“You shut it. If you had sent one of them in there, I would have been gone a whole lot longer,” I go to sit on the far side of the group and Bell pulls me down into his lap.
“Gross. You need a drink, I am already three deep,” I could have guessed how many she has had by how she is acting; I have seen her drink enough that I basically have it down to a science.
One makes her more talkative, two makes her giggle, three makes her warm and not care about people looking at her, four or more and you are in for a treat of dancing. Seven is her limit in under four hours, after that she can have one an hour without throwing up.
“You have no idea. Here in this house, with these men watching my back I will be DRINKING. Something you have never experienced before.” Her eyes go larger than dinner plates and she bounces around like a child that’s just been told they don’t have a bedtime.
“Yes, bitch!” She grabs my hand and tries to pull me toward the bar. I plant my feet and lean back into Bell, his arm is still tight around my waist.
“Zoe.” She turns around to look at me with a pout on her face. “You do not go anywhere in this building tonight without one of these five men or me. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, but you were coming with me, so what’s the problem?” She tries to put some attitude in her tone but because of her three drinks it doesn’t work.
“Did you know that it was okay to walk around with me before I told you that?” She folds her hands in front of her and shuffles her feet, shaking her head no, “Don’t look like a scolded child. I just want you to be safe and this crowd isn’t always the nicest.” We had talked about this in the car but I didn’t expect her to remember it, of everything else that I said in the car, this one seemed the least important.
I take her hand and we go over to the bar. Bell and Top both follow us, standing right behind us like bodyguards.
“Princess! You’re back!” Toughs rough voice comes from the other side of the bar.
“What are you doing behind the bar? Officers don’t work the bar.” He grabs the grey goose and pours me a drink, when he sets it down in front of me, he turns his whole attention toward Zoe.
“Who is your beautiful, colorful friend?” Zoe tried not to, but she is unable to stop the blush that creeps up her chest.
“Zoe, this is Tough. He is the club's sergeant at arms. Tough this is Zoe, she is the president of my sorority.” He doesn’t try to hide his laugh and his shock at the word sorority. I know that my dad didn’t know for a while, but I assumed that when he found out that everyone else in the club would too.
“I am surprised by so many things that I have found out lately. First you are dating three of the officers, then your father knows, and no one dies, you are in a sorority AND you brought one of them home?” He grabs a new glass and a bottle of whiskey off the shelf behind him. “You look like a whiskey-sour type of girl, sunshine.”
“How did you know?” She manages to say after taking a sip of the drink.
“I’m good at reading people,” he winks at her and walks out from behind the bar, joining us before we walk back over to the other guys.
“Did he call you princess? Do you have something going on with him and I didn’t know?” Zoe whispers as we make our way through the crowd.
“Absolutely not! Tough is attractive but my three men are more than enough for me, also he did, most of the guys do.” I don’t hate it as much as I used to, it's not a pet name so much as a nickname or a title.
“Why?”
“I am the MC princess. My father didn’t have any other children and seeing as he is the president, this is his Kingdom.” She nods her head after my explanation, the way that she is checking out Tough makes me want to ask her if she is thinking about adding a third to her little ménage á trois. She has been watching me with the guys, maybe the idea is growing on her.
Eventually, we move from the bench to one of the much more comfortable couches on the other side of the bar. By 10 PM the bar is packed, and the music has changed to something much more dance-worthy.
“I’m going to dance,” I whisper to Bell and kiss his neck, running my hand down the front of his cut.
“I don’t dance, doll.”
“I know you don’t, but you can watch.”
I pull Zoe out with me, we stick close to the side near the guys, making sure that we have a clear view of them, and that they can watch us. The music is easy to find a rhythm with and before long I have worked up a sweat.
“I thought we weren’t supposed to go anywhere without them?” Zoe shouts over the music.
“No, YOU aren’t supposed to go anywhere without them. I can defend myself. Plus, you are with me, and we aren’t really without them, they are watching. Closely.” I spin her around and pull her back against me, turning us so that she is looking right at the guys.
I am not ashamed to admit that we put on a show for them. We roll and grind against each other, getting as close as we can without being inside one another. That is until someone comes up behind me and tries to put his arms around me.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I warn him as I step away.
“Oh, come on, I just want to dance.” He pushes closer to me even though I said not to, trying once again to put his hands on my hips.