Chapter 12
CHAPTER 12
brITTANY
B rittany was in the worst mood. First, Gus had flirted with some girl right in front of her, which was absolutely his right to do since they weren’t even dating, but her stupid hormones didn’t know that and she spent the rest of the day angry and hurt. It didn’t help that her ankle was sore as fuck. And while she was pissed at Gus, at the same time, she just wanted to go back to his place and sit on the couch with him while watching a stupid dating show.
Apparently, she had lost her mind. She was thinking about him constantly, thoughts of her orgasm last night filtering in when she was trying to concentrate on whatever the current moderator of the panel had asked her. She needed to stop, needed to exorcise him from her brain.
And the only cure she knew of was a night out.
Luckily, Kickoff was just as famous for its nightlife as it was for its fan stuff. Brittany had been invited by a streaming company to attend their party at the Waterfront, a notoriously wild affair filled with all kinds of streamers, influencers, and content creators that was always both fun and the cause of the worst hangovers she ever experienced. Brittany had been going to skip it, but with her new weird fixation on Gus, she decided she needed to go. This crush or whatever was getting in the way of her job, and she needed to blow off some steam before she did something stupid and made a move on Gus.
Brittany mentally went through her list of friends at Kickoff, trying to figure out who to go with. She had plans to flirt with cute guys, and that meant that she had to leave Gus at home. And the only way he wouldn’t kill her when he found out was if she went with someone he trusted.
Finally, she texted Randall and Dev. Randall was always up for blowing off steam after spending his whole day on the floor making sales, and Min’s little sister was in need of more hangout time after her accident and several surgeries. Brittany shot them a text, and Dev immediately answered with a number of excited emojis, while Randall sent a GIF of someone giving finger guns. They arranged to share a rideshare so they could arrive together and so Brittany wouldn’t be alone.
Gus came to gather her after her last panel, handing her yet another bottle of water that she took gratefully. Without a word, he took her hand, keeping her close to him as they both turned to leave, slowly making their way out of the convention center.
One quick rideshare later, Brittany and Gus pulled up outside of what looked like a closed section of a small shopping mall. Only the window declared ‘Fabrics’ in faded paint. Otherwise, there was no indication the store was open.
Brittany took it in, confused.
“You sure this is the place? It looks like it’s been abandoned for months.”
“That’s just Liam’s style.”
Gus reached for the door handle and shocked Brittany when it opened right up. He led her inside, where she immediately froze at the sight of floor-to-ceiling shelves of fabric. Everything that she could think of was there, well organized with poorly hand-written signs that you had to search to find. But it was a treasure trove.
Brittany knew she was gaping but didn’t care.
“We’re closed,” a hard voice rang out from somewhere in the back.
“It’s me, Liam.”
A head poked out from around a shelf, an older Black gentleman with glasses and a disgruntled expression that could rival one of Gus’s.
“What are you doing here?”
Gus didn’t even blink at the rude question.
“I brought a friend who wants to shop.”
“Do you like her?”
“Yes.”
“Do you trust her?”
“Yes.”
“Then look around. But don’t let anyone else in. This Kickoff crowd is too rowdy.”
The head disappeared, leaving Brittany staring at Gus, who quirked an eyebrow at her.
“What?”
“How exactly do you know him?”
“He had some trouble last year with an arsonist. I helped him out with the police reports and did some investigating for him. We managed to catch the guy, and now he has to put up with me.”
Brittany thought about how that was just like Gus, to help someone just because he thought they needed it. She turned to a shelf of silks to sort through them, feeling their texture and weight as she thought about everything Gus had said since they walked in there.
“So… you trust me?”
He was looking at his phone, not making eye contact.
“Of course I do.”
“I broke into your brother’s apartment and destroyed his stuff.”
Brittany didn’t know why she was bringing it up. She liked Gus and was secretly glad to hear he trusted her. But when she looked back at her recent behavior, she had to admit that if their positions were reversed, she wouldn’t have said the same thing.
Gus looked up at her question, surprise in his eyes.
“Killer, you have a temper, but you tend to only get sparked when there’s a legitimate reason.”
“Oh.” She stared at the fabric in front of her, not seeing any of it as she replayed that night in her head. And she had to ask.
“You said… you didn’t act like it in the moment. What changed?”
He had the good grace to wince.
“I didn’t react well and said things I shouldn’t have. When I calmed down and thought about it, I realized something must have really set you off. But I didn’t know what it was until last night with Robbie.”
“You didn’t know about the other women?” Brittany realized this was part of what was bothering her, the idea that Gus had known about Robbie’s cheating this whole time and had never said anything. Somehow that betrayal would’ve hurt more than Robbie’s.
Gus shook his head. “I’m not really on any of the social media, and Robbie never talked about her.”
Brittany nodded, not trusting her voice but knowing she was going to be thinking about this conversation for a while, analyzing everything from his tone to how she asked the questions. For now, she focused on the fabrics in front of her to hopefully inspire the new designs she desperately needed.
After an hour of digging around, Brittany paid for the swatches she had settled on, grabbing a little black lace that had caught her attention at the last minute. She smiled wide in the face of Liam’s complaining about having to open the register for the sale. With a big thank you, they left.
When they arrived back at the condo, Gus had work to do on his laptop, something about the constant report filing that a security officer has to do, and Brittany used the time to focus on her designs… only to come up blank. She had a block, and she didn’t know why. She loved fashion and would often doodle outfits in her spare time. She shared with her followers how to alter thrift store clothes to fit better, or to fit a certain design aesthetic. But for some reason, now that her career was on the line, she was drawing a blank and didn’t know what to do about it. Nothing was feeling right. Nothing was inspiring her. She was going out of her mind.
When she looked up at the clock, it was time to start getting ready for the evening. She put away her tablet where she had been sketching and got up to head toward the bathroom. Gus looked up from where he had been working in the kitchen.
“What’s the plan for the night?”
Brittany hedged. She didn’t want to lie to him, but she also desperately needed a night out, away from Gus and whatever this dumb crush was. But she also knew he wouldn’t want her going anywhere without him, especially not now that her ankle was hurt.
“Depends on what you have planned.”
He shrugged. “I need to meet Val, and I have more questions to ask the flower shop. If you’re planning a night in, I can get that done while you’re safe here.”
She nodded. “Sounds good. I’m going to hop in the shower, so you do you.”
Brittany took her time with the shower, knowing she was avoiding Gus but there was nothing to do about it. She focused on her makeup, her hair, and finally the dress she had brought just in case. It was one she had repurposed from one of her favorite thrift shops. There hadn’t been a lot of the lace left to work with, so the dress was tight and shorter than she usually liked wearing. The lace did cover her body, but the nude underlayer made it seem like she was naked underneath, hints of her curves and skin peeking through the lace. This dress was sex, and it made Brittany feel powerful. Enough to pull on her lowest pair of heels and attempt her ankle, knowing she wouldn’t be able to dance but not really caring. She slipped some fold-up flats in her clutch, along with her lip gloss, and fluffed the hair she had meticulously just curled so it looked beach-kissed. After layering on her Dirty Talk lipstick, Brittany was ready for a night out.
When she stepped out of the bathroom a while later, Gus had gone to meet Val, and Brittany had a brief moment of guilt. He only left because he thought she was staying in his condo, a building that had a secure door. Gus would hate knowing she was going out without him. But Brittany desperately needed to get him out of her head, and so with her teeth gritted, she left Gus a note explaining that she had to go out so he wouldn’t worry, and then headed downstairs.
She had the elevator to herself and strode out onto the street, looking at the cars.
“Woooooo, sexy lady!”
Already smiling, she turned to find Dev and Randall hanging out the window of the rideshare, catcalling her.
“Watch out, Kimball, Brittany came to slay!”
“Shut up, you two.” Brittany was smiling as she said it, carefully walking toward the car and sliding in next to her friends. The car took off the second her seat belt was buckled.
“Seriously, Britt, you’re smoking. Gonna ruin some man’s life tonight for sure.” Randall winked at her. He was completely done up, his shirt one of his own designs fit him to a tee, the front buttons undone down his chest in obvious invitation. His locks were pulled back into a ponytail, and his eyeliner was on point.
“Me? How would they even notice me with you around looking that hot?”
Randall preened as Brittany took in Dev’s outfit. Her style tended toward what Brittany liked to call “50s housewives chic” and tonight’s bombshell wiggle dress was no disappointment, putting her lush curves on display. Dev had worn her hair down, her lips bright red, her glasses making her look cute rather than vamp. Her medical boot was still on, since she still had a lot of healing to do, but the whole outfit was so perfect for Devery that Brittany couldn’t help but smile.
“Dev, you look amazing.”
Dev flicked back her curly hair, her eyes twinkling. “Randall picked the dress. He insisted I follow some awesome advice I got at a panel today. ‘Dress for the girl you want to be,’ right?”
“Damn straight,” Randall said, the two fist-bumping.
Brittany rolled her eyes, even though she was pleased to see her words had touched someone.
“How’s it been at the booth?”
Randall got serious, as he always did when he discussed his business. “Busy. Next year I’m thinking I’ll have enough product to stake out a larger section.”
“He’ll talk your ear off about profit margins if you let him,” Dev warned with a smile.
“I’ll listen to it all.” Randall was one of Brittany’s favorite people, and his success made her happy. He was a man with big dreams and big plans. Watching his mind work was always fascinating conversation.
“So…” Dev gave her a sly look, which was interesting to see on her otherwise guileless face. “Where’s Gus?”
Brittany looked out the window. “I gave him the night off.”
Randall and Dev exchanged a look. Randall answered.
“And he was fine with you going to this party by yourself?”
“I’m not by myself. I’m with you two.”
Dev wasn’t buying it. “You know what we mean.”
“He’s an employee, I don’t answer to him. And I certainly don’t have to ask him permission to go to a party.”
Randall frowned, confused. “But I thought you had a stalker? Isn’t that why your mom hired security in the first place?”
“My mom overreacted. And I’m sure she didn’t realize she was hiring Robbie’s brother, of all people.”
“But you do have a stalker.”
Brittany grunted, annoyed that they were right. But after the flowers at the meet and greet and then the text messages, Brittany couldn’t deny that she felt safer having Gus with her.
Still.
“I need a night out. Having a babysitter is really starting to get to me, and if I don’t let off some steam soon, I’m going to blow. The party we’re going to has a lot of security and a strict guest list, so random people can’t wander in and try anything with me. I’m not going to be alone anywhere. I just need some loud music, some fruity drink, and a hot guy to flirt with. I can’t do that with Gus following me around.”
Randall slid her another look. “Gus is pretty hot.”
Brittany shook her head, even though it was true. “He’s Robbie’s brother.”
“Robbie is an idiot. Gus is smart and kind and worth about a thousand Robbies. I don’t see the problem.”
Brittany turned to Dev, trying to prove her point. “You’d date Hayden if he and Min broke up?”
Devery snorted. “If Min and Hayden broke up, I’d have to drag him from the pit of despair he’d flung himself into and help him figure out what he did wrong. Min is it for Hayden. They’re each other’s person.”
Brittany felt the implication that Dev wasn’t saying—that she was never Robbie’s person, nor was he hers. And Brittany knew Dev was right.
Randall leveled her a serious look. “If you think Gus could be the one, then it’s worth trying. You deserve the best. Love is worth it. You only gotta look at Min and Hayden to see that.”
Min and Hayden were over the moon for each other, fierce and protective, and loving. And Brittany did want that. Someone who supported her business as a streamer and fashion influencer. Someone to come home to at night, to watch terrible shows with. Someone who wasn’t scared of her temper. Someone who cared what kind of footwear she wore.
Shit, she was in trouble. Which meant it was time to change the subject.
“What about you, Dev? Anyone on the horizon?”
Dev shrugged. “Not yet. But I can’t imagine anyone’s going to be panting after me.”
Randall’s head whipped around toward her. “Hey.”
Brittany was also offended. She had never heard Dev so down on herself.
“That’s my friend you’re talking about. Why wouldn’t someone pant after you?”
Dev shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with all the sudden aggressive friendship.
“I’m just not that outgoing, charismatic girl that people are drawn to.”
Randall’s eyes narrowed. “What people?”
“I don’t know. People.”
Brittany snorted. “Well, those people are trash, and if you see any at this party, point them out so I can throw a drink in their stupid faces.”
Dev smiled. “It’s mostly just me being down on myself. I’m sick of the rehab and all the appointments and all the doctors. I just want to have some fun, you know.”
“Fun with a cute guy?”
“Not… necessarily.”
Brittany turned to Dev, eyes wide. “I’m sorry, are you coming out right now?”
“Don’t pretend you didn’t know. I told Min it was fine to tell you, since she tells you everything anyway.”
Brittany and Randall’s eyes met before they both laughed.
“Okay, fine, yes, she did tell me, but she also told me that you would come out to me personally and now I’m feeling a little cheated that I didn’t get the whole experience. I would’ve given you this whole speech about women being superior to men, that you’re going to lead such a happy life, and that I’m so glad you’re able to live your truth—”
“Barf, no. I don’t need a speech, I got enough of that from Mom and Min.”
Randall clapped his hands to get their attention.
“Here’s the plan. We’re going to find Devery a cute girl to flirt with, we’re going to find Brittany a cute boy to flirt with, and we’re going to find the hottest guy there for me to dance with until my feet fall off. Let’s see who can have the most fun tonight. Consider it a competition. Deal?”
“Deal.”
Their car pulled up to the venue for the party. Waiting outside was a large man in a suit and a woman holding a clipboard, looking unamused as some cosplayers tried to convince her to let them into the party. Brittany, Randall, and Dev made their way over slowly, gave their names, and were immediately ushered into the space.
The whole place was designed to be photographed. The number of stations set up, from backdrops to the dance floor to the bar, all with the intent for influencers to take selfies and post about the sponsor, some liquor company, made the club look chaotic and everything Brittany needed that night.
Her eyes zeroed in on the bar.
“First, we drink.”
They made their way to the line, waiting patiently for it to shuffle forward while scanning the list of themed signature drinks.Dev went with a soda, while Brittany and Randall chose one of the signatures, something with an umbrella and a ridiculous amount of fruit garnish that would make a great picture their followers would love. Drinks in hand, they scanned the area.
“We need a home base. Something with seating. See anything?”
The night was just getting started, but the place was already packed, something about free booze and an exclusive guest list bringing everyone out on time for once.
Dev was eyeing the Photo Booth, currently being run by a woman with blue hair, several piercings, and black lipstick. “Maybe we do the pictures first while the outfits are fresh?”
Randall grinned. “Great idea.”
At the booth, they again waited in the line, Brittany taking the downtime as an opportunity to snap a few photos of the space, as well as selfies with Randall. Dev was worrying her lip, her gaze drawn again and again to the woman with blue hair at the front of the line until Brittany slid closer.
“Dev. Just relax. It’s a privilege to have your attention. Trust me.”
They finally stepped to the front of the line. Brittany and Randall made a show of being entirely engrossed in taking pictures for their social media, giving Dev the space to small talk the attendant. Brittany attempted to commit everything she heard to memory to later relay to Min. It was the only way.
Finally, it was their turn to take over the booth. The space was small, cramped for two people, much less the three of them, but no one cared. They went all out for the photos, with more and more ridiculous poses until the three of them were laughing hard. Afterward, they took their printed pictures and wandered toward the dance floor in search of a space to sit. Brittany gave Dev the side eye.
“So?” Brittany asked. “Did you get the digits?”
Dev rolled her eyes. “Digits? Really?”
Randall crossed his arms, standing his ground. “Answer the question.”
Devery glanced around as if to make sure no one was eavesdropping. “We exchanged handles, so we’ll see where it goes.”
“Handles, wow. You’re practically married. Tell me where to send the bitcoin for the wedding.”
Dev pinched Brittany hard as they stumbled toward a table just as a group of people snatched it up. Brittany glared at them, and Randall’s eyes widened.
“Brittany, don’t you dare.”
“We were clearly on our way to that table. It’s ours.”
Dev shook her head. “They got there first. You can’t get mad.”
“Like hell I can’t.”
“Brittany?”
Brittany turned to find Kyle staring at her, grinning. He was in a button-up shirt, his hair perfectly sculpted, and his muscles were, of course, on display. His bright eyes danced with amusement as he focused them onBrittany.
“I don’t mean this as a line,” he said. “But you are absolutely stunning when you look ready to kill someone.”
Brittany narrowed her eyes, trying not to smile.
“That is absolutely a line, and a terrible one at that.”
He grinned even wider. “You’re right. Can I apologize by offering seats at my table?”
He gestured toward a table in the corner with a couple other people, some of Brittany’s former roommates, some she didn’t know. Brittany hesitated. Kyle wasn’t her first choice to hang out with at a party, but seating was limited and he was being decent so far. Brittany glanced at her friends, who nodded and then sniffed at Kyle regally.
“You may.”
Kyle led them over to the table, pulling out chairs to help them both sit. Devery, who never met anyone she didn’t find fascinating, immediately turned to the woman next to her and started a conversation. Randall managed to secure a spot next to Sam, and the two of them were already leaning into each other’s space, vibing. Satisfied her friends were settled, Brittany rested her chin in one hand while she stirred her ridiculous cocktail with the other. Kyle, the big flirt, matched her position, leaning in.
“So, gorgeous. Tell me why you moved out of the hotel room. I thought you and I were going to get to know each other a little better.”
“And you thought the perfect place for that was sharing a floor of a crowded hotel room with five other people?”
“Love springs in mysterious places.”
Brittany snorted. Kyle was an idiot, but he could be fun, which was why he was so popular as a streamer. That, and he tended to stream shirtless.
Kyle adjusted his position, laying his arm across the back of her chair as he sat sideways in his, leaning even closer to her and Brittany willed herself to have some sort of spark. Anything to get her mind off the man she shouldn’t be thinking about.
“So what happened to the guy?”
“What guy?”
“The one who almost ripped my head off. Did you finally ditch him for something better.”
“He’s just my bodyguard. Nothing more.”
Brittany felt a warm hand slip to her thigh and squeeze.
“Then you and I could have some real fun, Brittany.”
She stared at him, trying to feel anything but uncomfortable with his hands on her. All she could think was that she needed someone to replace Gus in her brain, and maybe that required a good old-fashioned hook up.
Plus she still had Operation: Get Laid to think about. Kyle was as deep as a sink, but Brittany couldn’t help but think he’d probably be good in bed. So, for now, she ignored his hand on her thigh.
“How much fun?”
“Give me a chance, babe. I could make you scream.”
He squeezed her again, his hand sliding farther up her thigh. He glanced behind her and furrowed his brow.
“I thought you said he wasn’t your boyfriend.”
“He’s not, why?”
“Because he’s over there glaring at me like he wants to take an arm off.”
Brittany turned around to follow his gaze and froze, her heart stopping. Across the party, in the middle of a crowd that was getting progressively more inebriated, stood Gus. In an old T-shirt and jeans that he must have thrown on after the gym. His hair was a mess, as if he’d been running his hands through it in frustration. His whole body was tense, and his face… well, he was pissed. And staring straight at her.
Gus was moving toward her in a heartbeat, stomping his way through the crowd that easily parted for him, and Brittany felt her heart beat so loud and so fast she was certain the whole club could hear it over the music.
“Want me to take care of him?”
Brittany suddenly remembered Kyle was there, his gaze hard and dark as he glared at Gus. She had never seen him look like that, and it was… disturbing.
Brittany shook her head. “I’ll handle him.”
“You sure?”
“It’s for the best.”
Kyle didn’t move as Gus reached her, a storm ready to touch ground.
“Get your fucking hand off of her.”
Kyle gripped her tighter. “She’s not here with you, bro.”
“She is now. Get your hands off and get away from her before I make you.”
Kyle stood, getting in Gus’s face, the tension in both their bodies prompting Brittany to stand and get between them.
“Okay, both of you need to calm the fuck down. Kyle, go away and let me handle this.”
Kyle backed away slowly, his eyes still locked on Gus’s.
“She’s not yours, bro,” he taunted.
Gus narrowed his eyes. “No, but she sure as fuck isn’t yours.”
Kyle flipped him off, then headed to the bar, leaving the two of them standing and glaring at each other.
“What were you thinking?” His voice practically growled with anger, low enough that only a few people around them heard, but the tension was felt by the whole room.
“That we both needed a night off.”
“A night off? Are you out of your fucking mind?” His voice rose a little at the end there. Randall, seeing Gus and realizing immediately what was happening, leaned toward them.
“Hey Gus, I get that you’re pissed right now, but you need to chill before all these people think you’re an abusive boyfriend they have to save Brittany from. This is an influencer event. You will go viral.”
Gus didn’t take his eyes off Brittany, breathing hard as he tried to control his temper. But he must have realized how right Randall was, because the next time he spoke, it was quieter, and through gritted teeth.
“I need to speak with you alone.”
Brittany was already shaking her head, trying to ignore how breathless she felt in the face of his anger. “Gus, take the night off. We’re both tired and need a break.”
“You’re in danger. I don’t get a night off just because you’re tired of being careful.”
“This is an invite-only event. There’s security everywhere. In fact, how did you even get in?”
“My company was hired for the event.”
Brittany nodded, trying to speak as calmly as she could.
“Then I’m surrounded by qualified people. I arrived with Devery and Randall and haven’t been alone once since I left your condo.”
He came even closer at that, his eyes flaring at her mention of leaving his condo.
“Brittany,” he ground out. “If you don’t move your ass and come talk to me alone right now, I’m about to make a scene so big you will not recover from it.”
They glared at each other, stubborn and angry and neither willing to give an inch. But Brittany didn’t want a scene, couldn’t stand the idea of them trending with Gus looking like the bad guy, so she nodded.
“Fine.”
He immediately took her hand and pulled her with him, searching for a private area. But the place was packed to the brim, and private spots were all taken by drunk influencers. Finally, Gus headed to the Photo Booth, now unmanned by the attendant as most people had had their turn. He held the curtain open for her to enter, the set of his jaw daring her to argue with him, so she stepped inside the small booth. He followed her in, taking up so much space there was hardly room to breathe, and shut the curtain behind him before turning a death glare on her.
“Tell me you didn’t sneak out wearing a fuck-me dress and inappropriate shoes for an ankle injury while a stalker is out there threatening you all so you could flirt with some asswipe.”
Well, when he said it like that it did sound stupid. But that only made Brittany madder, and she was itching for a fight.
“You don’t get a say in what I do with my free time, Gus. You’re not my boss, and you’re certainly not my boyfriend.”
She wasn’t sure why she put it like that, but she wasn’t going to back down now. Her blood was boiling, both with rage and with his nearness. Gus must have sensed it, because his eyes narrowed at her words, and she could feel the moment the energy in the booth changed to something dangerous and exciting.
“Is that what you’re doing here, killer? Looking for a boyfriend? Because I’ll tell you right now, the only man you’re going home with is me.” His voice was smooth and dark and completely serious.
“Robbie—”
“Fuck Robbie.” He leaned his hand against the wall of the booth behind her, blocking her in. The heat from his body was intense, overwhelming, and Brittany could hear how fast she was breathing.
“Brittany, I don’t know what’s going on between us, or where it’s leading. But there is no way in hell I can leave here, knowing you’re going out to flirt with other men, to let them touch you or caress you or kiss you.”
Voices came from outside the booth, complaining at how long they were taking, so Gus tapped his phone on the payment device, never once taking his eyes off hers. He leaned even closer, and she could feel his breath on her lips.
“What do you need?” he asked. “Are you just looking to flirt? Or do you need something stronger?”
She felt his hand brush against her waist, stroking once, then twice, before gripping her there. The booth flashed with a picture being taken, but Brittany barely noticed, just stared at Gus, unable to answer his question. Not willing to dare it.
As if she had answered, he nodded.
“Okay, I’ll tell you what. If you really think that asshole can get you there, then I’ll let you go. I won’t bother you. We’ll go back to our professional relationship and never talk about this night ever again.”
His hand moved lower just as the booth flashed again, and Brittany knew if he kept moving in the direction he was currently going, Gus would soon feel exactly how excited he made her.
“Or you can come home with me. Right now. And I’ll take care of you. I’ll take care of you so well.”
For emphasis, his hand cupped her ass, the strength in his grip contrasting the soft tone of his voice. Brittany inhaled sharply, and she knew Gus must have felt it on his lips because he was so fucking close and if he didn’t kiss her soon, she was going to burst. She desperately, desperately wanted to take him up on his offer.
But also knew if she did, it would ruin everything.
“Gus, we can’t, and you know it. Robbie would hate you forever.”
“I can handle Robbie.”
But it was too late. The thought of the rift she would create between the brothers, all for what? A night of fun? Sex? She couldn’t live with herself if that happened. Robbie was an ass, but Gus was special. And Gus loved his brother.
Which meant this couldn’t happen.
Brittany took another breath, steadying herself, and then pushed him away. She felt the loss of his hand as it slipped from her ass, the loss of his heat as he stepped back, giving her the space she had silently asked for. They stared at each other as the booth flashed for its last picture.
“I’m staying.”
He stared at her, and for a moment she wondered if he heard her. But it was Gus. He always listened. With a nod, his energy changed, and he slipped back into his professional mode. He took another step back.
“I’ll make myself scarce.”
Gus turned without looking back, leaving her in the booth, and she wondered if she had just made the biggest mistake of her life. But she couldn’t see how she could have Gus and he could still have Robbie.
Brittany took a moment to collect herself, trying to calm her racing heart and the overwhelming feeling that she had just made a horrible mistake.
“Brittany?”
Devery’s voice came from outside of the booth, and Brittany let out a watery laugh at the absurd situation she had somehow found herself in.
“Dev?”
“Yeah, hey. So there are a lot of angry people out here who seem to want to use the Photo Booth. Are you, um, almost done?”
Instead of answering, Brittany stepped out, glaring at each and every person in line, ready to paint the floor with them if they actually caused her any trouble. She moved out of the way, and the next people in line pushed into the booth, not meeting her eyes. Something about their presence settled her. She was still herself. Reckless, angry Brittany. She hadn’t been irrevocably changed just because she was spending time with Gus. Just because he had whispered some dirty things in her ears and put his hands on her in a way that made her want to beg for more.
Nope. Nothing had changed.
She turned to Devery, who was clearly concerned.
“You okay?”
Brittany knew she wouldn’t like the answer, so she deflected.
“Could you hear us?”
“Only some of it. It sounded… rough.”
Brittany just hummed, her eyes scanning the crowd against her will, searching for that tall build and that curl of hair.
“He said we wouldn’t see him unless it was an emergency.”
Brittany whipped around at that. “He what?”
“Said you had it under control, that the security here was the best of the best. He said you could have these.”
Devery held out her hand, and Brittany automatically grabbed the picture strip, staring at the four pictures. Gus towered over her, and even in the Photo Booth, their body language was screaming sex. Their eyes were locked, both with desire. Anyone who looked at these pictures would immediately know they were drawn to each other, that they wanted each other.
Brittany shoved the strip in her clutch, not able to look at it a moment longer. Dev’s eyes were full of sympathy, and Brittany found she couldn’t stand that either.
“Let’s go. There’s an entire party of people to flirt with.”
Dev hesitated. “We don’t have to stay. If you don’t want to. I’m fine to leave, and I’m sure Randall would understand.”
“No way, Dev. The night is young, and this place is full of hot people looking for a make-out session.”
Some costumed person walking by raised her glass. “Fuck yeah!”
Brittany waved, forcing a smile onto her face. “We’re not leaving. I just got into a public argument about how I need fun, and by god, we are going to have fun.”
Dev gave her a look. “Brittany, I’m down for anything, but I heard some of that fight and that’s not what it was about.”
“Shut up and let’s go.”
Brittany grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the bar, convinced that this night was going to erase Gus from her brain for good.