CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER TWELVE

BROOK

I’m excited about going out tonight. I dragged poor Zac all over the mall to find an outfit. The first dress I tried on was probably over the top. It was a little too short, a little too tight, and might have shown a little too much cleavage. When he finally got his jaw off the floor, we both decided it wasn’t me. We disagreed on a couple more and finally found one we both could accept. I actually loved it. And it looked good. We went to the shoe store after that, and bought a pair of boots, then went home and waited.

* * *

It doesn’t take long to get ready. I put on just enough makeup to highlight my eyes and lips. My hair has a beachy wave to it. The black dress fits like a glove and the boots go along perfectly with it. I’m feeling pretty good and looking forward to having fun.

I go downstairs after primping to visit Zac before leaving. He’s in the living room watching TV.

“What are you going to do tonight?” I ask.

Zac shrugs and sips his beer. “The guys are coming over to watch a game.”

He seems pretty nonchalant about the whole thing. I thought me looking like this and going out with the girls might bother him. I might be a little jealous if it were the other way around.

The girls text that they’re getting close.

“They’re almost here,” I tell him. “Guess I better go outside and wait.”

Zac heaves himself off the couch and puts his hands on my waist. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

He kisses me passionately and slides his hands around to my behind. Pulls me into his massive cock. It’s pulsating behind his zipper.

“Oh, Zac,” I moan.

He cups my breast and I slide my hand down to his . . . my phone buzzes, then buzzes again.

Fuck.

“Guess it’s time,” Zac says.

My body is throbbing and tingling, and I don’t want to leave. I tell him so.

He says, “Go have fun. We can finish this when you get home.”

My phone buzzes again and I feel like flinging it across the room. But I don’t. I smooth out my dress instead. “Walk me out?”

“Of course.”

Hellos are exchanged when we get to the car. “Have fun tonight,” Zac says and helps me in.

I wave. “See you later.”

He closes the door.

“Let’s go,” Natalie says, and shifts the car into gear.

We leave Zac standing there, alone. Poor guy.

* * *

The line to enter to enter the club is long.

“It gets longer as the night goes on,” Natalie says.

“Really?”

“This is the happening place.”

I look at the end of the line. It’s growing by the second. “How long to get in?”

“Not long.” Emily snatches my hand and pulls me to the front of the line. A man the size of Godzilla is guarding the door. “Hey, slugger,” he says to Emily. “How are you, Natalie?” he adds.

“Fine, Tony. Thank you.”

“She with you?” He points at me.

“Yes.”

He steps to the side and opens the door. “Have a nice evening.”

I look at Emily as we waltz inside. “It’s all in who you know.”

* * *

Crystal chandeliers hang above the dance floor and along the bar. There isn’t much lighting either, so it takes a while for my eyes to adjust. There’s no place to sit and people are dancing everywhere. The music is banging.

Natalie tugs at my hand. I shadow her and Emily up a flight of stairs to a second floor, where tables and booths are set up. There’s a dance floor off to one side and a marble bar on the other. The lighting’s a little better up here.

“Over there,” Natalie says and points at a table. “Why don’t you two grab it and I’ll get the drinks. What do you want?”

“Coke,” I say. I’m not much of a drinker.

Natalie scrunches her nose. “What?”

I cup my hands around my mouth. “Coke.”

“I heard you,” Natalie says. “You sure that’s what you want? It’s girls night out. We’re here to get wild.”

“Coke is fine.”

“Okay.” She says to Emily, “Tea?”

Emily nods. I wonder why Natalie doesn’t razz her for not drinking. No matter.

“Come on.” Emily motions for me to follow her to the table.

We sit down and I survey the room. It’s not long before I’m tapping my toe and bobbing my head.

Emily leans across the table. “Great place, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Here you go.” Natalie sets out drinks on the table and sits down.

I hold my glass up. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Emily takes an umbrella out of her glass and I wonder why I didn’t get one. “You don’t drink either?” I ask her.

She looks at Natalie and back at me.

“You ordered tea?”

“Oh, yeah.” She grins. “They have the best tea here.” She holds her glass out to me. “Here, try it.”

I should have known something was up when I took the glass and she looked back at Natalie. I took a sip and as my throat sears, my mouth puckers, and I bet I blink a hundred times.

They laugh at me.

“I’m sorry.” Emily takes the glass from my shaking hand. “I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t help it.”

I wipe tears from my eyes. “That’s all right.”

Natalie holds up her drink. “A toast.”

Emily and I raise our glasses. What are the pranksters going to do to me now?

“To friendship,” Natalie says.

“To friendship.”

We drink and one of my favorite songs starts playing.

I put my palms on the table. “I love this song. Let’s dance.” I hesitate and take off for the dance floor. The girls soon join me. We bop around for three songs, then go sit back down, and polish off what’s left of our drinks. Then we order another round.

Someone taps my shoulder and says my name.

“Hi, Jenny.”

She seems happy to see me. I don’t feel the same way. She pulls a chair over and sits beside me. “Who are these chicks?”

Jenny’s both drunk and rude. I hold my tongue, but it’s hard.

She needles me in the side for an answer.

I try to control my tone. “Emily and Natalie. They’re my friends.”

She doesn’t acknowledge them. “When are you coming back to stay with me?”

I grimace. Don’t know why she would ask that.

“You still with that guy?”

Natalie and Emily are leaning over the table trying to hear what this whack job is saying.

Before I can answer her, she insults me further.

Jenny continues, “You’ll be back when he’s done using you.”

My jaw tightens. I’m about to have my first fist fight. “Listen here, Jenny.” I waggle a finger under her nose.

“All right,” a voice booms. “You weren’t invited.” It’s Zac, and he has both hands on the back of Jenny’s chair and gives it a rattle. She nearly tilts over.

She regains her balance and glares at Zac. “Oh. It’s you, you fuck.”

Zac laughs and waves a bouncer over. “This lady is drunk and won’t leave.”

“All right, miss.” The bouncer grips her arm.

“Get your hands off me,” Jenny says and jerks free.

“Come on, ma’am.” The way he grabs her this time, she won’t be breaking free.

“Let me go!”

He lifts her out of the chair and she’s flailing. “Goddamn you.”

“Sorry about this folks,” the bouncer says to us. “She won’t be bothering you again.”

“Thanks, Fred,” Zac says.

Fred nods and starts carrying Jenny away.

She glowers at me. “You’ll pay for this, Brook!”

I stop myself from flipping her off.

“So, how has your night been?” Zac asks and sits where Jenny had been sitting.

“It’s been fun.” I lean into him, loving his woodsy scent. “What’re you doing here?”

“We decided it might be fun to join you.”

“We?”

Zac points. Caleb and Ben are talking to somebody over by the bar.

“Oh,” I say.

Another of my favorite songs begins to play. I grab Zac’s hand. “You want to dance?”

By the time he answers, “not really,” I’m dragging him to the dance floor.

I move in close like it’s a slow song. Rub my body against his. He pulls me closer and kisses me.

“I like this,” he says.

“Me too.”

He nibbles my ear and slides his hand down to my ass.

My body trembles.

“You want to go?” he asks.

“Yes, I do.”

We grab our things and say our goodbyes. We made love that night and it was grand.

* * *

It’s Monday morning and my first day of work. I’m so excited.

On the drive to the gallery, I think about last night’s conversation with Zac. He’d found out some things about my aunt and it’s enough to make me fume.

“He wasn’t my parents’ lawyer?” I had asked him.

“It was all just for show.”

Zac went on to tell me they had contacted my parents’ real lawyer and he was going to do something or send something. To be honest, I shut down and quit listening after Zac said it was all a scam. I just couldn’t deal with it.

* * *

My new manager shows me around the gallery when I arrive. It’s like an art gallery in Knoxville where I did an internship. I should get the hang of things pretty quick.

I’m in the back room sorting through art work for an upcoming show when the manager comes in. “Time for lunch.”

“Really?” I look at the clock on the wall. It’s 12:15. “Wow,” I say. “Okay.”

I spend three minutes finishing what I’m doing and then skip to what they refer to as the break room to gather my purse. Zac is waiting for me there.

I giggle. “What are you doing here?”

“Taking you to lunch.” He hands me my purse. “Shall we go?”

We stroll from the break room through the exhibition room. I point at the distinguished gentleman in a three-piece suit. “That’s my boss, Mr. Douglas.”

He sees me pointing and waves. “Zac,” he says.

“Charles.”

“You know him?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know everybody?”

“Just about.”

I hook my arm through his and lean my head against his shoulder, and we walk out of the building.

A block away, we come to an outdoor eatery named Hebert’s. We take a seat and the hostess brings us water and menus.

We order.

“Nice place,” I say.

“It is.”

I sip my water and observe the passersby, and then I do a double take. I recognize someone across the street and down the way.

“What is it?”

“I think I see someone I know.” I stand because I’m not seeing them anymore.

Zac cranes his head. “Who?”

“Karen.”

“Who?”

“My aunt.”

Zac stands. “Your Aunt Karen?”

“Yeah, but it couldn’t have been.” I shake my head and sit back down. “Probably just someone who looks like her.”

Zac sits down as well.

I take another sip of my water. My hand is shaking.

“You going to be okay?”

“Yeah.”

The server brings our food.

It’s a quiet lunch. We finish eating and Zac walks me back to work.

“You’re sure you’re all right?”

“Yeah. Just imagining things is all.”

“See you tonight, then.”

I nod.

We kiss and part ways.