by J. M. Stone
I squealed and took off out the door to the lobby as Luke lunged for me, hiding behind Brandon who started laughing, along with the people waiting for tattoos or piercing or whatever. Luke chased me and we looked like two little kids playing around. I was using poor Brandon as a shield, my fingers twisted in the sides of his shirt, moving him every which way to counter Luke’s grabs. Brandon was laughing uncontrollably, especially when Luke’s hands would miss me and grab his sides, inadvertently tickling him.
Of course, since I’d just found out how ticklish Brandon was, I couldn’t resist pulling my fingers out of his shirt and tickling him mercilessly until Luke got a hold of me and pulled me away, lifting me in his arms and throwing me over his shoulder. I hung there, upside down and grinning, while he called his next client back. The woman followed him, laughing as I propped myself up a bit on his back and introduced myself to her as he strode down the hall to his studio.
I stayed at the shop until they closed and then Jackson met us at Griff’s for dinner, a little karaoke, and maybe a few drinks. Karaoke night was usually Monday night at Griff’s but the band that he had booked as a special before Christmas act cancelled at the last minute because they broke up, so Jeremy had come in to cover and do karaoke/dance party night instead. Weird for a Tuesday night, but hey. Who am I to complain?
We were finishing up our dinner (I’d ordered the pizza rolls, as usual…yum!), when Jadalee came through the door, walking over to Jeremy with an exaggerated sway of her hips. I snorted as I watched her lean over and thrust her boobs out, trying to seduce poor Jeremy, I suppose. Too bad she’s barking up the wrong tree…he’s been happily married to his high school sweetheart for fourteen years and they have six kids.
She apparently picked out a song to sing, and since no one else had put a name in after the last guy who’d been up there, she went ahead and took the stage with the microphone. I shook my head when the notes for Avril Lavigne’s Girlfriend started and Jadalee began to sing. She sucked. I mean, don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t horrible, but she definitely shouldn’t quit her day job. She bounced around the stage, but her eyes were for Luke, who, bless his heart, was shaking with laughter.
I nudged him to let me out of the booth and went up to talk to Jeremy. I shook my head when he asked if I wanted my usual start off song, and whispered in his ear what I wanted. He didn’t have it, but thank God he’s one of them hi-tech kinda karaoke guys, so he was able to tap into the bar’s wi-fi and get what I wanted.
I smirked as Jadalee sashayed off the stage, a little embarrassed for her since only a couple people clapped for her. And because I was about to blow her out of the water. I didn’t even have an ounce of stage fright tonight, because this was gonna be good.
The beat started, giving me my starting notes and I belted out the lyrics to Halestorm’s It’s Not You, and I was singing it directly to Jadalee. Of course I played with the lyrics a little bit, but I was making a point.
Instead of singing I’m or Me during the chorus, I was singing, ‘He’s in love with somebody, Found someone who completes him, Oh-he’s in love with somebody, oh yeah, and it’s not you!’, and I was singing it directly to Jadalee. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I was rocking it, too. I got a standing ovation from everyone in the bar, with the exception of Jadalee, who stormed out of the bar like her ass was on fire.
Christmas Eve day was spent just hanging out with the guys and Allie, who had come over to do our Christmas together since she would be spending the day with her family tomorrow, on Christmas Day. We watched movies and played outside in the snow that had started falling in the middle of the night, sticking and coating everything with sparkling white. I was so happy that we were going to have a white Christmas!
Before she left, we exchanged gifts. She loved everything I gave her and I was ecstatic with what she’d gotten me. It was a killer pair of black suede peep-toe stilettos, with a tapering stacked, patent leather four and a half inch heel. I loved them and couldn’t wait to wear them! She’d also given me a gift card to buy more books for my Kindle, because she knows how much I love to read.
She also exchanged gifts with the guys and even bought Doug a new chew toy. It was in the shape of a rubber chicken but it was stuffed and had its stretchy wings clasped together and long chicken legs. She showed us how you put your finger in the clasped wings and pull back on the legs before letting go and the thing took off like a slingshot, cock-a-doodle-dooing all the way.
Luke and I laughed and nudged each other speculatively when Brandon and Jackson both cornered Allie under the mistletoe, kissing her breathless before they let her leave. She stumbled to her car, looking dazed, sitting there for a minute shaking her head before shrugging, waving goodbye to me, and pulling away.
We woke up Christmas morning early because Brandon was pounding on our door like a five year old, hollering, “Wake up! Its Christmas! Open presents! Now!”
Luke rolled over me, kissing me gently and whispering, “Merry Christmas, baby. Our very first Christmas together…I love you.”
“Mmmm…Merry Christmas to you, too, my love. I love you so much…” I whispered back.
We kissed softly for a few minutes before the pounding started at the door again. “If you guys aren’t out of that bed and downstairs in five minutes, I’m coming in and it wont be pretty!” Brandon hollered.
We laughed and got out of bed, stumbling bleary eyed down the stairs to sit on the couch by a blinking, sleepy-eyed Jackson who was glaring at Brandon between blinks. Brandon was practically hopping with excitement as he started doling out presents to everyone, making a pile for himself by the coffee table. Doug even had a growing pile on the floor in front of him, between his outstretched paws.
Once all the presents were handed out that needed to be, we started opening. Even Doug got into the spirit, selecting one of his gifts before holding it between his paws and tearing the paper off with his teeth. The one he picked turned out to be a huge rawhide bone that I had gotten him, so I assume he’d been able to smell it through the wrap and that’s why he picked it. I helped him with the rest of his before I opened any more of mine.
Jackson had gotten me a gorgeous red cable knit cashmere sweater with a cowl neck and a kick ass pair of black skinny jeans. He admitted that he had snuck into my closet and looked at my sizes so he could get it right.
Brandon had gotten me a beautiful pair of diamond stud earrings, which I told him was too much. He just blushed and told me to shut up and enjoy them.
I opened Luke’s presents last. He’d gotten me a gift card to Victoria’s Secret (who’s she kidding anyway? She doesn’t have any secrets left…) which I figured was more of a gift for him; a beautiful gold necklace with a diamond pendent; and in the last box was a card that said simply, ‘Go to the laundry room.’
I looked at him quizzically, but he just smiled, giving nothing away. I got up and walked into the laundry room, smiling at Brandon and Jackson who were still thanking me for their gifts. I’d gotten Jackson a large framed black and white picture of the Los Angeles downtown skyline at night. I’d told him it was for his new house, just in case he missed the big city now that he’d moved back. I’d also given him a couple new button down work shirts.
I’d gotten Brandon a new bottle of his favorite cologne, because he’d mentioned that he was running low in passing one day. I’d also gotten him a couple new long sleeved t-shirts with funny sayings on them.
Luke was the hardest one to buy for and had taken me the longest to figure something out. I’d finally bought him a couple new Henley’s, a pair of jeans, and four tickets for the Jeff Dunham show tomorrow night in Dayton. Yes, four, because I couldn’t leave the other two out, especially because they all sit around and watch the DVD’s of the guy all the time and laugh their asses off.
I walked into the laundry room as directed and found another small box. I opened it and found another note. This one said, ‘I love you. You’ll find it with Hairy.’ I paused for a moment, c
ompletely confused before it struck me that Hairy could be Doug. I headed back into the living room to find the guys all sitting on the couch, Brandon and Jackson smirking and Luke looking like he was about to puke. Weird.
I turned to find Doug sitting pretty-as-you-please in the oversized armchair, with a basket handle clamped between his jaws. I quirked an eyebrow and walked over to him. I tried to take the basket from him but he wouldn’t let it go, so I settled for opening it instead. When I folded back the lid, there was a note taped to it that said, ‘Well?’ Even more confused, I reached into the basket and pulled out a little white box. My heart started pounding as I opened it to find an absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous princess cut diamond ring. It had to be at least a carat, and had probably another carat’s worth of round diamonds framing the square of the center stone and extending down the sides of the white gold band.
I took the ring out of the box with shaking fingers and looked up at Luke. I gasped as he stood up, walked over to me, got down on one knee…and repeated the question written on the card that Doug was holding on the basket.
“Well?”
“Seriously?” I asked. “That’s how you’re gonna do it?”
He nodded. “I’m not taking no for an answer, so you might as well put it on and just say yes…” he drawled.
I made him wait for two hours. Okay, I lied. It was more like two minutes. But hey, he went to Jared, and he got the Neil Lane collection, and, truth be told, my dad had actually kinda proposed to my mom like that back in the day. So I said yes.
Chapter 21
After everyone cleaned up their presents and got ready, we all headed over to my mom and dad’s house. Jackson had spoken to his mom on the way over, and she had expressed how sad she was that he hadn’t come back to her house for Christmas, but she understood why he hadn’t. He’d been in meetings almost nonstop with work and with the builders for his house, and if it wasn’t for the fact that he was staying with us, we probably wouldn’t see him, either.
While he was talking to his mom, I had called Allie to tell her the news. I had to pull the phone away from my ear because she shrieked so loudly, and we talked for a minute longer before I finally was able to get off the phone, promising that she would get to see the ring A.S.A.P.
We pulled up and the kids came running out, still in their pajamas, which got them yelled at for being out in the snow with no coat or clothes. I ushered them back in the house and the guys followed, all carting the bags and bags of gifts that we had for everyone.
Once we’d all opened our gifts, cleaned up, and helped mom get Christmas dinner on the table, we all sat down and ate. Calland for once was on his best behavior, with the exception of his outburst at the table when he was the first to notice my ring. I’d begged the guys not to say anything and they’d reluctantly agreed, figuring that I’d be shouting it to the rooftops, but I just wanted to see how long it would take them to notice.
I had been reaching for more macaroni and cheese when Calland, with a mouthful of food, hollered, “What the fuck is that?” before grabbing my hand, knocking macaroni all over the table. “Holy shit, Emma, did you knock off a jewelry store? Are you-” he turned to Luke. “Did you propose to my sister?”
Luke had nodded and my mom and sisters had squealed and surrounded me to see the ring. I can’t believe no one had noticed it earlier because I kept staring at it, honestly just loving the way it sparkled and shined on my finger.
I’d waited for my dad to say something, but the jig was up when he just sat there with a shit eating grin on his face. The truth came out then. Luke had actually gone to my father to ask his permission to marry me, and had even told him about the whole elaborate plan he’d thought up to propose. In return, my dad had shared the story of how he’d proposed to my mom, which was hiding the ring in the pocket of a bathrobe he’d gotten her for Christmas. When she’d opened it and tried it on at the urging of dad and his parents (he’d done it at their house), she’d automatically stuck her hands in the pockets, and found the ring. Apparently, when she pulled it out and looked at it in surprise, my dad had just said, “Well?”
I guess Luke didn’t want to mess with a good thing since it turned out so well between my parents and had scrapped his original plan, instead tweaking my dad’s proposal to my mom to fit us. Now that I knew the reasoning behind it, it made Luke’s off-the-wall proposal that much sweeter.
We stayed until evening, playing games and just generally having a good time, before we headed home and just hung out. All in all, it was the best Christmas ever.
The week between Christmas and New Year flew by and, for once, I was excited about New Year’s Eve. Allie, Leah, Jenna, and I all had gotten together to go shopping for outfits to wear to the party that was happening down at Griff’s. Jenna had arranged for a babysitter, and we’d all planned on taking cabs in the event that everyone decided to drink.
New Year’s Eve came and all of us girls got together at Jenna’s house to get dolled up and then we were going to meet up with the guys at the bar. After we all got done primping, we were standing together in the mirror.
Allie, with raised eyebrows, breathed, “We’re fuckin’ HOT!”
Every one of us nodded, because we looked damn good. I couldn’t wait for the guys to see us…
Jenna was wearing a silver dress that was almost like a shirt; it bloused at the top, tightening and draping into a mini skirt that hit mid-thigh. The sleeves were three-quarter length, but were split from the shoulder to just below her elbow before coming to a stop in a black jeweled band on her forearm. She’d paired it with a sexy pair of strappy black stilettos and had piled her hair on top of her head in a messy but precise twist.
Leah was wearing a black mini skirt with a white and black corset type strapless top, with a killer pair of black suede peep toe stiletto booties. She’d left her hair down, tumbling in waves over her shoulders to the middle of her back.
Allie was wearing a silver sheath dress that fit her like a second skin. It had a black lace overlay and a high neckline in the front, but when she turned, it basically had no back, coming to a stop dangerously low over the beginning swell of her ass. She’d gone with a strappy, silver pair of stilettos that made her legs look a million miles long, and her spiky hair (all black for once) was liberally sprayed with silver glitter.
Since I didn’t do dresses very often, I’d gone with a long black form fitting top that left one whole shoulder and arm bare, and clasped with a silver jewel over the other. On the side that clasped at my shoulder, it had a small gather of material that fell on either side of my shoulder to drape loosely down my side. It came to about mid-thigh, and I’d paired it with a really cute pair of silver skinny jeans . I’d worn the kickass heels that Allie had gotten me for Christmas and Allie had loosely French braided my hair at each side of my head before gathering it into a messy knot at the back of my head.
Satisfied that we were going to drive the guys wild, we all piled into Jenna’s car and headed out to the bar. When we got there, things were just starting to heat up; people were dancing, drinks were flowing, and it looked like everyone was having a blast. We walked to the table we had reserved (our usual booth was too small for all of us) where the guys were all sitting, and all four of us gasped when we caught sight of them. We thought we were hot? Shit…we didn’t have anything on them!
Noah was wearing a black button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up over dark grey jeans and black leather boots.
Jackson was wearing a red button down shirt with a tribal skull on the pocket and the same design emblazoned across the whole back of it. He’d also rolled up his sleeves and buttoned them up with the tabs on the shirt sleeves. Even I had to say that his ass looked delicious in a tight pair of black jeans, and he’d worn black boots with silver buckles.
Brandon wore a white and black striped short sleeve button down over a black thermal long sleeve, pairing them with a well worn pair of faded jeans and black and white sneakers. He had a
black ball cap turned backwards on his head, and a pair of diamond studs flashed in both his ears.
And Luke…he looked extra yummy in a black button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up like Jackson and Noah. His shirt had a sweet silver tribal looking cross on the back of it, almost like the one he had worn for our date when we’d first gone out. He’d gone with his grey boot cut jeans that fit him perfectly, and his black boots with silver buckles as well.
The guys turned and caught sight of us, their jaws all dropping, which made each of us grin as we looked at each other knowingly. Leah waved at them and winked at us before she trotted off to the bar in search of someone to nab as her date for the evening.
We danced and drank champagne and the evening flew by. We all gathered back at the table to grab the noise makers that Griff had put on every table and headed outside with most of the patrons of the bar. We all fanned out, Luke keeping me close by his side and waited for the countdown. All at once, voices began counting down from ten and everyone joined in, shouting into the dark night. When the town clock struck midnight and everyone yelled Happy New Year!, Luke pulled me into him and kissed me deeply, stealing my breath and making me weak with want.
He pulled back and whispered, “Happy New Year, baby. I love you…” just as the fireworks started exploding in the sky. I tipped my head back to watch and started laughing in amazement as soft white snowflakes started drifting down over us. Luke pulled me back against him and kissed me while the sky lit up with color bursts and the streets became dusted in white.
Luke and I trudged back inside, our cheeks reddened from the cold…and maybe a little flushed with good old fashioned lust! We made sure everyone was covered to get home or where they needed to go and made our excuses, both so eager to get out of there and get our hands on each other.