She used to always make the biggest mess when she would get ready. I would always ask her what she needed all that shit for when she was naturally beautiful. She didn’t need a damn thing on her face to look pretty. She’d just roll her eyes at me, tell me to be quiet, as she’d pick up her brush using it as a microphone to sing whatever song was playing at the time.
Brannon, Wes, and Kinsley are all gathered around in the lobby. Kinsley’s scrolling through her phone, while absentmindedly talking to Wes about the itinerary for the evening. I don’t bother worrying about what she has planned. I trust she has it all taken care of. I don’t need to get in her way, she’ll make sure I am where I’m supposed to be.
While we wait for the rest of the crew to meet up with us, Brannon and I talk about the upcoming Iowa football season until Callum, Ellie, Mason, and Brea join us a few minutes later.
“Dammit, Halle. Of course, you have to be the last one to arrive,” Kinsley huffs.
I want to laugh at Kinsley. It drives her crazy when Halle is late.
Glancing over at the bank of elevators, I consider asking her if she wants me to run upstairs quick when Halle steps out of the elevator. Her long blonde hair is curled in waves, pulled over her shoulder. She’s dressed in a black fitted dress. The straps are small, only about an inch wide. As she comes closer to me, I admire the lace material that covers her body. Staring at her, I watch the subtle bob of her throat as she swallows, and it takes everything in me not to pull her in my arms and kiss up her neck, feeling the lace beneath my fingers.
She looks fucking stunning. A knock-out.
Drinking in every inch of her body, I follow the path down to her legs to the black heels strapped around her ankles. If I had half a mind, I’d haul her over my shoulder and carry her ass back upstairs to my room. The last thing I want is anyone else drinking their fill of her in that dress.
I picture the looks she’ll get tonight, and I can’t help the possessiveness in me. I want to keep her for me and my eyes only.
“Damn,” Brannon mutters, as I shoot him a look before turning to stare at Halle once more.
“Hi, boys,” Halle says, flashing me a wink before looking over at Brannon.
“Pick your jaw up off the floor, Brannon. It’s not a good look for you.” Halle laughs, as she struts over to where Brea and Ellie are standing.
“She sure does have a mouth on her,” Brannon retorts.
Growling, he looks over at me and laughs again. “Easy. I’m just making observations. To be fair, you’re the one who put her back on the market.”
I want to tell him to fuck off, but I’m too distracted by Halle’s legs in this lace dress to care. She looks incredible and I know without even asking, she wore this dress tonight knowing she’d be seeing me.
She’s tempting me, and she knows just the way to bring me to my knees.
Callum clears his throat and everyone turns their attention to him.
“Kinsley, I owe you for this. You all look amazing tonight,” Callum says, as the rest of the guys nod our heads in agreement. Callum laces his fingers with Ellie, raising them to his lips. “Ellie, baby, you look absolutely beautiful. I can’t wait to make you mine forever.”
Ellie’s cheeks flush a rosy pink as Callum kisses her.
“I’m going to be honest with you though, Kinsley. If you don’t get this show on the road, I’m going to take my soon-to-be wife upstairs and you won’t see either of us until it’s time to head home.”
Ellie laughs, smacking him on his chest, as he wraps his arms around her pulling her into a kiss.
“Alright, you two,” Kinsley reprimands. “You can hang out with us for a little bit and then you can go do whatever you want to do. I have plans tonight and I’m not going to let you ruin them.”
Before Callum and Ellie can think about escaping back upstairs to their suite, Kinsley has us all out the door and into an Uber. We go out to dinner at a nice restaurant not too far from the hotel called Glass Glow, before we’re dropped off outside of Velvet.
“Oh my God,” Brea sighs, wrapping her arm around Mason’s as she smiles up at him. “This brings back so many memories. I miss it here.”
It really does. We’ve had so many great memories working together at Velvet. It’s hard to believe it’s only been a few months since we were living in Chicago.
Glancing over at Halle, her eyes are fixed on me. They have this far out look about them and, for a moment, I wonder what she’s thinking about. She had to have heard what Brea said and I feel like an idiot for not thinking about what being here would do to her.
She gives me a forced smile and my eyes narrow, before I smile back.
The sky is dark, but the lights of downtown Chicago make it feel just as bright as if it were the middle of the afternoon. Although with the sun having set, the heat has cooled down making the windy city feel brisker.
We move to stand in line just before I hear the loud bark of my name, and I turn to see Craig standing there. He’s the owner of Velvet and, honestly, is more like a father to me.
He waves at me, before waving me over to him. When he sees just me coming, he shouts, “All of you, c’mon.”
I hear Kinsley joke about how it pays to have connections, as I walk over to the man that has played such a huge role in my life.
“It’s good to see you, Son.” He smiles, looking behind me over to Mason and Brea. Brea wraps her arms around him, telling him it’s good to see him just before Mason claps him on the back saying the same.
We bypass the line of people waiting to enter, walking into the front of Velvet. Glancing behind me, I check that my friends are following along behind me. Kinsley and Halle both have this wide-eyed look about them. When you grow up in Arbor Creek and the extent of your clubbing is Friday nights at Brodie’s, it’s a little more of a culture shock. I don’t think they quite knew what they’d be getting themselves into tonight.
Before we’re even two steps inside, I hear one of the bartenders and Brea’s former roommate, Lissa, cheering excitedly when she sees Brea and Mason. She ushers everyone over to the tables reserved along the side of the bar, while I hang back taking a few minutes to catch up with Craig.
“How are you doing, Son? How’s the business going?”
“Things are going well. My mom is doing well. You know how hard it was for me to think about going back to Iowa, but honestly…” I sigh, looking over at Halle and my friends, as Lissa has her notepad out taking their drink orders. “Honestly, it’s really good to be back home. I know for the longest time I said I’d never go back, and I really believed it. I have good friends though and they really are helping make it easier.”
“I’m so glad to hear it,” Craig says, clapping me on the shoulder. “I’m really proud of you, you know? You’re doing such great things for yourself.”
Turning to look at Craig, I detect the glint of happiness in his eye and I know he really means it.
“Which one is she?” he asks, taking me completely off guard. I know without asking him to elaborate who he’s referring to. “Wait, don’t tell me, let me guess.”
I laugh, seeing the wide smile on his face.
“She’s the blonde one in the black dress, right?”