Until May (Until Her/Him)
“Yeah, the woman I’ve come to care about just got fucked over by my family,” I tell him, and he laughs. “Glad you’re finding this shit funny.”
He sobers, then leans into the table, resting both his hands on the white tablecloth. “Look at your mother and your sister,” he orders, and I glance over to where they are now sitting and find them both wearing matching sour expressions on their faces. “Your girl just made a point that she’s not to be played with. They thought they had the upper hand by pulling that bullshit and with the Monopoly money comment.”
He shakes his head. “I doubt they know who May is and the kind of money she comes from.” He leans back in his seat, resting his hands on his belt buckle. “So you can go over there and lay into your mother and your sister for pulling that stunt, or you can sit your ass down and relish in the fact that they won’t do that shit again and that the only people who look bad right now is them.”
I study him for a long moment, then grit my teeth and take a seat, scrubbing my fingers through my hair.
“I know it might not feel like it, but you just made the right move.” He lifts his hand in the air, and a second later, a man steps up to the table, bowing at the waist. “Can we get two glasses of bourbon?”
“Of course, right away.” The man nods before backing up, then taking off toward the bar.
“Thanks,” I tell him, and he shakes his head at me.
“The drinks aren’t for us. They’re for her.” He dips his chin while looking over my shoulder, and I turn just in time to watch May walk toward us with her chin held high despite the people staring at her and how uncomfortable I’m sure she is. “I hope you know how lucky you are, son.”
“I know,” I assure him as I stand.
“I ordered you a drink, kid,” Herbert tells her when she reaches the table, and she smiles at him, then tips her head back to me when I wrap my hand around the back of her neck. Using my thumb under her chin, I tip her head back farther, then cover her mouth with mine and devour her right there, hoping everyone in the room is watching me stake my claim on this beautiful woman, who I do not fucking deserve but vow to try to.