We dance for about thirty minutes straight before Hailey gestures toward the bar. We make our way over there and it seems, even more, crowded than it was before. We have to wait a few minutes before the same bartender can make his way to us.
“More tequila shots, or do you want something else?” I’m impressed that he remembers what we ordered earlier.
“Two margaritas on the rocks with salt please.” I say and place a twenty-dollar bill on the bar.
“Hey, I’m gonna run to the ladies room real quick,” Hailey says, gesturing with her head in the direction she’s going.
“No problem, I’ll watch your drink.” She holds her fist up for my bump before she walks off. We never leave our drinks unattended and I always keep my eye on the bartender as he or she makes them. You never know what someone may do and we don’t take any chances.
The bartender places our glasses down in front of me and I push the money toward him.
“Keep the change.” He smiles in my direction, leaning over the bar toward me.
“I get off at midnight if you want to wait for me.” I smile at his over-inflated ego and shake my head.
“No thanks. I’m actually engaged to be married.” His eyes lower to my left hand before skating back up my body in a slow moving journey.
“I won’t tell if you don’t,” He winks at me. I take a sip of my drink from the small straw and laugh to myself as I watch his eyes move to my mouth. I lick my lips to savor the tart taste as I put my glass down. I swear I can see him visibly swallow and I think he just adjusted his dick below the bar, but I can’t be sure. He’s so easy to tease, but I think my fun needs to be over. I can’t make him have false hope for too long. There are plenty of ladies here that would probably be more than willing to go home with him.
“It’s not going to happen. I’m completely in love with my fiancé.” He pushes himself off the bar and takes a step back, putting some distance between us.
“That’s too bad, you don’t know what you’re missing out on.” He crosses his arms over his chest to emphasize his biceps.
“You’re adorable,” I tell him as I crook my finger at him. His eyes light up as if he just hit the jackpot and he once again rests against the bar. I lean over the top and get as close to his ear as possible. “My fiancé fucks like a champion. His cock is the king of all cocks and it’s all mine. I’m not going to change my mind so you can move along to any one of these desperate girls that are giving you puppy dog eyes.” He looks shocked at my words before he smiles at me.
“Point taken,” He says as he backs away and moves down the bar toward another one of the ladies sitting there. I shudder as I think of all the unsanitary places his dick has probably been. I know some women are attracted to guys that have been with a lot of women, but I’m not one of them. Just because someone has a lot of experience doesn’t mean they’re good in bed.
“You can’t go anywhere without causing a stir.” Says a deep voice I don’t want to be hearing anytime soon. I grit my teeth before turning around.
“Garrett, what a not so pleasant surprise.” I hear a deep laugh at my comment and realize it came from the guy standing next to him.
“I’m Ian, Garrett’s only friend,” He says, reaching out to shake my hand. I giggle as I shake his hand.
“I’m Shelby and it’s nice to meet you, Ian. What horrible thing did you do, that you got saddled with being Garrett’s friend?” He flashes me a smile full of perfect teeth and looks at Garrett.
“I like this girl,” He says gesturing toward me. “Garrett and I go way back. We grew up together. I just moved to Boston a month ago and I’m staying with him until I find a place.” I nod my head.
“Welcome to Boston, Ian. You better find a place quickly, though. Garrett likes to tell people to move in and then disappear on them. Don’t be surprised if one of these days you come home to an empty condo.” I notice Ian shooting a confused look at Garrett. I take a large gulp of my drink and pray for the numbing effect alcohol provides to take over my body soon. I can’t deal with this right now. Why did he have to pick this place to come to tonight? Fate must hate me or maybe I have some horrible karma or bad juju to atone for. I’m buying some sage tomorrow and lighting that shit on fire. I’m going to smudge my home, cleanse my aura, call in a priest for an exorcism or whatever the fuck it takes to get this man to stay away from me.
I finish my drink, glancing reluctantly at Garrett as I raise my arm to flag down the bartender. I can’t help but notice that he looks angry. I can see the muscles in his jaw clenching and his arms are crossed over his bulging pecs. When did he get so buff? My eyes seem as if they have a mind of their own as they continue perusing his impressive physique. His forearms are well muscled although, hairier than I remember. I’m not a fan of arm hair so I need to focus on that shit. Arm hair grosses me out. It’s a good thing we’re not together anymore because his hairy arms would repulse me. His biceps are bulging against the restraints of his tight polo shirt and all thoughts of his hairy forearms are forgotten. I think I have ADD. I can see a hint of a tattoo peeking out the bottom of one of his sleeves. The ink is black but that’s all I can make out in the dim lighting of this place. When did he get a tattoo on that arm? Seeing him with a new tattoo has made me realize that I don’t even know who he is anymore. He could have a wife tucked away somewhere for all I know. I experience a pang of sadness at the thought of that and scold myself for it. He can do whatever he wants to. We’re no longer a couple and never will be again. At this point, I just really want him to go away and give me some space. My buzz is starting to kick in and with the new drink the bartender just placed in front of me, I’m hoping to pass on over into drunkenness. I don’t need him here ruining my good time.
“Don’t you have someone else you can bother?” I ask him. Ian laughs and slaps Garrett on the back.
“Ouch dude, I don’t think she likes you very much.” I sit in silence and sip my drink praying for Hailey to come back from the bathroom and rescue me.
“So Ian, what do you do for work?” I ask to fill up some of the awkward silence that feels as if it’s drowning me.
“I work as an IT specialist for a company that develops cutting edge technology.”
“That’s great. I gotta be honest, technology scares me a little.”
“A lot of people feel that way about it and if they didn’t, I’d probably be out of a job.” He runs his hand through his blonde hair, messing it up in an attractive way. He’s a looker for sure, with his sparkling blue eyes and bright smile. I wonder if he’s single? I instantly think of Sloane but I wouldn’t want my life tied up with Garrett’s any more than it already is.
At this point, Hailey returns from the bathroom and when Ian catches a glimpse of her, his eyes open so comically wide, he reminds me of a cartoon character.
“Hailey, you remember Garrett and this is his friend Ian.” I half-heartedly introduce them. Hailey looks surprised and concerned to see Garrett. She knows I’m freaking out on the inside right now. She puts her hand on my shoulder, patting me twice, to let me know she’s got my back.
“Hello Garrett, long time no see,” She says and I see him physically wince at her barb. God, I love this girl.
“Ian, it’s nice to meet you.” He shakes her hand and I notice he looks dazed as he stares into her unusual eyes.
“Ian, give it up. It’s never going to happen.” He finally looks away from Hailey and turns in my direction. His brows are drawn together and he looks confused.
“I don’t understand what you mean,” he tells me.
“Hailey is engaged and very much in love with a great guy. You don’t stand a chance and I’m just trying to spare you the painful turn down that she will deliver if you continue to drool over her.”
"Shelby," Hailey says my name in a tone you'd use to scold a misbehaving child. “Be nice,” she continues. I roll my eyes at her and focus on finishing my drink. It only takes me a minute until my glass is empty and I realize
that a trip to the ladies room is in order.
I lean over and try to talk in Hailey’s ear, but my legs are feeling unsteady.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes. I need to pee.” I turn and walk in the direction I saw Hailey heading earlier. I hope there aren’t a lot of people waiting because I really have to go. Surprisingly, there’s no line, when I get there and I swear I pee for like a minute straight. My legs are shaky from all the tequila flowing through my system so I brace both of my hands on the sides of the stall to help me successfully hold my hovering position, which isn’t easy to do when you’ve been drinking. Once I’ve washed my hands, I open the bathroom door and walk into a wall. It’s a warm, hard, familiar smelling wall. I look up and find Garrett’s amused gaze locked on mine.
“I thought you might need some help. You don’t seem too steady on your feet.” I push myself away from the comfy wall and curl my lip in disgust.
“I’m fine. I’ve been fine for the last three years Garrett. Why the sudden concern?” I’m feeling rather impressed with my ability to think clearly, right now, in spite of all the alcohol coursing through my body. Then again, I think I may have peed most of it out.
“Shelby, I’ve always worried about you. Even when you didn’t know it. Now, when are you going to stop being so stubborn and hear me out? How about I come over tomorrow afternoon?” I’m sure there’s got to be a look of horror on my face at the thought of him stopping by our condo.
“Garrett, you can’t come over. Jeff and I live together and I’m pretty sure he’d punch first and ask questions later if you know what I mean.” He leans down and whispers huskily in my ear.
“Jeff’s not home this weekend and what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” Oh my God! How does he know that J’s not home? Is he spying on me?
“How do you know that Jeff’s out of town?” I ask him, figuring that being direct is the best approach.
“I overheard you and Max talking about it at lunch the other day,” He smirks cockily. It’s not bad enough that I have to worry about seeing him every day, but now I have to worry about him eavesdropping on private conversations.
“Wow, Garrett. That’s low, even for you.” I turn to walk away from him but he stops me by grabbing onto my arm. He spins me around until my back is resting up against the hallway wall. He steps closer to me, invading my space and making me feel claustrophobic. His hands are on both of my arms, keeping me still. I open my mouth to berate him and he seals his over it, keeping me silent with a heated kiss. I try to maneuver my lips away from his but it’s not possible and after a bit I no longer want to. His tongue is tangling with mine and I moan from the euphoric feeling of his lips on mine. He aligns his hard cock with my softness and pushes it against me. I roll my hips, needing the contact between us. The loud bang of a door shutting nearby is what finally snaps me out of my Garrett induced haze.
I push him away and he releases my arms and takes a step back before running his hand through his caramel colored hair.
“This never should’ve happened.” I shake my head and tears fill my eyes. “You can’t just go pushing me into walls and kissing me. I have a fiancé Garrett. I love Jeff and you’re not being fair to him or to me. You and I had our chance and it wasn’t meant to be. You need to accept that or I’m going to have to look for another job.”
“I’m sorry if I put you in a bad position, Shelby, but I’m not sorry for kissing you. Having my lips on yours and you in my arms was the best thing that’s happened to me in over three years. I won’t do it again unless you want me to.” I roll my eyes at his conceit. I’m not going to want him to, no matter how hot that kiss was.
When I get back to the bar Hailey and Ian are talking. She turns to look at me and notices my flushed complexion.
“You were gone so long; I was wondering if you left. Why are your cheeks so red?”
“The line was long and it’s really hot in here. You know I always look like this when I get overheated. Can we get out of here?”
***
It’s after ten o’clock on Sunday night and Jeff just got home. I was already in bed when he arrived so he immediately stripped every article of clothing from his rock hard body and climbed under the covers with me. He has me in his arms before I know it and I can feel his ready cock against me. He kisses me with the weekend’s worth of pent up passion and rolls his hips against mine. A memory of Garrett gripping my thigh flashes in my thoughts and I quickly push it away, focusing on Jeff.
“Mmm,” I moan. “I missed you so much.” He continues to roll his hips and slide his cock back and forth along my slit. I can feel how wet I am and I need for him to be inside me. I need him to erase the memory of Garrett’s touch and the horrible guilt I’m feeling from what happened between us two nights ago.
“What are you waiting for, an invitation?” I ask and giggle. He barks out a laugh and thrusts inside me. He groans and rests his forehead on mine.
“Baby, I missed you so much. It was agony being away from you and this tight pussy of yours, or should I say mine? This is all mine.” He thrusts in and out of me in a slow rhythm, but I need him to take me harder.
“Jeff, fuck me, now. Stop teasing me.” His hips immediately pick up the pace and he’s hitting all my sweet spots with his cock. I dig my nails into his back as I contract around him and he releases inside of me at the same time. We stay joined for a bit and hold each other close.
“Where’s a towel when you need one?” He jokes as his cock softens and starts to slip out of me.
“It’s okay, we’re on your side of the bed. You get to deal with the wet spot,” I giggle.
Chapter Twenty-One
Shelby
I didn’t get a chance to talk to J last night about what happened between Garrett and I. Well, that’s not exactly true. I could’ve found the time to talk to him, I didn’t want to ruin our night by bringing up what will surely be a sore subject and now it’s Monday evening and I still haven’t said a word about it. The guilt from the whole situation is hanging precariously over me and I’m just waiting for it to fall and crush me at any moment.
I’m making all of Jeff’s favorites for dinner. It’s one of Jeff’s favorite meals and I’m hoping it will butter him up a little so he takes the news better than I expect. I’m not sure how I’ll even broach the subject with him. He’s going to be so angry and I’m hoping he can forgive me for my part in it. If he wants to end our relationship, I don’t even know how I’d get past that. I’m slicing the fresh from the oven, garlic bread when he comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist.
“Hello, beautiful. Dinner smells incredible. I can’t wait to have some.”
“Grab a plate and take what you want.” He picks one up and fills it with double sized servings of each dish and goes to sit at the table. I laugh to myself that he can eat like a giant and never put on an ounce of weight. I pick up my plate and add a little bit of everything. I know if I don’t eat Jeff will worry about me. I’m going to have to force myself to swallow every bite because my stomach is already in knots over our impending conversation.
Once dinner is over and the dishes are cleared away, we move into the living room to watch some television. I know that I need to bite the bullet and say what I have to as soon as possible. If Jeff gets focused on a show he likes he won’t even hear what I’m saying. We sit down side by side on the large couch and as he picks up the remote to turn the television on I put my hand on his arm to stop him.
“Wait. Don’t turn that on yet. There’s something I need to talk to you about.” I have his full attention now but I’m having a difficult time finding the right words to say. There is no right way to say what I need to.
“You know how Hailey and I went out on Friday night.” I pause as he nods his head. “Well, Garrett and his friend Ian showed up.” Jeff’s eyes widen a tiny bit and it’s the only indication he heard what I just told him.
“And,” he prompts me to continue.
“Things we
re fine at first. I was ignoring him for the most part and Hailey was getting her digs in where she could. I went to the bathroom and when I came out, he grabbed me and kissed me. I tried to pull away, but he had me pinned against the wall. After a bit, I kissed him back.” My voice trails off to a whisper by the end of the last sentence.
“You kissed him back?” Jeff’s voice rises with each word he says. I nod my head in agreement. He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees with both of his hands clenching his hair. I reach over and touch his back.
“Jeff,” I start but he cuts me off.
“Don’t touch me!” He yells and shrugs my hand off of him. Tears fill my eyes as I realize the enormity of what I’ve done. I can’t stand to see him in so much pain.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t want this to happen. I love you, more than you could know.”
“I’m sure you were thinking about how much you loved me when your tongue was in his mouth.” He grits out through clenched teeth. He stands up and turns to me. “I’m leaving and I’m not sure when I’ll be back. I need some time to think about this.” He shakes his head and walks away toward our bedroom. Fuck. He’s leaving me. I burst into tears as I sit there, alone on the couch. My face is in my hands as my body is wracked with heaving sobs. I can’t believe this is all happening. I want to hate Garrett for this, but it’s my fault too. I kissed him back and I hate myself for it.
Waiting for Love ((Waiting) Book 2) Page 20