“Wouldn’t a better way to ring in the New Year be by starting it six inches inside of me?”
Charlie laughs, walking over to me as I decide between earrings to wear. He grabs my hips and pulls me against his bare chest.
“I would love to start this year like that but I made a promise. I will make one to you now: next year, we can start it in our pajamas, snuggled with our kittens, watching the ball drop on TV.”
My body hums at the idea of being with this man for another year. I will be with him for a lifetime if he will have me.
His fingers go to the edge of the dress, which ends just above my mid thigh. It gives new meaning to the term micro mini and I love how sexy I feel in it. When I picked it up the first time, I joked that someone would confuse me for the New Year’s ball itself.
The dress is black and covered in sequins and rhinestones, long sleeves to short skirt. The neckline in this dress isn’t as dramatic as the one I wore to the engagement party: it is wider than that and it does wonderful things for my cleavage. Charlie’s eyes have barely left my body since I put it on. Twice, I’ve caught him buttoning his shirt wrong. If anything, this is making the case for why we should stay home.
“You’re positive I won’t be underdressed, as in, having the least amount of clothing on?” I ask, tugging the hem down as if it’s going to suddenly grow another six inches by doing that.
“Baby,” he starts, and I grin like a teenager, “you are going to be the hottest woman there. I’m going to be fighting assholes off you all night.”
“I only have eyes for you,” I reassure him, kissing him deeply. His hands start to wander and I pull away.
“Jack and Vivian will be here for dinner any minute,” I warn, and the look in his eyes floods my veins with desire. The knock at the door stops us from taking it anywhere, though my hands were reaching for him.
Charlie groans in frustration, pressing a quick kiss to my temple. “Coming,” he calls at the door.
“You wish,” I mutter with a smirk as he slaps my ass before going to get the door. Now that they’re here, I know that I need to hurry. I slide into the bathroom to finish my makeup, sorting through it to see what will match best with the black dress. Vivian comes and finds me and is in an equally short, long-sleeved royal blue dress.
“I am going to freeze my ass off,” I say, looking at her in the mirror as I apply my mascara.
“At least you will look hot doing it?” she offers, leaning against the counter.
I glance at her out of the corner of my eye. “We said ‘I love you’ a few nights ago,” I confess to her, smug as I say this. Things with Charlie have been so physical, the words felt like affirmation that what we have is deeper than just great sex.
Somehow, the sex has gotten steamier, as he works to elicit each noise I am capable of. He’s pleased, preening like a peacock when he discovers a new one, doing what he can to draw it out again and again. When he comes home from work, I make sure he knows that he may be the boss at work, but he isn’t once he crosses the threshold. But I want more: I want a life together that is more than sex, more than orgasms and noises, more than accidents and making amends.
“You two are something else. Jack says that you’ve bewitched Charlie with your pussy.”
I burst out laughing, nearly drawing my eyeliner across my face. “And here I thought it was my sparkling wit.” I plant my hands on the counter looking at Vivian. “Honestly, Viv, how long is it going to take me to win him over?”
She sighs and stands up straight. “I don’t know. I’m trying to work on him but he’s stubborn and hard-headed. I think he feels betrayed by the break-up with Ainsley and he’s upset.”
“Okay. Well, A., Jack didn’t break up with Ainsley, Charlie did. B., I didn’t break them up. And, C., He doesn’t trust me because of what happened between you and me.”
“I hate to keep rehashing this because it’s like cutting open a scar to see if you’re healed underneath. The root problem was a guy who you’re not even with anymore.” She takes my hand. “We’re good, I promise.” She holds out her pinky and I link mine, a long ago forgotten tradition of drunken pinky promises.
“Are you ladies ready? We’re going to miss our dinner reservations if you don’t shake a leg,” Jack calls just before we emerge.
“Beauty takes time, my dear,” Vivian says, walking over to her fiancé as he holds out her jacket. For a moment, he only has eyes for her, and then he shifts his gaze to me in greeting. His eyes catch on the necklace that Charlie gave me for Christmas, which rests on my collarbone. Something flashes in his eyes and I reach out and touch it to confirm that it’s on right. The moment is forgotten as Charlie shakes my coat for me to step into. The coat is so long that it covers the edge of my dress. The idea of greeting Charlie in just the coat flits through my mind before I dismiss it. I’ll have to think more about that another time.
The restaurant is a beautiful Michelin-starred place that I’m excited to try. Charlie made us reservations, which ensured we had a table. I’ve never eaten somewhere that was fancy enough to take our coats before seating us. Jack keeps it civil during the meal, but I swear he grimaces every time Charlie touches or kisses me. I think Jack actually gags when Charlie tells me I need to try something from his plate and he feeds it to me. I don’t stifle the groan of delight as I savor the different flavors. When I do that, Charlie leans over and whispers in my ear.
“I haven’t heard you make that noise before.” His breath is hot on my neck, raising goosebumps on my skin. I blush at his teasing, but I glance at him, my eyebrow raised suggestively.
“Oh, get a room, you two,” Vivian says playfully, sneaking a bite from Jack’s plate.
“Seriously. Get a room,” Jack’s deadpans, killing the mood.
Later, when we’re waiting for the car to the club, I’m alone with Jack. Charlie undertook the task of getting our coats and Vivian ran to the bathroom, leaving me with just a small window.
“Seriously, Jack, I thought we moved past this overt disdain.”
“You say you’re not a gold digger, but you’re walking around preening, wearing a ten thousand dollar necklace,” he hisses at me.