by Harlow James
Cooper shoots Cash a death look and then puts his hands on his hips as the rest of the crew comes up behind him. “First of all, there’s nothing wrong with a dad bod, alright? If Clara likes it, then that’s between her and me. And second of all, stop talking about my sex life around a bunch of people!” He waves his hands around at the groups of hikers gathered sporadically around the plateau.
Ethan and I snicker beside each other just as Cash turns and cocks his head to the side. “Let this be a lesson, boys. Once you get married and have kids, you turn into an old man and start to lose your six-pack. Don’t let it happen to you.”
“Uh, aren’t you about to be married?” I question jokingly as our groups gathers in a circle around a few rocks, resting our legs and chugging down some water.
“Damn right. But that won’t be me. You guys are making us men look bad.”
“Cash, shut the fuck up and mind your own business,” Kane interjects as the other guys watch the joking continue. “Looks fade, man. Ultimately, what matters is that you marry a woman who loves you even if your six-pack vanishes.”
Cash starts laughing, throwing everyone off. “I know, fuckers. I’m just giving you shit. And hey, Ethan and Brooks, listen to these guys before you listen to me. I just finally fell in love for the first time, and guess what, I’m marrying her. These guys could probably give you far better advice than I could.”
“Noted,” Ethan agrees and everyone laughs.
“So, after this we’re headed back to Kane’s place, right?” I ask, letting my heart rate return to normal before we start our trek back down the mountain. It’s been years since I’ve hiked this mountain nestled up against Emerson Falls, but the four-mile hike is a surefire way to get in some decent cardio.
Kane nods. “Yup. I’ve got a keg on ice right now and poker tables set up. Olivia is with the girls and Evelyn is with my parents. It’s time for a guy’s night, boys.”
“And there’d better not be any surprise strippers,” Cash stresses, pointing his finger around the group.
Cooper and Luke throw their hands up in the air. “We know, okay? Believe me, the last thing I want to do is watch a woman dance that isn’t my wife,” Cooper replies.
“Same,” Drew, Kane’s colleague, and friend from the high school, adds. Upon talking with the guys on our hike, I learned that Kane and Drew teach at Emerson Falls High School, where they both met their wives, Olivia and Tammy, respectively.
“I’ve never understood the point of strippers at a bachelor party,” Cash states. “When I was single, yes, I expected them because I wasn’t attached to a woman, obviously. It was free entertainment in my eyes. But I wasn’t sure why the guy getting married would feel comfortable watching a woman that isn’t his fiancé take off her clothes.”
“Well, good thing we all agree and respect that,” Cooper says, “because I’m sure Clara would probably kill me if I was watching some other naked woman, especially with her pregnant right now.”
“But what about these guys?” Drew interjects. “You guys are both single, aren’t you?” He juts his thumb in mine and Ethan’s direction.
“Well, actually, I’m seeing someone,” my cousin answers.
“Yeah, uh. Me too.” That grabs everyone’s attention as all of their heads turn towards me.
“Brooks? You’ve been here for a little over a month and you’re already involved with someone? Who is it?” Cooper asks as everyone waits for my answer.
“Well, it wasn’t like I was looking to date. She just kind of took me by surprise.” I run my hand through my hair and try to stop the smile forming on my face, but it’s a lost cause.
“Oh, fuck. I’ve seen that look before. That’s how it always happens, doesn’t it gentleman,” Cash harasses me as the other guys snicker and laugh. “So, who is it?”
“It’s Jess.” Multiple sets of eyebrows pop up.
Cash waves his hand casually through the air, seemingly unimpressed. “Yeah, I already knew that. Piper told me. I just wanted to hear you say it out loud.”
“I kind of figured by the way you spoke about her the other night at the park,” Cooper adds.
“Well, now everyone knows. She asked me to be her date for the wedding too, so it seems we’ll all be seeing more of each other,” I add sarcastically.
Our group all stands and begins the descent of the mountain as Cash comes up beside me and throws his arm around my shoulder. “I think I can handle seeing more of your mug around here. It’s nice to add more good men to the group. But don’t hurt Jess, okay? Otherwise, more than one of us will be knocking on your door. Jess is a catch.”
I nod agreeingly. “Believe me, the last thing I want is that. But thanks. And thank you for the invite. It’s been nice hanging out with a decent group of guys today. I haven’t done that in a while. Feels good to be home.” I don’t want to sound too emotional, but it’s clear to me that these men are the type of friends you count yourself lucky to have, adding the growing list of pros that have resulted from me moving back home, even though my mother’s cancer was the true reason.
“You think we’re decent? Oh, boy. Just wait until we start drinking. You just might change your mind.” Cash winks at me and then drops his hand. “And if my theory is correct, the women are probably about halfway to drunk town as we speak.”
Jess
“Piper!” I shout across her house, trying to walk in a straight line and failing miserably. “It’s only one o’clock in the afternoon and I am drunk!”
Champagne sloshes out of the top of my glass as I make my way back into the living room where the other girls are spread out on the furniture or sleeping on the floor. Snoring comes from one corner where Perry and Amy, two of Olivia’s best friends, are curled up in balls with pillows wedged under the heads.
“That’s what happens when you decide to have a bachelorette brunch instead of going out at night,” Piper slurs as she settles down next to me.
“I, for one, supported this idea wholeheartedly.” Olivia leans over the back of the couch between us, teetering her drink in her hand. “You can get a good buzz going, ride it out, take a nap later, and still have part of your day left. As a parent, I believe day-drinking is the best because then you don’t have to worry about being woken up early the next day by a toddler who doesn’t care if you’re hungover or not.”
“True story,” Perry adds from the floor, wiping drool from her cheek.
“Yeah, I’d have to agree,” Rachel declares from the chair in the corner. She’s leaning back against one arm and her legs are thrown over the other one. “I mean, I’m not an actual parent, but now that I take care of a kid every day, I can attest that they wake up at their normal time with no consideration about what your night was like. When I have to close at Tony’s, the next morning is always so rough when Grayson wakes up at six, no matter how late I got in.” Rachel bartends at Tony’s a few nights a week as well as taking care of Luke’s son.
“You guys are not making me any more enthusiastic about this kid coming out anytime soon.” Clara waddles into the living room, the only sober one here obviously since she’s weeks away from giving birth.
“It’s true though, Clara,” Olivia adds, her drunkenness attributing to her honesty. “They stretch out your body in more ways than one, deplete your boobs of their perkiness, rob you of sleep, and ruin your ability to get drunk and enjoy it.” She stands up from her perched position and then smiles wistfully, tears forming in her eyes. “But the joy they give you makes you crazy enough to do it all over again in a heartbeat.”
“Olivia, you’re gonna make me cry and I’m not even pregnant or close to having a baby,” I whine as Olivia rushes over and hugs Clara, the alcohol making everyone a tad more affectionate than normal.
“You’ll get there one day.” Rachel pulls my attention to her. “Maybe with Brooks even,” she says while bouncing her eyebrows up and down.
“Brooks? Brooks Bennet?” Clara shouts, waking up anyone who was trying to
sleep and alerting all the women of the status of my dating life.
“Uh…” Many words are firing off in my brain, but my lips are too numb to form them.
“Oh, girl! You’d better spill! I saw Brooks last week at the park while Cooper and I were walking Roark, and I could sense that something was going on between you two with the way his face lit up when I mentioned you in conversation.”
“Aw, that’s so cute!” Piper squeals as she nudges me. “Fill them in, Jess. Come on, you know you can trust everyone here.”
I look around the room at Piper, Rachel, Olivia, Clara, Perry, Amy, and a few of the other nurses from the hospital—all women that have become such a supportive group of girlfriends I never thought truly existed. So many women spend time tearing each other apart instead of standing behind one another. And I never knew that true empowerment among women existed until I met all of them.
“Well, we’re sort of dating,” I reveal as everyone screams in excitement and then bursts into a fit of giggles. I spend the next several minutes filling everyone in on the progression of our relationship and our date, down to the bag of mints and the zip lining experience.
“Damn. He’s really laying it on thick, isn’t he?” Olivia prods as everyone soaks up each morsel of information I provide.
“Yeah. And damn, I really like him. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way about a guy before.”
“Been there!” Olivia and Clara both raise their hands simultaneously and then laugh at each other.
“But…” I bite my lip, wondering if I should share my reservations about my ‘curse’ with the entire group. I know they won’t judge me, but it seems the more that I discuss it, the sillier I find it to be. I mean, I believe it to an extent, but part of me just wants to let go of it so I can convince myself that Brooks won’t be the fifth victim.
“But what?” Perry asks while everyone is perched on the edge of their seats, waiting.
Suddenly phones start chiming with notifications, interrupting our conversation as we struggle to get out of our seats and move across the room to our purses.
I swipe across my screen and see a text from Brooks with a picture attached of all the guys, the group of them standing on top of the mountain I know they were hiking this morning. My eyes focus in on Brooks of course—his blinding smile, his height that makes him stand head-to-head with the rest of the guys except for Ethan, his muscular arms on display from the sleeveless blue shirt he’s wearing on top of his black athletic shorts. The man is sex personified and suddenly the buzz and warmth of the alcohol I’ve consumed travels south and warms up the space between my legs.
I saunter down the hallway, still extremely intoxicated, but wanting some privacy so I can call him. I want to hear his voice. I need to talk to him to remind myself that he’s real and he wants me—a notion I still have trouble accepting some days.
I press the button to dial him and hold the phone up to my ear, waiting for him to answer.
“Hello?” That deep rasp of his voice makes the warmth in my core build to an inferno.
“Hi,” I whisper sweetly before throwing myself on the guest bed and smiling from ear to ear.
“Missed me, did you?” I can hear the teasing in his voice, but he’s one-hundred percent correct.
“Yes. I do. I miss you a lot.” My heart is pounding through my honesty, but just the thought of kissing him is making me aroused. God, I wish he were here right now so I could climb his body and grind against it.
“I miss you too, Jess. Are you having fun?”
“Yes. I’m—I’m really drunk, Brooks.” I giggle through my admission as Brooks laughs at me through the phone.
“Is that right?”
I nod, even though he can’t see me, and then hold up my fingers in the air with a slight space between my index finger and thumb. “A little bit.”
“That’s good, Jess. You deserve to have fun.”
“I’m horny too.” The words escape my lips, but I definitely meant them.
“Fuck, Jess. Really? I’m glad I’m at home right now since you’re making me hard as fuck.” Hearing him talk to me with desire coating his voice is making me clench my thighs together in desperation.
“Why are you home?”
“I went home to shower after our hike and then I’m headed out to Kane’s place for drinks and poker.”
“Are you naked yet?” Who is this woman and why am I letting her speak right now?
“No, but I can change that real quick. Are you alone while you’re talking dirty to me, sweetheart?”
“Yes,” I moan as I sink further into the bed, wanting so badly to shove my hand in my leggings and release the orgasm I can feel just beneath the surface.
“I want you to touch yourself, Jess.”
“I was planning on it.”
“Do it now while we’re on the phone. Pretend it’s me, that it’s my fingers rubbing your clit, spreading your wetness around your pussy.”
Dear lord. Brooks talking about touching me is just making me even wetter. “Are you touching yourself too?”
“Uh huh,” he groans. “I’m so fucking hard right now, babe.”
“I’m so wet, Brooks.” With no further reservations, I glide my hand below the waistband of my leggings and beneath my thong, sliding my fingers effortlessly through my arousal, circling my clit with fervor. With how wound up I am, I know this won’t take long. “I wish you were here.”
“I am here, Jess. Just on the other side of the line. Play with yourself, baby. Let me hear you.”
“I’m so close,” I moan, knowing it’s only a matter of minutes before I explode because I was so riled up even before this conversation started. “I want to feel you.”
“Me too. I’m gonna come, Jess.” A low growl comes through the line just as I hear Brooks’ breathing pick up intensely and I match him with my own. A shock of electricity flashes through my body as my orgasm takes over, pulsing waves of pleasure rocking through my belly and out to my limbs.
“Oh, god,” I moan, letting the last few tremors to subside before I open my eyes and remember where I am. “Did we just do that?”
Brooks lets out a low and deep chuckle. “Yeah, we did. Fuck, I wish you were here. I’d make you come again with my tongue.”
“Brooks!”
“Oh, don’t be shy now, Jess. You’re the one that called me, remember?”
I laugh and then bury my face in the pillow, embarrassed but far more relaxed. “I know. But I’m not sorry. I wanted to hear your voice.”
“Well, mission accomplished. And you got the added bonus of an orgasm.”
“Thank you. I—I should get back out there. The girls are probably wondering where I am.”
“No problem, sweetheart. Have some more fun and more booze. And if you feel like you need another release later, don’t hesitate to call me.”
I chuckle and then sit up. “Don’t tempt me.”
“Oh, I plan on doing that multiple times in the future, Jess. Don’t you worry.”
“You already do.”
A beep comes through the line, halting our conversation. “Hey, I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”
“Okay, Brooks. Have fun tonight.”
“Thanks, Jess. Bye.” The line goes silent, but the steady thump of my heart in my chest fills that void as I relive what we just did and throw myself back on the comforter, thinking about how much longer I have to wait to see him again and hopefully get an orgasm from him in person.
Chapter 13
Jess
“Alright, I’m curious. What poison did you pick today?”
The timber of Brooks’ voice swirls around in my ears as he leans over and speaks to me while I’m organizing some forms and cleaning off the nurse’s station. I’ve barely started my shift, but I knew Brooks had already been here for a few hours. I may have spent a few extra minutes on my appearance this morning in anticipation of seeing him after our intense conversation during Piper and Cash
’s bachelorette and bachelor parties. But I wanted to allude to the fact that I’m still the same professional woman at work that I’ve always been, even though I was drunk out of my mind on Saturday, which lead to us having phone sex. The weekend was fairly low key, but by the headache I nursed the following day, I’d say we still celebrated triumphantly—and that orgasm was a bonus.
I move the gum around in my mouth and then stick out my tongue, presenting the bright green blob to him like a child. Brooks laughs and then leans in closer to inspect it, even going as far as inhaling the scent very close to my face.
“Seems great minds think alike,” he says before sticking his tongue out to me similarly, showing me the same hue of gum in his mouth.
“Extra, Spearmint flavor?”
He nods. “Not bad.”
“It’s kind of spicy to me.”
“Well, that’s because you’re usually eating candy,” he chides, flashing me that sexy smirk that I want to kiss off of his face. I haven’t placed my lips on this man since our date, and I’m definitely going through withdrawals.
I turn back around to finish sorting papers. “Well, I’m never afraid that my Tic Tacs are going to burn my taste buds off. But I don’t hate it. My breath does feel fresh and minty.”
He leans in close again, coming around my back and wedging me between the counter and his body. I can feel the heat coming off of him, which only makes me start to burn up as well.
“I’d love to test that for you, if you want.”
I swallow hard and then peer around us, making sure there’s no one close by to eavesdrop or observe how close we are to each other, because the thought of kissing Brooks right now is making me want to revert to acting like the woman from this weekend.
“I’d go into an on-call room for that, if I were you.” Alice’s voice makes me jump as she sneaks up behind us, causing Brooks to spring away from me as well.