“What’s up? Your pretty Porsche struggling to keep up with a real man’s car?” I pull my jacket in and stalk into the bar, hearing Sam laughing behind me. I spot them in a nanosecond, laughing, staggering.
And then they clatter to the floor in a drunken mess.
And my temper goes from hot to burning, not only because she’s fucking plastered.
The dress. She’s wearing the fucking dress. The dress she didn’t want to even fucking buy but did, solely to piss me off. The dress she probably didn’t want to wear tonight but did, solely to piss me off.
“Keep your cool,” Sam says quietly beside me, holding on to the sleeve of my jacket.
“Still think this is fine?” I ask, tugging myself from his hold and marching over as Kate pushes herself up a little. She clocks me. Her face drops.Yes, be worried.
Her head tilts farther back, keeping me in view as I get closer. “Oh shit,” she breathes, prompting Ava to sit up, quickly but clumsily.
“What?” Her eyes climb my body to my face. I expect panic to find her. It doesn’t. Her lips straighten. Is she restraining laughter? Leaning into Kate, she says something, and as a result, Kate snorts and Ava falls apart. She finds this funny? Side-splitting funny by the look of her rolling around on the floor.
I, however, could quite easily wring her fucking neck.
Sam appears at my side, and I glance out the corner of my eye at him. He, too, is restraining his amusement. So everyone finds this funny except me?
“Jesse, sort your woman out,” Jay says tiredly, motioning to the pile of females littering the bar floor.
“Oh, don’t worry,” I say menacingly, giving Ava the death stare. “She’ll be sorted out. Thanks for the call, Jay.” Ava’s eyes widen.Yes, I’ve been keeping tabs. Yes, I’m fucking livid.
Sam moves in and helps Kate to her feet. “Come on, you pest.”
She falls into him, laughing. “Take me to bed, Samuel. You can tie me up again.”
He gives me a wary gaze, still holding on to his laughter, as he’s smothered by Kate’s drunken mouth. I return my eyes to Ava. That ridiculous dress is practically around her waist, revealing a slither of the lace beneath it for all to see. “Up,” I hiss. “Now.”
“Oh, lighten up, you bore,” she sighs, attempting to get herself off the floor. For fuck’s sake. I find it in myself to help her, and once she’s vertical, the dress sucker-punches me in the gut. Or, what there is of it, which isn’t fucking much.
“Are you mad at me?” she asks, clinging to my suit to hold herself up.
Oh, she has no idea. “Crazy mad, Ava.” I take her elbow and lead her out of the bar, where we find Sam negotiating Kate into his car. Ava bursts into fits of giggles again.
“Samuel, tonight is your lucky night,” Kate declares.
I shake my head. We all know the only lucky thing that’ll happen to Sam tonight will be avoiding the inevitable spewing session.
He nods his goodbye to me and gives Ava a kiss on her cheek before I pull my irresponsible girlfriend away, my mission to get her out of public view in that fucking dress my main objective. She’s staggering. It makes me even madder. How was she planning on getting home?
I deposit her in my car and reach for the belt. “I can put a seatbelt on,” she snipes, pushing my hands away. I glare at her and, wisely, she quits fighting me, shutting the hell up. It’s evidence of the fury she’s facing if, even drunk and feistier, she’s backing down. I secure her, leaning across to fasten the belt. “You smell delicious,” she whispers.
I turn my eyes to her. I can’t even bring myself to relish in her appreciation. I slam the door and get behind the wheel, taking out my anger on the pedal.
“Kate’s house is that way.”
“And?” I ask, taking a right at the lights.
“And... it’s where I live.”
“You’re staying at mine.”
“No, that wasn’t part of the deal. I have until eight in the morning before you distract me again.”
“I’ve changed the deal.”
“You can’t change the deal.”