The bartender is still looking at me. He’s cute. In a clean-cut, I like to iron my jeans kind of way. Not my type.
“Nope. Thanks for the drink.” I slip him a fifty. “Please, any time I come toward this bar, have another one of these waiting for me?”
He nods with a smile.
I stare off into the sea of bodies and watch as my best friend stands across the room, schmoozing the crowd as she’s so effortlessly used to doing. She runs the shit out of her family’s business. I can see she’s anxious to meet the guy she’s been sleeping with here. Jack. The snack of a photographer that just came into town and barreled his way into my girl's universe. She looks refreshed and relaxed for once. And well-fucked. Maybe even happy.
I love watching people at this event. It’s a perfect mix of local Strutt’s Peakers and the pretentious out-of-towners. The town gossip train is here in full force, too. It’s the auction that tends to bring the most scandal. Who will bid on which Riggs kid this year, and not to mention, once it’s over, what will the winners do with them? Most of the time, it’s an evening of drinking and whooping it up in a bit of luxury, but every now and then, there’s something juicier. I feel the juice might be flowing this year, because each of the Riggs siblings, Everly included, is looking damn fine. One very growly enemy of mine, especially.
It happens again, but before I can move to the ladies’ room and remove these magically inappropriate panties, Everly captures my attention and nods furiously for me to head to the table.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats.”
In a span of what must be only a few minutes, I’m in my seat, and my vibrating panties have worked me up enough to soak them easily. I’ve decided I’m just going to lean into this. I can’t get up now and take them off, and hell, I’m like two minutes from what might turn out to be a decent orgasm. Right in the middle of the opening speeches for this year’s tree lighting and auction.
I look around the table, and across the overly priced centerpieces sit each of the Riggs boys, Law to my right, Michael, and then Henry. It is taking all of my wits not to look at him because the second I do it, this orgasm is going to have context. As much as I try to keep that beautiful asshole out of my mind, he shows up somewhere and then becomes the leading man in my every dirty thought. It’s like a sickness. I need some kind of remedy, but until then, I’ll avoid looking at him.
“What the hell, G? I’m trying to listen to this. Answer your damn phone or turn it off,” Everly whisper-shouts to me.
“It’s not my phone,” I tell her as I stare ahead at the stage.
She’s not satisfied with that answer, so she proceeds to lean over me and tell Law to answer his phone. I know full well that she’s hearing the buzzing of my underwear, which right now are on what feels like an incline workout. Ebbing and flowing from a soft buzz to a punching bite. My body breaks out in goosebumps. I take a steadying breath and blow it out slowly, quietly.
Everly is getting huffy. She looks at me again, and I can’t help but start laughing.
“Tell me that noise isn’t coming from you,” she says lowly.
“Oh. Oh. Oh,” I whisper. A full-body flush takes over, and I can feel my orgasm readying itself. It’s going to be a big one. My clit is being teased as mercilessly as Chunk inThe Goonies. It’s only a matter of moments. I need to get up.
Everly stares at me and shakes her head. “I can’t take you out in public sometimes.”
“I don’t know where they came from,” I lie. “Stop looking at me like this is surprising behavior! I need another drink. And to move around. Want something?”
She gets up with me, but is quickly distracted by Jack. She’s been waiting for him to get here, and now that he’s arrived, my friend is going to be occupied. Perfect. Attention away from me, so I don't have to explain myself any further.
As soon as I get to the bar, my vodka rocks and sugared lemon is waiting for me. I take a sip and look around the room. Most people are sitting at their tables while just a few are mingling toward the back. I watch as Everly, Jin, and Jack seem to get into some kind of heated discussion. I wonder what the hell that’s all about. Looks like Everly’s old colleague-with-benefits just met the new star of her porn show. Yikes. As much as I feel the need to come to my bestie’s rescue to diffuse whatever bullshit is playing out on the other side of the room, I can’t.
And then it hits me, with a massive zap and a prolonged buzz. The finale to the fireworks just began in my undercarriage, and I’m going to blow. There’s no holding back here. I can feel it. I take a breath. Another. In through my nose, out through clenched teeth. Can I rush to the bathroom? Oh fuck. I’m going to make noise. Dear God, please be a woman and help a sister out here. I don’t want to stop it, but if there was a way to mute it. Fuck!
I bite my fist. By some technological sorcery, it cranks up higher. How can this thing go higher? And that’s when I see it. The source. The sorcerer of sorts. Henry Fucking Riggs.
“Oh. Muhgawd. Frshhhh. Hmmmm,” pushes from my lips. I bite back the rest of the noises that are trying to escape out of me. Of course in the middle of a room, in a wildly public place, comes the most intense orgasm I’ve ever had handlessly. Or at least without the assistance of something I’m wielding.
When I blink my eyes open, I find Henry across the bar, leaning on one hand, watching me as if he’s just seen the most magical show on earth. And in the other hand is a small, skinny black remote.
I march over, albeit on trembling legs. “Have fun with that?”
“Not as much as you did.” He laughs, leaning in closely to my ear.
“That’s probably the best orgasm you’ve ever given a woman.” I look him up and down when I say it. Then, I throw the rest of my drink in his face, and as soon as he opens himself up to grab a napkin and wipe the vodka that’s dripping from his chin, I pull back, rotate my hips and give him a hook to gut.
“Ooomph,” Henry grunts out an exhale and shakily says, “The fuck, Jizz?”
“Don’t you ever take something like that from me again. You didn’t have permission.”
I storm out of the room just as Asher calls his kids on stage. I need to gather myself and let the spectacle that I just made die down before I can resurface.
27