47. Olivia’s Damn Tie #2
Olivia raises hers to her mouth, takes a whiff, and does a whole-body shudder. “Nope. Not gonna happen. I’m officially done.” Done with alcohol, at least, because her entire face lights up when the waitress drops a plate of steak and lobster in front of her. “Oh, baby. Come to mama.”
When dinner’s done, I escape to the bathroom before the girls head out so I can sneak in a couple extra moments, a few extra kisses before I load Olivia in the back of the car.
It’s one of those new bathrooms for guys and girls. I like that they did that. They’re so much nicer now, with soft hand towels and foaming soap that smells like fresh cookies and makes my skin feel like silk.
My phone dings in my pocket. It’s my sister with a picture of Dublin sleeping on his back, paws in the air, tongue out. Next to him is my mom, also passed out. They’re on the living room floor at my mom’s, which seems reasonable. Who needs a couch when you have a perfectly good floor?
Chuckling, I click the screen off and set it down on the counter before I move to the toilet and relieve myself with a sigh. I’m washing my hands for the second time ’cause the soap smells so good when the door handle jiggles.
“Just a sec,” I call, drying my hands.
“All the bathrooms are full,” a feminine voice cries out. “Please, it’s an emergency.”
I open the door and a blonde falls into me, one hand on my chest. She’s got her other fist wrapped tightly around a tampon, so I get the hell out of the way, something my dad taught me when my sister turned thirteen.
Thank God, because it’s proven to be extremely useful with Olivia.
I don’t know if you know this, but that girl sometimes has a big attitude, despite her tiny doll-like size.
When I find the girls in the lobby, Cara says Jason’s already out front with the limo. She skips out the door, arms looped through a couple of the other girls’ like some sort of impenetrable chain. I squeeze Olivia into me, whimpering like the whipped bastard I am.
“Carter, you don’t have to feel bad about spending a night away from me. We have all summer to get sick of each other.”
“The rest of our lives, you mean.” I bury my words in her neck. “I have the rest of my life to annoy and love the shit outta you, and you have the rest of your life to put up with me.”
“Mmm. You’re lucky I tolerate you so well.”
“So lucky.”
Olivia presses up on her toes, kissing my cheek. “Just gotta run to the bathroom.”
I smile at the way she dances off to the bathroom, but outwardly groan at the tall blonde who starts sauntering over to me the second Olivia disappears.
It’s the same one who burst through the bathroom door a few minutes ago.
She looks a hell of a lot more composed than she did then, and I find myself thinking the tampon emergency was maybe a ruse.
“Every fucking time,” I mumble to myself. “I swear.”
“Pardon?” She stops in front of me, running her tongue along her teeth as she looks me over. Tampon ruse, definitely.
I sigh, shaking my hair out. “I was saying to myself that this always happens every time my girlfriend goes to the bathroom.”
“Well, maybe she shouldn’t leave a man as handsome as yourself standing here all alone.” She steps into me, reaching forward to play with my tie, and I hit her with some sort of pseudo–judo chop before I step back.
That’s Olivia’s damn tie.
“Is she leaving?”
Seriously, why is she still talking to me? And where is Olivia? She’s not allowed to go to the bathroom in public places anymore.
“Maybe we can go somewhere private to talk when she’s gone.”
I’m about to tell her to fuck off when Olivia swings around her and tucks herself into my side.
“He’s good, but thanks for the offer.” Her smile is all fake sugar.
I love it. “If you hope to ever be happy in a relationship, I suggest you start with quitting whatever the hell this is, going after men who are happily taken. It’s not working for you, is it?
” She looks up at me. “Carter, do you want to go somewhere private to talk with her?”
“Fuck no.”
“And why not, baby?”
“Because I’ve already got the only woman I’ll ever need.”
She smiles up at me, hand curving around my neck as she brings my mouth to hers. “Does that answer your question?” she asks Blondie, but doesn’t give her the chance to reply. Instead, her fingers twine with mine and she tugs me toward the door.
I don’t think it’s possible to be more shocked than I already am, but then she pushes me up against the brick of the building on the sidewalk and yanks my face down to hers. Her tongue is commanding, her touch possessive, and I eat up every single second of it.
The window of the waiting limo rolls down and Cara pops her head out. “Let’s fucking go, Livvie-pie! Jay-Jay’s gonna take us through the McDick’s drive-thru! Fries and McFlurries, baby!”
Olivia pulls away, breathless, and swipes her hair off her forehead. “Have fun, be safe, and I love you.” She kisses me once more, gives my dick a loving pat through my pants, and then disappears inside the limo.
I’m in a daze by the time I wander back inside the lobby, half-drunk but mostly just happy as a pig in shit. I can’t wait to make that woman my fiancée, and then my wife.
“She’s annoyingly possessive.”
I spin around, finding the blonde leaning against the bar. She picks up her wine glass, swirling the red liquid, and steps forward.
“Can we talk now that we’re alone?”
“That’s a fuck no. You heard my girlfriend.” I turn with every intention of walking away.
“I might be able to change your mind,” she purrs quietly.
“You can’t, actually. Nobody will change my mind about that girl. I’d never do anything to hurt her.”
“Are you sure about that, Carter?” comes a familiar voice from behind me.
Slowly, I twist. My stomach drops when my gaze lands on the redhead smirking at me. “What the fuck are you doing here, Courtney? Adam doesn’t want to see you.”
“It’s a free country. I can go wherever I like.” Courtney shrugs, then pulls something from the purse hanging off her shoulder. “Think you misplaced this at some point tonight.”
My eyes fall to the sleek black object she spins in her hand before presenting to me on her open palm.
“What kind of a friend would I be if I didn’t return something so valuable, Carter?”