Holden’s hand pressed to the small of my back. “If you mess up my midnight snack,I’mgoing to be devastated. Play nice.”
I leaned into him for a second before straightening again. We were standing around the bar at a restaurant that Rotayno didn’t own. The table would be ready soon, but in the meantime, we were mingling. Unfortunately, that meant I had to stand around for even longer, watching Sam’s mom stare at Barrett while he had to pretend to not see me as more than his kid’s friend.
Mike’s family was running late, the lucky bastards. I suspected Mike had given them a heads-up about the table not being ready.
“Shit. Look who just walked in.” Dominic nudged Holden and grinned. “Barr’s parents. Have you met them, Sugar?”
I nodded. “A long time ago. Go say hi.”
“Come with us.” He smiled down at me. “You can say hi, too.”
And act like the kid tagging along while the grown-ups talked? Pass. I waved him off. “Y’all go ahead. I’m going to stay here for another minute or two.”
Both men cast knowing looks at me, but when Barrett’s dad called them over, they had no choice. I watched them cross the bar and tried to shrink back into the décor on the wall behind me.
Watching them interact with other people, seeing families come together, it was doing a number on my confidence. I really did feel like a pathetic hanger-on. I felt like the barely dressed bimbo, the slut my dad thought I was, and the woman who slept her way into her job. I just needed things to slow down for five minutes so I could catch my breath and regain my footing. I knew I wasn’t those things, but while I was spinning, I couldn’t think straight enough to remember that.
I inched my way along the wall leading to the front door. I just needed a little fresh air. The moment I set foot on the concrete in front of the restaurant, I felt the urge to run away. My fight-or-flight was all flight in that moment. My phone ringing was probably the only reason I didn’t run. I grabbed for it in my clutch, almost thankful for whoever was calling, because it gave me a real excuse to stay outside.
I saw Logan’s name and didn’t hesitate to answer it. That was how much I didn’t want to see Barrett and his ex-wife sitting close to each other, celebrating their daughter’s engagement.
“Call your fucking dogs off, SJ!” Logan sounded pissed, but that wasn’t a surprise.
“What are you talking about?” I looked around to make sure no one from the engagement dinner was nearby.
“I’m talking about your rich, asshole boyfriends who think they can just destroy a person’s life for no reason! Call them off, SJ! I’ll leave you alone. I want nothing to do with you after this shit, anyway. You’re toxic.” He spit out the words like they were real toxins in his mouth. “Did you have them send their little henchman to threaten my job and relationship?”
My frown just deepened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t spoken about you since the day you called. I barely mentioned what you tried to pull. Are you sure you’re not thinking of another woman you tried to blackmail into sex with you? Also, you’re in arelationship?”
“Fucking funny, SJ. Your pit bull of a boss, boyfriend, daddy figure, or whatever, sent some PI to try to ruin my life. He went to my job and spoke to my girlfriend!” He hissed out the last word. “And yes, I’m in a relationship. A good one! Call them off. I’m done with you. Crazy bitch.”
I stared down at my phone after he hung up on me. “I’mthe crazy bitch? What the hell?”
Mike poked his head outside and spotted me. “Hey! Table’s ready. My family will be here in under five minutes and then Sam is going to force you to listen to the story again.”
I put my phone away and smiled. “I’ll do it gladly.”
At the table, I found myself sat between Mike’s cousin, Joey, and his brother, Paul. I was at the far end from my guys, but I still somehow had a perfect shot of Maggie, Sam’s mom, laughing at something Barrett said. I don’t know why Sam had been worried. They were getting along like best friends.
The longer I listened to Joey telling Paul about his new motorcycle, the more I really started to feel sorry for myself. I started thinking about Barrett cheating on his wife and how I still hadn’t talked to him about it. I started wondering if he maybe still felt something for her after he’d cheated and lost her.
I thought the guys were probably seeing me like the loser I was. I was basically sitting at the kid’s table, even though Joey and Paul were both older than me. I had a few moments of panic, between the second course and the third, when I considered where I’d go if the guys didn’t want me. After throwing down the gauntlet with Dad, I couldn’t go back there.
I was homeless. I was in love with three men who were too good for me. I was going to be jobless when they moved on, because I wouldn’t be able to still see them if they weren’t mine. My heart felt like it had grown since I’d first slept with the guys, stretching to make room for all three of them. While sitting at that table, feeling like crying, I couldn’t help wondering if I’d just made it a bigger target.
I gasped and choked on an olive when I realized what I’d just thought. Joey, who had hands twice the size of my back, slammed his palm into my spine in a misguided attempt to help. I was basically thrown into the table by his powerful hit. A glass of wine spilled and my humiliation was completed when Joey jumped up and grabbed me from behind, doing a version of the Heimlich that included bouncing me around like a rag doll.
“Joey!” Mike’s face was bright red while he laughed at his cousin. “She’s fine! You can stop.”
Joey slowly put me back in my chair and looked me over. “All good?”
I felt like I’d just gone on a fucking roller coaster. One of my boobs had slipped out from its underwire and my bra was bunched in the middle of my chest. I was out of breath and sweating for some reason. My dress was also hiked up close to my hips, with a deep red wine stain down the front of it.
I calmly stood up and patted Joey on the shoulder. “Yep. All good, buddy. Thanks for the ride.”
I could see Dominic standing at his seat, but I couldn’t look at him. I couldn’t look at anyone as I held up a finger to signal I’d be back and walked to the bathroom.
I couldn’t help overhearing Maggie’s comment to the table. “She’s still the same dramatic little girl, isn’t she? It’s cute.”