Making Her Wait

by Brianna Cash

  “Is that bad?”

  “No.” He shakes his head with a smile. “I just don’t want you to be surprised if they make some… inappropriate comments.”

  “Should I let them know your girl had an emotional breakdown instead?”

  Walker presses a kiss to my nose before grinning at me. “Say that again.”

  “That I had an emotional break down?”

  “No. Call yourself my girl again.”

  I grin at his joy in the simple things, leaning back into his arms. “I’m your girl, Walker. I’m all yours and only yours.”

  “Damn straight,” he replies, claiming his girl’s mouth with his. “And you can tell my friends whatever you want about us being late. I really don’t care what they think. I’m just glad you’re back to being the Genny I know.”

  Genny

  “April!” Kane shouts, heading our way as soon as we’re through the door. “You’re look almost as hot in that dress as you do topless.”

  Kane is over-the-top obnoxious, but at least he’s always giving me compliments while he’s doing it. “Nice to see you again, too, Kane.”

  “I haven’t seen you in ages, doll. I asked Walker for another pic, but he forwarded me the warning you sent him instead. Nicely played. A man’s gotta protect his manhood, even when it means denying me.”

  “Don’t you have girls tripping over themselves to let you see them topless?”

  “Yeah, but it’s not the same as a picture. A picture can’t nag you or ask when you’re gonna see them again, and you can look at it as often as you want.”

  “Wow, Kane. That’s just about the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “Come on, April. What do I have to do to get that picture?”

  Shrugging my shoulders, I look toward Walker, who’s talking with two other guys I’ve never met. “I guess convince Walker he doesn’t need his manhood to function.”

  “Awww, girl. You’re breaking my heart,” he cries, holding his chest like he’s in pain. “Give me a chance, Miss April.”

  “Can’t. I’m already taken.”

  With that, Kane pulls me into a bear hug, squeezing me hard enough he almost takes my breath away. “You’re a good one, April. I’m glad he caught you.”

  Walker’s beside met, eyeing Kane cautiously when I’m finally released. He slides his hand to the small of my back, ushering me over to a tall chair next to the pool table his other friends are already at. “The guy in the Mets hat is Alex. He’s the quietest of the four of us. Kane, obviously, is the loudest. Zander is the guy playing Alex, and this is his fiancé, Heidi.”

  A girl waves to us from the next table. She’s bouncing in her seat, and the smile she’s wearing tells me she’s bored and I’m the next lucky contestant to be her new best friend. Walker stands next to me as I lower myself into the chair he pulled out, then offers his beer to me. Seeing Heidi hop off her chair to head my way, I gladly accept it.

  “Hi! You’re Genny, right? I’m Heidi, Zander’s fiancé.” She holds her left hand out, fingers together, palm down.

  The best position to admire her engagement ring.

  I make appreciative noises while mentally rolling my eyes. “We haven’t picked a date yet, how do you feel about a fall wedding?”

  “Oh, ah...” I raise my eyebrows, looking over her shoulder at the guy she’ll be with until death do them part. “I’m pretty sure you should be asking Zander that, not me.”

  “Please, he’s a guy. Guy’s don’t want any part of wedding planning. I was thinking fall, but spring might be nice, too. I just can’t decide what time of year I want. The venue is booked out for almost a year and a half, so I really need to make up my mind and get on the list.”

  Turning to Walker with wide eyes, I quietly ask for his beer back. He laughs at my discomfort, wandering off to the bar to order another. How can Zander put up with this girl? I’ve known her for a full two minutes and I already want to strangle her.

  Oh Lord, what if Zander’s just as bad?

  Heidi prattles on about how strenuous it is to plan a wedding, and how she’s already so stressed out and it’s probably two years away yet. By the time Walker comes back with a shot, I down it without a second thought.

  I really should’ve asked what it was…

  Kane and Walker both laugh their asses off at my sour face, then toss back their own. The burn makes its way down my throat and settles in my stomach, and I wonder how they’re willingly drinking whatever that was. I raise my middle finger in a casual salute to both of them before turning to see what Heidi is talking about now.

  “-can’t decide on how many bridesmaids I should have. I was originally thinking eight, but if I ask Melanie, I have to ask Daphne and Susan, too, or they’ll unfriend me. But then that’s ten bridesmaids. and that’s kind of a lot, right? I don’t think Zander can come up with ten groomsmen! I guess if I cut Melanie, it would only be seven, and Zander can come up with seven, I mean who doesn’t have seven close friends? I don’t like odd numbers though, so I’ll probably just go with eight-”

  When Walker pushes his beer into my waiting hand, Zander comes over, sweeping Heidi off her feet and into his arms. She lets out a shrill scream, making everyone in the vicinity cringe as she giggles in his arms. “Hey beautiful,” he smiles at her. “Making new friends?”

  Heidi gets quiet and I can finally hear myself think again. Once Zander and Heidi are done with their mini-reunion, Zander holds out his hand for me to shake. “I’m Zander. Sorry if Heidi was talking your ear off, she can’t shut up when she’s nervous.” He flashes a smile in her direction and her face turns bright red.

  “I’m Genny. Heidi is really excited to marry you.”

  “You mean Heidi is really excited for her wedding day. I keep telling her we can just elope, but she wants all the attention of a really expensive, unforgettable day that leaves us penniless.”

  “Every girl spends years dreaming of her wedding,” I reason. I don’t know why. Out of the two of them, I’m choosing Zander’s side of this debate.

  Zander glances at his fiancé with a grimace. “And every guy prays he doesn’t spend decades paying for it.”

  With that, he moves back to Heidi, who’s anxiously awaiting his return. I’m glad he’s here, though, because she’s quiet when he’s near her.

  Walker’s next to me again, smiling and happy, calling Alex over to us. Alex must be shy. He nods in acknowledgment when Walker introduces me, his eyes meeting mine before he softly tells me it’s nice to meet me. Kane and Walker are moving towards the pool table and I turn to Alex with a pleading look. “Sit with me? I don’t think I can take Heidi sitting here all night.” He gives me a knowing grin, sliding into the chair across from me.

  “I was watching you and Zander play while pretending to listen to Heidi. You both seem pretty good.”

  Alex, Mr. Shy Guy, nods at my words.

  “Have you been playing a long time?”

  Another nod.

  “Are you in a league or anything?”

  A shake of his head. At least that’s different, right?

  “I’ve never been good at pool. My sister, Callie? She’s really good. I have no idea where she got it from. My brother likes to play, and I know he started teaching her, but she surpassed him in what seemed like seconds. I was always too busy to really learn, but with Callie and Calvin both done with school, I think I’m gonna have to find some new hobbies.”

  Right then, I realize how scared I am of the future. I didn’t mean to babble on like that to Alex. He probably thinks I’m just as bad as Heidi. Risking a glance at his face, I find him studying me like I’m a science project. “What? Did I accidently say something not nice?”

  I’m rewarded with a stunningly handsome grin from under his baseball cap. Alex shakes his head and I think we’re going right back into our pattern of me asking questions and him giving non-verbal answers, but he surprises me. “What’s your last name?”

  His voice is quiet, and I
strain to hear him over the clack of the pool balls bouncing off each other and the general bar noise. Taking a sip of Walker’s-turned-my beer, I wonder why he’s asking. “Stotler.”

  “I thought you looked familiar. I know Calvin. And your sister looks a lot like you, right?”

  “Yeah, it’s creepy how much she looks like me. How do you know my brother?”

  “We went to school together. He took HVAC, I took autobody. How’s he doing? I haven’t talked to him in a while.”

  “I’m not sure. I’ve been trying to figure out a day he can come up and we can pretend we’re a family again, but he’s so busy.” I sigh with a hopeless shrug. “I guess busy is good.”

  He’s studying me again. It makes me self-conscious. Calvin was a good kid. Still is, although I know he’d roll his eyes and insist he wasn’t a kid anymore if he heard me saying that. His college years were rough for all of us, especially at first. When Callie and Calvin were both in high school, it wasn’t too bad. But when Calvin started going to college, we tried to make it work without him getting a job.

  To put it simply, it didn’t work. At all.

  Choosing to ignore Alex’s heavy stare, I turn back to the game, watching the way Walker’s eyes peruse the table. He’s had a few shots already, but he doesn’t look too buzzed as he leans over and expertly sinks two striped balls into different pockets.

  I can’t ignore it any longer. “What did Calvin tell you? I feel like you’re sitting over there judging me.”

  After a quiet chuckle, Alex admits, “He thought you were over-protective. A control freak.”

  “That sounds about right,” I mumble, remembering all the fights we had back then. I’d like to think I wasn’t as bad when it came time for Callie to start college, but honestly, I don’t know if I was or not.

  “He also said he thought you were doing the best you could.” Alex smiles at me, his very white teeth glowing against his dark skin. “He didn’t say that until we were almost out, though.”

  “Of course not! He let you think poorly of me until the end.”

  “You should give him my number. I’d love to hang out with him again.”

  Getting my phone out of my purse, I type out a text to Calvin, adding Alex’s phone number when he gives it to me. My brother’s reply is instantaneous.

  Calvin: What’re you doing with Alex?

  Genny: He’s a friend of Walker’s.

  Calvin: Walker is your boyfriend Callie’s been talking about?

  I type out an affirmative answer, smiling and looking up to find that boyfriend watching me. He must be talking about me, because Kane is also watching me. Walker’s eyes roam my body, heating me up in all the right places. The grin he flashes next says he knows exactly what he’s doing to me.

  I like Walker a little buzzed. I like when he’s as forward as I am. I like when his mind is exactly where mine is.

  I’m so ready to get out of here.

  I came here to meet his friends. I’ve met them. I’ve chatted briefly with all of them and even found out that Alex knows my brother.

  Now, let’s go home and get naked.

  Walker’s reading my mind again because he slowly shakes his head and mouths not yet. There’s an underlying tension hiding in his stance, his eyes never leaving mine. Maybe he’s expecting me to put up a fight?

  Letting out a quiet huff, I drink the rest of his beer, turning back to Alex...

  Who’s also watching me closely.

  Risking a glance towards Heidi and her fiancé, I find them watching me as well.

  Why is everyone watching me?!

  Am I unknowingly flashing everyone?

  I check to make sure all my girly parts are covered. Yep. Nothing inappropriate showing.

  Are my nipples hard?

  Well, of course my nipples are hard, Walker just undressed me with his eyes.

  Other than that, I don’t see anything that would make them all stare at me like they are.

  Lost as to why I’m getting so much attention, I grab my purse to head up to the bar, intending to get Walker/me another beer. Looking over my shoulder, I double check their eyes.

  Still locked onto me.

  What the hell?

  A hard body stops my forward progress, almost knocking me over after I slam into it. I reach out, grabbing onto an arm to keep myself upright. Maybe I should’ve been watching where I was going. After side-stepping whoever I just ran into, I’m in the middle of mumbling an apology when his cologne hits me. Blue eyes the same exact shade of Zeke’s collide with mine next, causing an unwelcome gasp past my lips.

  Maybe Walker’s friends didn’t know he and I weren’t having sex yet, but apparently, they all know I had sex with his roommate. And that’s why they were watching me so closely.

  To witness my reaction when I realized he was here.

  A wicked smile peeks out from under those familiar blue eyes and something inside me twists painfully, causing me to wince as I look away. After letting go of Chad’s arm, I walk around him in a daze, wondering what I’m supposed to do with all these feelings that are suddenly in the very forefront of my mind.

  Walker

  Why the fuck is Chad here? He’s been watching Genny since he walked in ten minutes ago. She’s been oblivious, thank God, but I know he’s gonna do something to change that soon.

  We haven’t talked, haven’t had any real conversation at all, since the night I yelled at him for not signing over his rights for Zeke. He was still talking to me after that, but just barely, until the day Callie showed up at the soccer field and he figured out who Genny was to me. And to him. He hasn’t said a word to me since.

  She turns around after grabbing her purse and runs right into him. She’s shocked he’s here. And she doesn’t seem happy about seeing him, but she doesn’t push him away, either. Now, he’s sitting next to her at the bar, and I’m wishing I hadn’t told her we couldn’t leave yet. Maybe if I’d told her we could, we’d be out the door and she’d have never known he was here.

  But I’m a selfish prick. A buzzed selfish prick. One who thought I wanted to see what would happen when she saw him. I want her to choose me, but that’s stupid. She’s already chosen me. She told me a couple hours ago she’s in love with me. I think I’m right there with her, but I wasn’t a hundred percent sure, so I told her I couldn’t say it back. Right now, watching her at the bar with Chad, I’m wishing I’d said it a hundred times. I’m wishing I’d trusted her and had sex with her. Not only because I’ve wanted to every single time, but because I know she’s frustrated with me for not having sex with her. She may have said she knows I have my reasons and she doesn’t need to know what they are, but she had an emotional breakdown earlier today because of it.

  She has had sex with Chad. And she didn’t want to give him up. I’m also pretty sure she still hasn’t told him she wouldn’t have sex with him anymore. Even if she promised me she wouldn’t.

  “Hey, man. You ok?”

  She wanted me carefree and happy, which I undoubtedly was before Chad walked in the bar. Now, I’m full of emotions that are anything but. I’m pissed. I feel guilty. I feel a little drunk. I feel dread and anticipation splashing around in my gut. I feel like I’m gonna be sick, and it’s not from the alcohol.

  I shrug my shoulders at Kane before looking back at the pool table. It’s my turn. It’s been my turn for a while. I told Genny we couldn’t leave because I was in the middle of this game. I suppose I should finish so we can.

  But I couldn’t care less about the game anymore. After completely missing my shot, I watch Genny and Chad while Kane runs the table. She looks torn. That’s the last expression I want to see on her face. Why would she be torn if she loves me?

  Just throw your drink in his face and come back over here, I tell her telepathically. Come back to me.

  Now they’re arguing. What the hell do they have to argue about?

  Maybe she’s telling him she’s with me and she’s not interested in seeing him ever a
gain. He’d argue with her about that, wouldn’t he? Before he knew she was with me, he probably wouldn’t have. He has plenty of other girls he can text at all hours of the day. Now, he probably thinks it’s a competition.

  “Just go over and talk to her,” Kane tells me.

  Maybe I should. She’d know I’m there to back her up and maybe Chad would leave her alone. Now that I think about it, why the hell am I still over here? Why didn’t I follow them over as soon as she figured out he was here? She probably thinks I’m letting her fend for herself, not trusting her to make the right decision.

  That is kind of what I’m doing, though, isn’t it? Figuring out once and for all if I can really trust her. Figuring out if she’ll break it off with him and be all mine.

  Chad gets up, walking angrily towards the exit and I breathe a sigh of relief. Genny can come back to me, now. She can come over here and kiss me, lean into me, reassure my drunk ego that I was overreacting and she’s still in love with me and I’m the only person she wants.

  She glances my way, her eyes tight with some emotion I’ve never seen on her before. Disappointment? Maybe she’s upset I stayed back here and just watched?

  Where the fuck is she going?!

  Lowering her eyes, she follows him out the door in that very short dress I convinced her to leave on.

  Fuck.

  My chest feels like there’s a ton of bricks sitting on it. I close my eyes and try to come up with any reason she’d be going outside with him and it wouldn’t be to let him fuck her. To let him take care of the frustration I’ve been forcing on her for weeks. I come up empty. I can’t think of a single reason she would be following him outside if she was planning on keeping her promise to me.

  Or if she loves me.

  Kane, Alex, Zander, and Heidi are all watching me carefully. I didn’t think it would matter if they knew she’d been with Chad. I thought it would give me an excuse for taking things slow with her, and it did. But now, it also means that everyone knows my business, and that my girl, the one I was so excited about them meeting, is going outside to fuck my roommate instead of me.