“Charlie said she was. So she is.”
“Did he?” her friend questions and even if this conversation wasn’t about me, my jaw would still hit the floor. Why would she ruin her friend’s big day?
“Jesus, Lindsay,” Ali says, getting up. “You really are no fun when it comes to Charlie, you know that?”
“Sorry,” Lindsay mumbles and to her credit she does appear remorseful.
With a disapproving look and a huff, Ali disappears into the changing room again before I have to answer. I should try for diplomacy with Lindsay. After all, I’m the one who’s full of crap. I know Charlie doesn’t want me to really be his girlfriend. If I wasn’t in the way, Lindsay could be putting the moves on Charlie. She could be winning his heart, for all I know.
The idea of the pretty little blonde with big handsome Charlie makes me nauseated, but I choke it down, and wash the bad taste out of my mouth with another gulp of champagne. I’m going to play nice with Lindsay.
“I just started dating Charlie,” I tell her waving off the tension. “It’s barely even a thing.”
“Yeah?” she says, looking surprised.
“Yeah, totally. Like, we haven’t had any talk about exclusivity or babies or marriage. We’ve only just started seeing each other.” I bite my tongue as soon as I say that. Charlie probably won’t appreciate that I've given Lindsay license to kill where he’s concerned. It’s true though. What’s the saying? The truth hurts.
Another gulp of champagne it is.
“Wow. Well… okay,” she says, some of her gloom lifting. Although she’s now smiling, my heart hurts and I wish I hadn’t said that. But I can’t take it back now.
I should have said, I really like him and he really likes me. And left it at that.
When Ali arrives again, she makes an entrance. The way she looks in the third dress knocks the breath right out of me. The dress is pure white, with delicate lace straps, lacy cups, and a full skirt. She turns, and the back has a row of tiny white buttons.
There’s a collective gasp in the room. She climbs up on the pedestal, straightening her skirts and looks at us in the mirror.
“Y’all,” she takes a minute to sway and then says, “I think I found my dress.”
“Yay!” Ellie and I clap in unison.
“That is definitely the one,” Lindsay affirms, her expression finally resembling happiness for her friend.
“No kidding,” Sam says, getting misty-eyed. “You're a gorgeous bride.”
“And look!” Ali says, pulling up her skirts to reveal a pair of cowboy boots. “We’re all going to wear these under our dresses.” I can’t help but smile. “Cute, don’t you think?” she asks.
“Definitely,” Sam nods in agreement.
“You and Charlie can knock boots. Literally,” Ali says devilishly.
I blush. “Yeah… maybe.”
I laugh, and the other girls smile. Marcus appears to refill our champagne glasses, and I absently empty my glass before he gets to mine, wondering what Charlie would say to that.
Charlie
“So your sister’s friend Lindsay has the hots for you,” Grace lowers her voice to tell me something I already know, leaning against the bar top and taking a small swig of beer. It’s late. Really late for her to be out, but I’m glad she’s still here. The bar’s nearly empty, and closing time is minutes away. Maggie and the others have already left. The drone of the television and one other person are the only things accompanying us. I can’t wait to get her alone. Mickey needs to take the hint and get the fuck out of here, but he always stays till I close. I get why he doesn’t want to leave though, and so I’m not going to kick him out. He just doesn’t want to go home where he’s going to be alone and miss his wife.
“Oh she does?” I tease Grace with an asymmetric grin. “I don’t really care; I’ve got the hots for you.” I almost said only for you, but I’m careful with my words. I want Grace, but I don’t want to lead her on. She’s made it clear what she wants. I respect that, but I’m a little too addicted to her writhing under me to let her go just yet. Besides the wedding’s only a couple of days away. She’s all mine till then.
She holds my gaze as she tips her beer back. The baby blues looking for something more from me.
“Come on sweetheart, tell me you’ve got the hots for me.” As I flirt with her, Mickey gets up from his seat and yells out, “Alright, I’m gone.” He grabs the remote as if he’s at a friend’s house, turns off the TV, and tosses it onto the table where it belongs as he walks out.
“Drive safe,” I call out to him, leaving my spot at the bar to follow him out and he turns around stopping me with a gesture. He glances at Grace behind me and gives me a look.
“You two have a good night.”
A smile curves my lips up as I follow him to the door and open it for him.
The second I lock the door I turn around to see a heat in Grace’s gaze. My dick's already hardening watching the way she shifts shyly on the barstool. I love the blush on her. It’s only for me.
“Last time I had you in the back room,” I lower my voice as I stalk my way to her. “This time I want you on the bar top.” Her eyes widen, and her breath hitches, her chest rising higher and falling with her heavy intakes.
“Right here?” she asks, splaying her hands across the bar behind her without breaking our gaze. The way she leans back makes her breasts push forward. She’s doing it on purpose and I love it.
“Right fucking there. So every day I come in here I can remember how your back bowed as I fucked you on my bar,” I breathe the words into the crook of her neck.
I let my fingers trail down her sides, watching as goosebumps form down her arms. She’s so responsive. I leave an open-mouth kiss just behind her ear, on that sensitive part of her neck and she moans softly in response, almost a whimper.
My fingers dig into the dip in her waist and I wait for her to open her eyes. When she does, her baby blues shine with lust. “Get your ass up here and get naked for me.”
There isn’t a second that she hesitates. She moves the second I give her the command. She turns her lush ass to me, crawling onto the bar top. The lighting is dim in the bar and this far back, no one will be able to see what we’re doing from the front windows.
But I’ll know. I’ll remember how I had her, long after she’s gone.
I’m eager to pull my shirt off and get back to my view of Grace slipping the sleeves of her shirt down her shoulders and stripping out of her clothes as quickly as she can. She’s eager too, maybe more so.
My jeans fall into a puddle on the floor and I push my boxers down and step out of them, standing in front of her naked and hard as a fucking rock.
A shuddering breath leaves her as she pushes her clothes off the bar, sitting on her bare ass with her knees bent and her feet on the bar. Her breathing comes in deep as she finds my eyes and licks her lips.
We’re both bared to each other, in the same spot we first met. I knew then that I wanted her, but I never thought it’d happen.
A grin stretches across my face at the realization that it really is happening after all.