doesn’t mind,” I throw in.
She shakes her head. “Earlier this week, me, Tara, and Cam were at the park at lunch and we saw her. Dario’s new girl. The fact that I’m even here and not in bed eating my feelings says a lot, believe me. I’m not interested in seeing Kill and feeling my nose get more rubbed into it,” she says.
“I have other news, related news,” I tell her.
She stares me dead in the eye.
“They’re getting married next weekend. Killian got invited, so I’m gonna be there.”
Her eyes are dead. Not a flinch of emotion. Deb is a tough girl and I suspect her showing weakness would be an extremely rare occurrence, probably not something she’d do in front of a bunch of girls. Only alone, where no one could see.
“I need another shooter. A double,” Debbie says without her face changing.
I wave at the bartender.
“I had to tell you. I’m not the kind of person who likes to keep secrets from my friends.”
She nods and swallows. “I need a drink and then I’m stepping out for a smoke.”
“Hurry!” Cammy shouts at the bartender. “I’ll go get ‘em,” she adds and dashes that way.
The bartender, Corey, the one who flirted with me a few weeks ago comes over with a drink tray, smiling at me.
I smile in a friendly way but look away quickly. I don’t want to give anyone any mixed signals.
***
Cammy and Esther are climbing into the car in fits of giggles. We’ve had a lot of fun tonight at Numbers.
Tara and Brit hug me next and climb in as well.
Susanna gets in last, blowing a kiss at Killian, who is standing behind me. He wraps his arm around me and I lean back, happy, feeling like I’m glowing.
My friends are all smitten with him. And this makes me happy.
I cuddle into him and wave bye to them all.
When we arrived, we were fed drinks and food and then given players cards to do the video games, which was a hoot. We then bowled two games and when we went up to the bar for karaoke. Brit, Tara, and Esther did not waste any time getting up there to do a Spice Girls number.
Killian showed up while me and Susanna did the Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow Picture duet. He showed up right in the middle of the song and me doing the Kid Rock part. We always did this song at Karaoke bars and it took us a few minutes tonight to figure out whose turn it was to do Sheryl’s part.
And I’m drunk. I’m the world’s worst singer, though, drunk or sober, and my first instinct was to hide under a rock when Killian stepped into view, but I managed to keep going, though I turned my back to him.
“Good night, ladies,” Killian says, leaning into the limo.
“You’re awesome, Killian Coulter,” Cammy says. “And you have a kickass name, too.”
“Thank youuuu,” Esther and Tara sing out together.
“Take good care of my girl, tonight,” Susanna advises. “She needs to drink water before she goes to sleep. And take Ibuprofen.”
“Gotcha,” Kill says.
“Thanks. Great night!” I hear Brit tell him.
I’m shivering. It’s definitely getting colder out. It feels like it’s going to snow.
And I’m feeling just a little sobered up from the fresh air.
Killian leads me to his SUV and opens the door for me.
I stumble a little getting in and giggle.
He lifts me up and puts me in, a smile on his face.
“You okay, there, songbird?”
I nod. “Way more than okay. Take me to your place and hurry, Killian; I really wanna have dirty, drunk sex.”
His eyes go wide. “Dirty, drunk sex?”
I giggle.
“Dirty?” he repeats, looking very intrigued.
It’s been such a great night. His meeting started after closing, so me and the girls had drinks and snacks up in his office, looking down over the whole place. They were uber impressed.
I nod. “Yup. Dirty as we can get. Let’s hurry.”
He jogs around to his door, making me laugh, and then we squeal and fishtail out of there.
I’m laughing my head off while he drives like Mario Andretti.
When Ray drove fast, it scared me. That’s another thing he’d do – drive fast when we were arguing, like scaring me would mean he’d win the argument. And it worked.
Killian driving fast? I’m fine. Not triggered at all because I feel so safe with him.
“You’re so handsome,” I tell him. Touching his hair.
“Thanks, baby,” he says, smiling.
“Like, movie star handsome,” I say.
“Glad you like what you see. Believe me, I feel the same about you.”
“And I can’t believe you like me. I’m feeling like I’m dating way above my caste.”
He shakes his head. “Not remotely. You’re a fuckin’ knockout. You make my dick hard, Violet. Even when you sing. And that’s sayin’ somethin’.”
I bark out a laugh. “Do you give my singing two thumbs down?”
“Naw. I’m glad you had a good time tonight. And that confidence was sexy, until you spotted me and tried to hide. Then it was cute.”
“I had a great time tonight. Celebrating. Celebrating what might’ve been my newfound freedom, but better. Because I’m not just free of those shackles, I’ve got you. And you’re … you’re great.”
“I got shackles for you too, Dimples.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “If you want the drunk sex to be extra dirty.”
My mouth drops. “Don’t think I forgot about you bein’ into kinky stuff. Deb said that day she heard that girl in the pedicure chair say you were way too kinky for her. How kinky are you?”
We stop at a red light.
He laugh, but he’s scratching his eyebrow thoughtfully. ”Depends on the girl. Some girls make me wanna be extra kinky.”
“What girls?” I narrow my eyes.
“You. Plannin’ to get extra dirty with you. Breakin’ you into my kinda kink slow. Are you worried I’m too kinky for you?”
“Not likely.”
“Good to know,” he says.
“Like, kinky sex in the kitchen? With food ‘n stuff?”
“That’s one possibility,” he says, looking deep in thought.
“And sex toys? Bondage?” I ask.
He smiles wide. “Yeah. That’s fun, too.”
“I’m down,” I tell him. “Take me to your lair, cuff me to the ‘frigerator, and do me there. Have at me while you feed me pineapple pizza.”
He laughs. “That’s a shade too kinky.”
I laugh harder.
“You’re cute when you’re loaded, baby.”
“I’m happy,” I tell him with a big smile.
“Good. My goal is to keep those dimples on your cheeks.”