Slow Grind (Men of Mornington)

Sam and Cam help Aubrey stand and all five of us take a quick bow before Em announces our exit.

“Don’t forget, ladies. You can make a direct donation to The Men of Mornington if you enjoyed the insanely sexy show tonight. The website is listed on the flier. Remember, stripping for a cure is a real thing and you all just witnessed it. One more time for The Men of Mornington!”

I run off the stage, adrenaline pulsating through my body. The noise from the crowd is deafening. Who would’ve thought a bunch of chicks could get so rowdy? Aubrey, who ran off during our exit, is waiting for us, a huge smile on her face as she jumps up and down. Without thinking, I sweep her into my arms and hug her, easily lifting her off her feet.

“You guys killed it,” she squeals. “They’re still screaming for you. I can’t believe how good you were.” She shakes her head, her cheeks flushed pink. “If I didn’t know you, I’d have thought you were professionals. Maybe you all should be considering a career change. You’re all still fucking dead, though.”

I throw my head back and laugh. “I’m more than happy to do whatever I need to for Max, but I can’t see myself making a career out of it.” I turn to her and smirk. “I do have a few more tricks up my sleeve, though I’d like to save them for someone special.”

Her face goes red, and I laugh as her eyes dart toward the other guys, making sure they didn’t catch on as if they didn’t realise it when I had Aubrey on stage. She glares at me, which only makes me laugh harder. God, she’s so easy to wind up.

“That was insane,” Nash laughs and slaps me on the back.

“Too insane,” I grin. “I had no idea how fun it would be.”

“Yeah, but you know Max is going to kill you, right?” Cam comments. Yeah. I’m pretty sure if there’s video out there somewhere, which I’m sure there will be, he’s going to see it wasn’t just a show for a crowd, but a show for Aubrey. Go big or go home, right?

I’m still coming down from the high hours later. We’re sitting around a table at the back of the pub, knocking back drinks like they’re free. The only people left in the place are us and a handful of chicks who have been acting like our groupies. The guys are making the most of the attention they’re getting from the women, but honestly, I’ve barely even noticed. The only chick I care about is sitting opposite me.

Aubrey says something to Sam, who sits next to her. Kicking my shoe off, I stretch my leg out under the table and run my foot along the inside of her thigh. Gasping, she jumps. Her wide eyes settle on mine accusingly as I smirk back at her.

“I still can’t believe you did that to me,” she mutters. She narrows her eyes at me like she knows it was my idea. I cross my arms over my chest and smirk at her.

“Come on,” Sam teases. “Any woman in that crowd would’ve loved to have been in your position.”

“So why didn’t you pick one of them?” she retorts, her cheeks glowing. “My brother is going to kill you all. You know that, right?”

“It was worth it,” I grin. Yawning, I stretch my arms out. Every part of my body aches and all I want to do is collapse on my bed and sleep for a few hours. “We should call Max and tell him how it went.”

“Already did,” Aubrey smiles. “Told him all about it. Even your little off script performance. Trust me, he’s gonna kill you.” She holds her head high, as if she loves the idea of Max ripping into me.

“Again, it was worth it,” I say, winking at

her. Sam eyes me thoughtfully as he finishes the last of his drink. I raise my eyebrows at him, almost daring him to say something. He shakes his head slightly, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

“Well, as much as I’d love to spend the night chatting to you guys, I better get home and face Laura.”

“Face her?” I laugh. “Sounds serious. She didn’t come tonight?”

“Nope. And apparently, if I went ahead and performed, then we were over.”

“Is that a bad thing?” I ask.

“Drew,” Aubrey hisses, “you can’t say that.”

Sam laughs. “It’s fine. My girlfriend’s a bitch. I know that. I think I should’ve ended it a long time ago.” He stands up and grabs his jacket off the back of his chair. “See you guys later.”

“If you need to talk to someone, you know where to find me,” I call out after him. He holds his hand up and continues walking.

“I guess we better be going, too,” I say, glancing at Aubrey.

“‘We’?” Nash says, raising his eyebrows.

“She’s staying with me while Max is in hospital,” I explain. I can feel my face going red, which is only going to fuel his suspicion.

“Uh huh. Sure,” he replies, a glint in his eyes. “I’d better get home, too. All that ‘acting’ has really worn me out.” He turns to Aubrey. “If you get sick of him, you’re welcome to stay at my place. I’d love to have you. I’m a great host.”

“She’s fine where she is,” I say, gritting my teeth.