by S. E. Law
It’s funny that I used “when we get married” and not “if we get married” because it’s not even a question in my mind. Summer is the only woman I’ve ever pictured myself with forever. Hopefully, she feels the same because it’d be embarrassing if she didn’t.
“Wait. Who’s the girl?” Tommy asks, breaking me from my thoughts.
“Annabel,” replies Leo. “Actually, she’s one of Summer’s best friends.”
Tommy nods. “That makes perfect since. Yeah, I know who you’re talking about. She’s hot. Congrats, man.”
The girls at the other end of the bar are still trying to get our attention, but for the first time ever, all four of us are in committed relationships. It’s weird to be out when none of us are on the prowl, to be honest.
Evan’s phone buzzes on the table. “Shit,” he says after checking it. “I gotta go. Carolina is in panic mode. Apparently, her parents are coming in on Thursday instead of Friday. Kill me now.”
He finishes the rest of his beer in one gulp. It’s the only one he’s had tonight, so I’m not worried about him driving home. Besides, none of us drive drunk. We’ve seen the aftermath in all of our professions. As a lawyer, Evan and Tommy have defended a lot of victims of drunk driving accidents. Leo has tried to repair the damage on the operating table, and I’ve tried to get them back to where they were before it all happened. It’s enough to keep us from making that mistake.
“I’ll see you guys in a couple weeks. Pray for me.”
We send him off with a round of handshakes and best wishes. None of us know what it’s like to deal with in-laws, but I’m sure it’s not a walk in the park. Summer has spoken about her crappy relationship with her parents and I’m not looking forward to ever meeting them. From the way Summer talks about Mr. and Mrs. Ames, I’m not sure I ever will, either.
“Well, damn,” Tommy says, his eyes on the door. I turn, expecting to see a bombshell of a woman, but find myself looking at Seth instead. “Did you invite him out?”
“Not this time.”
Seth spots us and waves, making his way over to our table. He’s a good-looking guy with sandy blonde hair and intense blue eyes. Girls love his vibe, even if he’s flaky a lot of the time.
“Hey, fellas,” he says, taking Evan’s vacated seat. “How’s it going? It’s been a minute.”
“Pretty good, Seth. How are things at the office?”
He laughs. “Look at me. How do you think they are?”
I take in his outfit. He probably spent a few hundred dollars on jeans that look exactly like my cheap pair. Summer would say he’s trying too hard to look like he has money. If she were his stylist, she’d have a field day trying to fix his so-called “look.”
“So you’re doing well?” growls Leo.
“Better than well, man. I’m raking it in. Honestly, I don’t know why you guys chose regular medicine. The money is in plastics, especially in LA. I fix celebrity faces, and they buy me a new car.”
Leo’s face is red, but not because of embarrassment. The guy is mad. “Your work is meaningless,” he spits. “You don’t even take the important cases, you send them to the hospital. You make people insecure by showing them what they should look like, and then you charge them crazy amounts of money to fit some bullshit ideal.”
Seth only laughs. “Jealousy is a good look on you, Leo. You know, we have an opening for a surgeon. I was about to offer you the job, but you lost yourself the privilege.”
“Privilege?” Leo roars, standing from his seat. “You think it’s a privilege to inject Botox and break noses?”
Seth rolls his eyes, both hands up in the air.
“What do you do? Put splints on people? Come on, Leo. You’re no better than me.”
Leo eyes him with fury.
“Keep talking, Seth. You’ll need your own plastic surgeon when I’m done with you.”
This time, our friend gets mad. The blond man stands and goes nose to nose with Leo.
“Do it,” he taunts. “I want to see you break your hand on my face.”
Leo winds up, ready to take the bait, but Tommy and I jump between them.
“Easy, fella,” I say. “You’ll be out of work if you hurt him.”
“It’d be worth it,” he growls, charging towards Seth again.
I force him back. “It won’t. Just forget him.”
“Walk away, Seth,” Tommy says, pushing his chest. “Get out of here.”
“I have every right to be here,” says our local golden boy.
The bouncer walks over. “Is there a problem?”
We all look towards Seth, who raises his hands in surrender. “I was just leaving.”
“That would be wise.”
The table is still tense even after Seth leaves.
“Why were we ever friends with that guy?” Leo asks. “He’s always been an ass and he’s only gotten worse. What the fuck is his problem?”
I shrug.
“Honestly, I have no idea. I think he just decided he was part of our crew one day and we couldn’t get rid of him.”
We met Seth at UCLA, just like we met Tommy and Evan. We were tight, and Seth showed up halfway through junior year, ready to be best friends. It was weird, to be honest, but he kept hanging around so much that finally we gave in and let him stay.
He wasn’t always such a schmuck, though. We did have some fun in college. But then he decided that he wanted to be a doctor for the money, while the rest of us were in our fields to help people. Unfortunately, the disconnect grew after graduation. Seth obviously has an inflated ego now from being a sought-after celebrity plastic surgeon, and thinks he’s better than his fellow man.
The waiter comes by and I order us another round. “What a douche,” I say. “I kind of wish I let you kick his ass.”
Leo flexes his hand. “Annabel would’ve killed me because I think my hands are her favorite part of my body. Well, second favorite.”
We laugh, the tension dissipating. The three of us hang at the bar for a few more hours before heading home to our respective girls. It was fun with the boys, but now it’s time to see the woman I adore.
I unlock Summer’s door quietly, expecting her to be asleep. Instead, I find her curled on the couch watching a movie.
“Hey,” she says, her smile bright. “How was your night?”
“Good. Leo almost beat up Seth.”
Her face scrunches. “Really? Seth is the plastic surgeon, right?”
I nod. “He showed up and sat with us like he hasn’t been a dick. Then he started insulting our respective professions. Tommy and I had to break them apart before Leo killed Seth.
She grins.
“Sounds exciting. I’m kind of sad I missed it.”
“You can come next time.”
I sit down next to her, pulling her against my chest.
“I’ll think about it.”
I kiss Summer’s temple, and then her lips. It’s late and I’m tired, but seeing my woman gives me new energy. I lift her from the couch and carry her to the bedroom so we can enjoy ourselves. Ahhh, this is the way to enjoy an evening, with a warm, willing woman in my arms.
Afterwards, we fall asleep, and I clasp her tighter to me. This is my dream come to life, yet I can’t ignore that Summer and I met in a strange way. Will it catch up to us someday? Will the hospital find out? I sincerely hope not, but as I pull her curvy form tighter to me, I can’t help but feel a pang of doubt.
25
Summer
“So, you’re telling me this place just has board games. For people to play. While they eat,” I say, deadpan.
Ridge laughs beside me on the couch. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”
I scrunch my nose.
“How did I not know there were so many cool restaurants around here?”
He shrugs.
“It’s southern California, what did you expect?”
My boyfriend has a point, but still. I didn’t know there were places you could just
eat with cats hanging out around you. I’ve gone back to the cat café at least twenty times since Ridge took me there on our first date, but now he’s taking me to a restaurant that has board games to play while you eat. Dating Ridge is the best decision I ever made because he’s introduced me to so many new things.
“So when are we going?” I ask playfully.
I love board games, but no one ever wants to play with me so I don’t have a big collection. Ridge and I have played a few two-player games that I’ve gathered over the years, but going to a restaurant that has a huge selection sounds amazing.
He grins.
“We can go tonight, if you want.”
I’m nodding before he even gets the word out. “I definitely want to. When can we leave?”
He checks his watch. It’s a little after five, so it’s not too early for dinner. “You ready now?”
“Yes! Let’s go.”
For once, we’re actually wearing clothes. That’s not to say our sex life has petered out, because it hasn’t. It’s just that the maintenance guy came by to fix a leak in my bathroom today, so we had to be decent. Admittedly, we got dressed in a rush when the guy knocked on my door, but still. It’s a miracle he didn’t catch us in the middle of a particularly dirty act.
Plus, Ridge helps me so much. I’ve made a lot of progress with my physical therapy, but I’m still in the wheelchair for now. I can get around on crutches, but I’m not confident enough to leave the chair behind completely because my limbs are still weak. I’m hoping after another week of practice, that will change.
My boyfriend drives us across town to the restaurant. Inside, the walls have floor to ceiling bookshelves lined with every board game one could imagine. There are thousands of options, most of which I’ve never heard of.
My face lights up. “Is this heaven?”
“You like it?”
“The only thing that could make it better would be cats. What do you say? We should open our own restaurant: customers can play with cats while they eat and also play board games.”
He laughs. “I think we should stick with our full-time jobs because neither of us can cook.”
“We’d hire a chef!” I say. “You’re probably right, though. I’d rather be a stylist.”
My solo venture is still on hold as I heal, but the longer I’m away from Lalique, the more I want to give it a try. At this point, I can’t imagine myself going back to work at a nine to five. I’d rather take this opportunity to go out on my own and explore what the world has to offer.
Plus, Ridge said that if I do it, he will too. That’s even more motivation for me to give it a shot because I want Ridge to open his own practice. He’s excellent as his job. He clearly loves what he does, and I see it every time he helps me take a step, or when I successfully master a new exercise machine. But he tells me about the equipment he doesn’t have, and the rules and regulations that hold him back at the hospital. On his own, Ridge could focus his resources on the newest techniques, as well as integrating old and new exercises without worrying about the bureaucracy.
A hostess appears in front of us, cutting off my train of thought.
“Welcome to the Board to Death Café!” she chirps. “Have you ever been to a board game café?”
I’m a little in love with the name. Aside from the games, the décor is dark, with skulls and crossbones, and both Ridge and I shake our heads. He heard about this place from a patient and thought I’d like it.
“Well, we’re excited to join you for your first time,” she says with a wink. “Play any game you like. All we ask is that you don’t lose any pieces, and put them back where you found them. Everything is alphabetical so if you have a game in mind, go by name. If you need help, ask. Someone here knows how to play every game on the walls. Sound good?”
“Sounds amazing,” I say, looking around again. I want to start with A and work my way to Z, but we don’t have that kind of time tonight.
The hostess leads us to our table. I tap my foot – a new ability I’m excited about – in anticipation as I wait for the waiter to take our order. We get burgers and milkshakes, and they have fun on-brand names for their food too. I get a blood and gore milkshake, which is just red velvet cake blended with chocolate ice cream. My burger is called the Instant Death, probably because it has egg, bacon, and onion rings on top.
With our order in, I head to the first bookshelf where the A’s are located. I run my fingers along the different games, and recognize a lot of the titles, but focus on the ones I’ve never played. I finally settle on a strategy game that works for just two players.
Ridge and I play while we eat, and both of us are super-competitive. The goal of the game is to capture the most land. You have to fight other armies and engage in skirmishes to become the best colonizer.
In the end, I win.
“If we were at home, I’d flip the board,” Ridge jokes. “This is ridiculous. I would’ve won if I’d rolled a four…”
“But you didn’t!” I gloat, slurping down the last drops of my milkshake. “Loser.”
He rolls his eyes.
“You’re a sore winner.”
I smirk. “Yeah, but you already knew this about me.”
“True.” He finishes his drink, too. “You ready to head home?”
“Actually,” I say. “I have another idea. You drive and I’ll tell you when to turn.”
Ridge looks curious, but he doesn’t push me to reveal more. He’s better at accepting surprises than I am.
We get in the car, and I direct Ridge to a park that I know won’t have any foot traffic at ten at night. It’s technically closed after dark, but no one appears to be watching. I know because Dee hooked me up.
“What are we doing here?” Ridge asks when he parks in an abandoned lot.
I reach into the back seat and grab the blanket I packed.
“Remember that list I told you about? The hundred places to have sex before you die?”
Ridge nods. “The one Dee gave you.”
“Yep, that’s the one.” I gesture to the trees in front of us. Just past the tree line is a grassy opening, which is hopefully the same one Dee used when she crossed number seventeen, sex in a park, off the list. “I thought we could give it a try.”
His face lights up. “Really?”
I laugh.
“Not that I don’t enjoy our time at home, but you have to admit… the risk is worth the reward.”
I don’t have to tell Ridge twice. He leaps from the car and gets my chair ready. The terrain is a little rough, so he pushes me over to the clearing. Then, Ridge lays out the blanket and we take a seat. At first, I lay on my back, gazing up at the stars. You don’t see them much in the city, but here they’re visible because there’s not a lot of light pollution in the park.
“It’s beautiful out here,” I whisper, trying not to disturb nature.
Ridge lays on his side, looking at me. He runs a finger up and down my arm. “You’re beautiful, Summer.”
I smile and kiss him. He pulls me on top of him, deepening our liplock.
“Are we really doing this?” he rumbles against my lips.
I nod. “We really are.”
We kiss more, and then begin. There’s no sense in taking our clothes off completely because we might have to make a quick getaway. Fortunately, I’m wearing a dress, so it’s not too hard. Ridge pulls the straps down to reveal my huge tits and his eyes go dark in the dim light.
“Perfection,” he says, taking a nipple into his mouth. I growl as he sucks and swirls his tongue around my sensitive nub.
“I love your mouth on me,” I gasp. “So good…”
Ridge moves his attention to my other breast, and I twist my fingers into his hair, pulling him against me. I never realized how sensitive my nips were until Ridge and I got together because he’s brought me to orgasm multiple times just by sucking on my breasts.
But I don’t want that to happen here. We don’t have a lot of time, not when we’r
e in a public park, and I want my orgasm to come when his thickness is inside me.
I roll off of Ridge, my hands finding the waist of his jeans. Ridge’s hardness comes out easily, desperate to escape from the confines of his boxers.
“That’s it, babe,” he growls as I run my fingers over his member, lazily tracing over a vein. “You drive me crazy.”
Wanting to drive him up the wall, I crawl around so I can take him into my mouth. One of the best parts of regaining the use of my legs is that it’s even easier for me to pleasure Ridge with my lips. For all the times he kissed my core, I wanted to be able to return the favor. Now, I can’t get enough of his taste and savor the salty musk of his skin, swallowing the jet of pre-cum that spurts into my mouth.
I bob my head up and down, taking him deep in my throat.
“God, babe, you’re so good at that,” he rasps, blue eyes burning with fire. He pushes my hair away from my eyes so I can look at him while I go down.
“That’s right,” he croons. “Show me those pretty eyes as you suck my cock, baby girl.”
I look up obediently, and there are dark streaks across his cheekbones, his bronzed neck and chest bare and tense. I swallow him even deeper, causing him to moan.
“Stop, babe, I don’t want to cum yet.”
With a pop, I pull off his hardness and then lay back again, letting Ridge mount my curvy form. With a nudge and then a thrust, he does it. Ridge is inside, his thickness overwhelming and making me stretch all over again.
“Oh, yes!” I cry out. A bird flutters in the bush beside us. “So deep.”
“You like that, babe?”
I nod, biting back another yell. “Unnnh, I love it. Don’t stop!”
He doesn’t stop, and pounds me to orgasm, his hips going fast and then faster as I spasm around him. He continues thrusting as my quaking pussy convulses around him.
“Give me your cream,” he rasps. “Show Daddy how much you appreciate him, and Daddy will give it to you right back.”
I moan, and on cue, female honey gushes from my core and coats his dick. Ridge moans and when he can’t take any more, he pushes in as deep as he can go and lets loose. His dick jerks inside me and then spills, coating my fertile fields with virile sperm.