Chasing Love (Dark Love 1)

“What’s wrong, Lex? Got a booty text from your string of skanks?” Nikki chuckles.

“Babe, he got his booty right here.” Rocky points to Charlotte, who’s attempting to count her stack but keeps stopping at thirteen to start all over again.

She finally catches the conversation, crossing her arms in defiance.

“Yeah, Lex, what… am I your booty on the side? How many booties are you tapping?”

“None at the moment since you won’t let me tap yours.”

“Oh, snap!” Nikki squeaks, covering her mouth in shock.

“Charlie, you’re giving the poor guy blue balls. No one wants blue balls, but when you’re married, it’s—”

Nikki raises her hand, cutting him off. “It’s what, Rocky? I fuck you three times a week and blow jobs every other day. What the fuck are you complaining about? Plus, when Flow’s in town, I let you fuck me up the ass.”

We can’t suppress the laughter as we roar in hysterics. This time it takes longer to recover. It isn’t even funny, but the damn vodka makes the painting of the trees on the wall hilarious.

“But it’s not like every day, you know? I still have to jerk off in between.”

“Lex, you don’t have regular pussy, so how much do you jerk off?” Nikki questions while attempting to pour shots in all our glasses. She’s way off because each glass has spilled over the sides and onto the table.

“I don’t know. Before Charlotte it wasn’t very often, maybe twice a week. Now like five fucking times a day, and it’s still not enough,” I say, pouting like it’s the saddest thing ever to admit is happening to me.

Rocky is roaring as he bangs his fists on the table. The chips fall over causing Nikki to laugh hysterically, and inadvertently, she spills her Sambuca all over her cards.

“OMG, Lex, that’s so sweet of you,” Charlotte cries, placing her hand on her heart.

“Fuck, Lex, you’re gonna get carpel whatsamajiggy,” Nikki slurs, sloshing her glass in the air. “Just marry Charlie already, then you can fuck her twenty-four seven.”

“She won’t marry me,” I deadpan, my expression turning serious. “She’s too busy playing the field with Julian.”

A small silence falls upon the room, a bit like a tumbleweed rolling by, followed by Nikki and Rocky laughing again.

Charlotte’s lips curve upward into a smile as she half-covers her face by holding her cards up. “You’ve never asked me to marry you. Maybe if you did we could’ve had nine wonderful years of fucking our brains out. And I’m not playing the field, Julian is my fiancé. You’re my friend…”

I can barely string my words together, and I want to say something, but I can’t figure out what. I stand, unsteady, and walk as straight as I can to the coffee table, grabbing the keys. Attempting to remove the metal circle loop thing which holds the keys together, I slide it out and walk back to the table.

Kneeling on one knee, in only my boxer shorts, I motion for her to hold out her hand. I slide the ring onto her wedding ring finger.

Charlotte touches the base of her neck, her shoulders loosening as she stares at her hand.

“This weekend you’re my wife. You said nothing’s off-limits.”

We may be overly intoxicated, but there’s a mixed emotion coming from her. With a blank stare, I can’t figure out whether she’s happy or sad. Searching her face for some sort of response, a flush sweeps across her cheeks as her mouth widens into a beautiful smile.

Wrapping her arms around my neck, she places her lips on mine for a brief kiss before mouthing, “I do.”

“Are we done with the corny bullshit?” Rocky complains, downing a shot then letting out a loud rasp. “Okay, fuckers, let’s play kill, fuck, or marry. Lex, you first.”

That’s the last thing I remember before it all becomes a blur.

LEX

I blink my eyes.

It hurts. But why?

I try again.