Chapter Eleven
Rose laughed along with Maggie, Poppy, and the four other college and high school friends making up the bachelorette party as Rachel tried to pin the penis on the naked fireman poster Rose had tacked to the wall. Luckily no one in the main part of the restaurant could see what was going on in the private room, but they could probably hear the raucous laughter.
“To the right,” Jamie called out, trying to help, but they’d all had a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, making Rachel a bit uncoordinated. Luckily all of them had taken a car service to the restaurant and they’d take one home, too.
“Your other right,” Jamie called out, sending Rachel’s hand to the left as she pushed the pin in, giving the fireman an impressive penis in the middle of his stomach.
Rachel pulled off the blindfold and stared at her handiwork. “So close,” she shouted, then burst into laughter.
Maggie picked up her phone and smiled, then turned the phone to Rose, showing off a photo. “Look at our guys.”
Rose spotted Gray immediately. He sat at the back of a pack of men with Marc seated up front of the long table. All theguys held up glasses of whiskey. Gray’s exuberant smile, along with all the others, said they were having a good time.
“Mom said you met someone.” Poppy leaned in to get a look.
“That one.” Rose pointed to Gray.
Poppy bumped shoulders with her. “Nice, sis. He’s hot.”
Maggie pouted. “Hey, check out my man. He’s hot, too.” Maggie was at least one glass of wine ahead of the rest of them.
Poppy patted Maggie’s shoulder. “He’s definitely good-looking.”
“But does he have as big a dick as this?” Jamie called out, holding up her paper penis.
Maggie considered it. “Close,” she said, deadpan, making everyone laugh again.
Jamie put the blindfold on; Rachel spun her around in two circles and nudged her toward the poster.
Maggie texted Marc back and held the phone up for Rose to see her reply.
MAGGIE:Looks like you guys are having fun.
Another picture popped up immediately and a shot of jealousy went through Rose.
Gray was sitting on a booth bench, a low table littered with whiskey glasses in front of him, and a topless girl standing between his legs. The stripper’s face was cut out of the picture, but Gray had a half grin, his gaze on her ass. But when she looked closer, the amusement in his smile didn’t reach his eyes.
Poppy saw the pic, too, and eyed Rose. “Are you mad?”
It took a second for the wild jealousy running through her to ease and for Rose to think clearly. “It’s a strip club. Of course the girls are all over him. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s an illusion.” She wondered if Marc had sent the picture to rile her up. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. They were out with six other guys. He could have sent a picture of any one of them with a stripper. “Send that to me, so I can razz Gray.”
Maggie forwarded the pic to her, and Rose immediately sent it to Gray.
ROSE:I hope you gave her a really big tip.
Poppy leaned in to see Gray’s response, but nothing came in.
“He probably isn’t looking at his phone,” Poppy said.
Maggie smirked. “He’s too busy looking at all the tits and ass.”
Rose laughed, along with Poppy, but there was an uneasy feeling in her gut when it came to Marc and the bachelor party.
“You’re really okay with this.” Poppy studied her.
“Gray and I may have just met, but I trust him. He’s given me no reason not to, and was completely up front about where they were going tonight and that he’d rather be with me than at that club.” She shrugged. “The man has been nothing but considerate and forthcoming with me. I have zero worries.”
He hadn’t given her any reason to think he wasn’t sincere about wanting to get to know her better.