An Aces Christmas (The Aces' Sons)

“She hasn’t dealt with it,” Charlie argued.

I knew that. It was why all of us worried. Nodding, I got to work on my last pie. I sure as hell wasn’t going to let Callie finish before I did.Chapter 4KaraPast

“I can’t believe they flipped a coin for me,” I said, rolling my eyes at Charlie to try and hide how nervous I was. I’d amped myself up so badly that my stomach rolled with nausea as we waited for the boys to pick us up.

“They’re assholes,” Charlie said easily. “It’s not like the four of us won’t stay together the whole time anyway, unless they find some poor, unsuspecting dateless girl to woo.”

I laughed, but the sound was hollow.

I was in a dress that made my boobs look awesome and my waist look tiny. My normally straight hair was a tangle of curls. I’d done my makeup flawlessly and I’d replaced my normal Chapstick with bright red lipstick. Bottom line, I’d never looked prettier in my entire life. If the boys ditched us—if Curtis ditched us—while I looked like this? I would know for sure that nothing would ever happen between us. Part of me thought that might be kind of a relief because I could finally move on, but the rest of me was wound so tight at the thought of it that I hadn’t been able to eat all day.

“Dipshits are here,” my dad said, striding into the kitchen where we were sitting. He stopped me as I got up to leave. “You know the rules. Stay with the boys and Charlie. No ridin’ with anyone that’s been drinkin’. Don’t ever take a drink or a smoke from someone, not even if you know ’em. Men are disgustin’ and boys that age are worse.”

“No Solo cups,” Charlie added helpfully as my dad paused long enough to take a breath.

“That’s right,” dad said. “You didn’t open it, you don’t drink it.”

“I don’t drink,” I replied, throwing my hands up in exasperation. “And you do this every time.”

“Eventually, you will,” he said gruffly, looking slightly green. “Don’t be stupid about it.”

“The boys are here,” my stepmom Rose called from the living room. “Oh, they look good, too. Daaaaang.”

“You look especially gross saying that with your huge belly,” Charlie pointed out as we hurried to the living room.

“You never look gross, baby,” my dad said, making me snort. “But it is kinda creepy.”

“They’re practically my nephews,” Rose said, waving him off.

“We’re not related to them,” I argued, occupying myself by grabbing my small purse off the back of the couch.

“Fine,” Rose said, wrapping an arm around my waist. “I’ve known them since they were babies, and even if I didn’t, I don’t go for high school boys.” She gave me a squeeze. “Better?”

“Can we just drop it?” I hissed.

“Consider it dropped—hey, guys,” she called out as my dad answered the door and stood in it, his arms crossed over his chest.

I resisted the urge to stomp my foot as he continued standing there, staring them down, like I hadn’t spent every weekend in their company since I was eleven years old.

“I know where you sleep,” he said ominously before taking a step to the side.

“Very well done,” Curtis said, nodding as he stepped past my dad.

“Agreed,” Draco mumbled, patting my dad on the shoulder. “Very scary. Intimidating, for sure.”

My dad laughed, but I was barely paying attention.

I knew that none of the boys could get into the dance without a coat and tie, but I hadn’t even been able to imagine the boys I’d grown up with fully decked out. Struggling to keep my mouth from dropping open, I took them in. They were in tuxes, and not the dorky kind that were all boxy and uncomfortable looking. These tuxes looked made for them. Slim fit and dear God, were they wearing cufflinks? Draco was wearing a black shirt and black tie under his black suit, and I’d normally think that it was a little overkill, but it wasn’t. It definitely wasn’t.

Curtis was wearing a white shirt under his matching black suit, but instead of a tie, he had an untied bowtie dangling around his neck and the top button of his shirt undone. I gulped.

“They said I had to wear a tie,” he said to me when he caught me staring. “They didn’t say how I had to wear it.”

He shot me a small grin and I cleared my throat, trying to find a single thing to say.

“You guys clean up good,” Charlie said. Even she was impressed. “Your mom shop for you?”

“Your mom did,” Draco shot back.

“That comeback would work if you weren’t talking about your grandma, idiot,” Charlie said, laughing at him.

“No, really,” Curtis said. “Gram took us. Mom said she wouldn’t go in a tux shop because they all smell like feet.”