Lou steps toward me after helping the girls. “Henry, what can I get you, man? Oh, you want to close out. Hang on.”
I call him back just before he hits the register. “I’ll take one more before you close it. Cognac rocks.”
I turn my head to stare right at Giselle and catch her eyes. She blinks. Her mouth opens slightly, and that’s when I know that I’ve caught her off guard. She knows what I’m telling her. I remember. And so do you.
If I had blinked, I would have missed the side of her mouth kick up, but instead of rewarding me with a smile, she turns to the dipshits again.
I take a sip of my drink, sign the slip, and lean on the bar to finish up. And to eavesdrop.
“Gentlemen, it's been a pleasure drinking on your dime, but I’m afraid this is where our night ends. You see, Henry over here is getting married soon, and I promised him and his fiancée a threesome before they tie it off.” I choke on my sip, the glass jerking in my grips and splashing over my hand. Giselle grabs a napkin, dabs it on my lip, winks at me, and smiles.
“How’s that Cognac, Hen?”
Everly walks up a moment later and snakes her arm around G’s waist. “What’d I miss?”
“Well, I was just telling these fine gentlemen that I have to bid them a good evening because Henry and his fiancée are collecting on their threesome tonight.”
Most people would laugh or even be taken aback by that. Not Everly. Leave it up to my fucking sister not to bat an eyelash and instead she just replies with, “Oh, that’s tonight? Totally forgot. Gentlemen, thank you for the drinks. I hope we’ll see you out again.”
And like a damn idiot, the tall blonde guy, who is nothing like Thor, if I’m being honest, is also not picking up the rejection and decides to ask, “Why don’t we do this again sometime?”
Instead of responding, G huffs and whispers, “Madonna mia,” under her breath and waves the bartender back over. “The drinks were so good tonight, Lou. Please be sure to put my and Everly’s drinks on Henry’s tab. We’re about ready to head out.”
“You got it, G.” He looks up toward me. “You good with that, Henry?”
As if I had a choice. The moment this woman entered my life, I was out of choices because I was hooked. I didn’t think it would happen that way. The stunning effect of finding a person that, for some reason, you crave to be near. Equal parts attraction and curiosity. Heat and warmth. The strange notion of listening to some ridiculous instinct that isn’t visible or likely sane, but doing it anyway.
I nod at Lou, “All good.”
“Yo yo yo! You girls coming to Dad’s for a nightcap?!” Law calls out as he thrusts himself into the mix.
“Fuck yeah, we are, Law-baby,” G pipes in over Everly, already saying yes.
“I just texted him, so he knows we’re coming,” Michael says behind me.
The funny thing is, I’m not ready for the night to end either, and now that she’s folded into it, I’m trying my damndest not to look as happy as I am that she’s tagging along.
“You’re extra broody right now. Nerves? Worried about having to perform for two women? I have very low expectations. Wait, is it bigger than a baby’s arm?” G keeps prodding as we make our way out. I know she’s trying to get me to crack.
I can’t help it as a small laugh falls past my lips. And she looks like she just won the lottery, the way her eyes widen and a coy smile crawls across her mouth. Because she’s the only one who saw it.
13
Giselle
“Why are you staring?”Everly asks from the couch.
“I’m not staring. I’m concentrating.”
“On what? I asked you about your shop.”
“What?” I ask.
“What is going on with you? We didn’t drink that much!”
“I’m doing kegals. I need to concentrate when I do them. Some women are like”—I lift my voice to a higher pitch—“You can do them wherever you want. It’s so easy.” I flap my arm to my side, annoyed. “I need to focus on the clenching,” I say when I look back at my friend.
She’s giggling. “G, my face hurts from laughing so much tonight.”