Hit me again? Oh goodness.
“Pop didn’t care if they ran off, though. He was never scared and he almost never gave up when it came to his kids, career, and his heart.” Dylan brought the tequila bottle down and poured us all more shots. “You could take a lesson from Pop, Chrissy. Stop being so damn afraid to be with a dude. I mean, that Maceo guy set out a whole picnic in your honor. The work is almost done on the club and I still haven’t seen a bill. I’ve called and he told me not to worry about it.”
“You talked to him?” Excitement burst in my body just at the mention of someone else hearing his voice.
“Yeah. I called him today. He told me not to worry about the balance, that meeting you was enough.” He placed the bottle next to me. “Okay, guys. Here’s shot number two. How many do you think we can reach tonight?”
Denise clapped. “Four at least. This sounds like a challenge. I’m hyped.”
“Really, Denise?” I quirked my eyebrows.
“Leave me alone. These are my fun life coaches.”
“And how did that happen again?” I asked.
“Your brothers came to my office,” she said.
“Thing One and Two stumbled over to your office in Brickell?” I directed my skepticism to them. “An office that is thirty minutes away from their condo. You two went there to see my friend? My best friend, one that is on the list of women that you do not compete for.”
“We’re not competing for Denise.” Dylan stared at me with a prove-that-I’m-full-of-shit expression. “We just realized that we hadn’t seen her in almost two months. You know she’s fam. We’ve known her as long as you’ve known her.”
My crew of awesome women and I had gone to University of Miami together. During that time, my brothers were still in high school and loved to visit me, if only to be around so many hot women. When they got their driver’s licenses they were our official designated drivers on the weekends. And they loved it. Courting intoxicated and hot, older women soon became more important than going to high school parties. The college girls loved them. Soon they were getting more invitations to sorority parties than me. My only rule was that they couldn’t date any of my close group of friends, Denise included.
“What?” Dylan pouted. “We’re not competing for Denise.”
I shifted my look to Douglas. “And what do you have to say?”
He wiped the sweat off of his forehead. “We both like her, but decided not to go after her.”
Denise blushed. Dylan cursed under his breath while I tapped my shot glass for another round.
“That wasn’t a secret,” Douglas said.
“I don’t think Denise knew you two were into her,” I said.
Dylan targeted her with a heated gaze. “Well now she knows.”
I cleared my throat. He fixed his position really quick by going to the other side of the bar and cleaning those discarded glasses.
“We’re both on our best behavior, sis. No worries.” Douglas risked a glance Denise’s way. “We just both decided that neither can have her, so we’ll just make her a fun friend.”
Still blushing, Denise squeaked out, “That sounds fine.”
This is going to be crazy. My twin brothers just being a friend with a girl? I didn’t know they had female friends.
“Let’s just make this clear,” I did my best to bring all of their attentions to my direction, “Denise is my friend, which makes her panties off limits. And my twin brothers are idiots and man whores, which makes their disease-infested and stinky boxer briefs off limits. Are we all clear on those facts?”
They all nodded, yet giggling and chuckling ensued.
With another bottle in his hand, Dylan roared, “Let the shot challenge begin!”
Chapter 8
Drunk Dialing
“Hello?” Maceo’s voice was pure silk on the other line.
Pure silk.
I immediately yearned to fuck him, or at least hear him moan my name while his dick lay between my hungry lips.
“Hello?” he asked again.
I could’ve listened to him say that one word over and over as I touched myself. Cold darkness blanketed my office, even my window’s blinds shielded the moonlight. My brothers and Denise had already headed off in cabs. I was the only one who sat in Sin.
“Christine?”
“Yes.”
“Are you okay?”
“How did you know it was me?” I closed my eyes and shut the world around me out. Only his voice commanded my full attention. “You didn’t have my number.”
“Dylan gave it to me. At least, I think it was Dylan.”
“What was the twin wearing?”
“A basketball jersey.”
“Yeah, that’s Dylan. Douglas wouldn’t be caught in anything but Armani.”
Maceo laughed. It broke my heart, but I couldn’t figure out why. I’d only known him for a few days, nothing more. His laugh flowed out so playful and free. I craved to be as free.
What am I trapped? Why do I need freedom? And from what?