22. Dirty Dancing #2
“Good. You look fucking unreal tonight.”
“Not too slutty?” I joke.
“The right amount,” he teases back as another hand hits my shoulder from behind me and lips gently kiss my cheek.
“There you are,” Ben says excitedly. “Why don’t you two grab your drinks and we show you the patio,” he says.
Gavin looks at his brother nervously, but nods. I hold on tightly to the stem of my martini glass and follow them out to the patio, which is even more magnificent than the inside. Fairy lights brighten the space that’s filled with even more plants and plush chairs, along with another outdoor bar.
Ben leads us over to a section of people, and I have to take a deep breath as I recognize the blonde woman before me. It’s his brother’s wife, Penny, who I thought was Ben’s wife at the gym. She’s flanked by two older versions of Ben and Gavin and a small brunette woman with warm brown eyes.
Oh, my fucking god. I’m meeting their family.
I mean, it was in the invitation, wasn’t it? It was a soft opening for friends and family. I’m the friend, they’re the family.
“This is Kate, be nice,” Ben says, as he places an arm around my shoulder and pulls me in tight.
The three strangers watch the motion with confusion, blinking at us before Ben clears his throat.
“You met Penny, who again, is not my wife. She’s Lincoln’s wife, and his cousin,” he says, not giving me a moment for my brain to catch up to that statement. “This geriatric over here is our oldest brother, Aiden, and his too sweet for him wife, Jessa.”
“I swear to fuck if you don’t stop telling people my business,” Lincoln says.
“Penny was adopted, so it’s alright in the eyes of god and the state of Florida, don’t worry,” Gavin interjects as Ben leads me to a black cushioned seat. He sits to the left of me and Gavin sits to the right.
The two couples take their seats and just stare.
I’m automatically on edge and regret coming tonight. Our agreement never extended to meeting their family, and I can’t help but wonder what they’re thinking, what judgment they’re passing on to me as Ben has his arm around my shoulder and Gavin’s pinky finger is toying with the hem of my dress.
“What is it you do, Kate?” Jessa says, her voice is soft and melodic as she gives me a warm smile.
Aiden is clearly at least a decade older than her, not that he looks old by any means.
He’s as handsome as his brothers, but the graying edges around his ears and the soft wrinkles around his eyes give him away.
So, the oldest brother is in an age gap relationship, and the middle one married their adopted cousin? Maybe my fucking their twin brothers isn’t as wild as most people would consider it to be.
“I’m a professor at UT.”
“She has a PhD, she teaches fine arts, like the history and significance of it,” Ben chimes in, and I can’t help but to hide my blush behind my cocktail. He was listening when I was talking about my job, and he almost sounded proud?
“A PhD and you’re hanging out with these two?” Lincoln says, and his wife jams her elbow into his stomach.
“What he means to say is that’s really nice. Do you take the summers off?” Penny says.
“I do. It’s been really nice. Though I’m excited about the new semester. What about you? What do you all do?” I ask, trying to take the conversation off of me.
“I’m a stay at home mom, Lincoln is in commercial building,” Penny says. She keeps talking though all I can hear is my heartbeat. How did I not pick this up before with the name of the bar? Carlson Marina and Bar, Carlson Commercial.
Carlson Commercial has been the bane of Will’s existence since he started his company. I keep that information to myself as I listen on.
“I have my own promotional products company and Aiden owns a sports supply company, though he was a professional MLB player in another life,” Jessa says, holding Aiden’s hand.
“So entrepreneurism kinda runs in the family?” I say, and Ben gives me a squeeze.
“I guess you could say that. Need another drink?” he asks.
I swore to myself that I was going to take it easy tonight. There’s no way I’m falling on the front concrete of this property ever again, but given the current company, I cave. I need liquid courage being around these people.
“Please,” I say, as he gets up and asks anyone else if they want anything before heading over to the bar.
“I’m sorry,” Gavin whispers in my ear and I turn toward him.
I can still feel his family’s gaze on us, even if they’re trying to be discreet.
“I could’ve come another time if you didn’t want me to meet your brothers.”
Gavin’s brow furrows, and he shakes his head. “I don’t give a shit about that. They’re just a lot to take in. When I invited you I didn’t think about the fact I’d be putting you in that position. I just wanted you here.” He shrugs.
He just wanted me here.
“Is it hot out here?” I say, fanning myself instead of responding. Ben comes back with drinks, and I let the cool liquid glide down my throat as the siblings joke and chat with one another, meanwhile I feel lost in my thoughts.
Savannah’s words are ringing around my head from earlier. I almost want to call a car and go the fuck home right now. It feels like the more I get to know these guys, the quirks that tell them apart, these small things that make them different, the more I like them.
Sure, liking them isn’t the worst thing in the world.
I had to like them to some degree to commit to this agreement and to forgive them for what they did in the first place.
But as they joke and banter with their brothers and as Penny looks at me like I’m some sort of mystical unicorn she’s never seen before, I’m wondering if I’m making a mistake.
I made a promise to myself to not get into a relationship. I’m almost positive my ex is scoping the outside of my house periodically. The last thing I need is to fall for someone else, let alone two someone’s.
I’m about to stand up, make some excuse about my stomach hurting, and go home and clear my head, when Ben smiles over at me.
“You can’t come to Double Palms and not dance,” he says.
“Double Palms?” I repeat.
“The club name. Come dance with us. At least for one song,” Ben pleads.
“Yes! Dancing time,” Penny says, dragging Lincoln to the dancefloor, where I reluctantly follow.
I’ll dance. I’ll get it out of my system and then I’ll get the fuck out of here. When I’m in the comfort of—my possibly not being as safe as I thought—home, I’ll wonder if I’m making the right choices.
In the middle of my spiral, Britney Spears comes on. Penny makes a squeal of a noise, grabbing Jessa’s hand while I get bracketed between the twins. Gavin is at my back and Ben is at my front.
It feels oh so reminiscent of our night together, and I can barely stand it.
“You look so fucking hot,” Ben says against my ear, his hand on one hip while his brother’s hand is on the other.
I can’t deny how I feel when I’m with them.
Confident, sexy, powerful.
It’s addictive and I’m not sure I can give it up. At least not yet. Surely, getting to know them won’t change things. I can keep things separate.
This is a physical relationship. It’s all it has to be.
The way they dance is sinful. Gavin’s hardening cock is grinding against my ass, his breath fanning across the side of my face. While Ben’s leg is between my thighs, making my dress slide up even further.
Fully out in public in between twin brothers.
I’m not sure if Aunt Helene would be proud or mortified. I make sure to not look at anyone around us. It feels different now that we’re out in public. Neither of them seem to give a shit what people think, and I wish I could be more like that.
This whole summer, the whole divorce was about finding myself, being authentic to who I want to be. But I’m still fucking hiding and I don’t have a clue what I want.
“Just relax,” Gavin says in my ear, his hand sliding further over my hip against my stomach, caged between mine and his brother’s body. “Everyone either wants to be you or fuck you. Don’t worry about anyone else,” he says so confidently.
So I shut my eyes and somehow go along with the old adage of dancing like no one’s watching.
I dance like we aren’t on a dance floor, like Ben and Gavin don’t own this club, like their goddamn brothers aren’t just feet away from us. For a moment I just let my brain shut down and let my body take control.
It feels so good, getting lost in their mingling touches. The mix of soft presses of lips and rough fingertips gripping my flesh.
Beads of sweat are forming in between my breasts and I feel almost hyper aware that there are, without a doubt, eyes on us. I keep mine closed, not facing the judgment and letting myself have this one moment of peace.
Ben’s fingers lightly grip my chin, and my eyes flutter open, his handsome face the only thing I can see as his lips meet mine. Ben always kisses like he belongs in a regency romance novel. He’s sweet, kind, but beyond all his manners, he’s a very dirty boy.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he whispers against the side of my face as he pulls away, his brother still dancing behind me.
Penny glances over at us, her cheeks red from dancing, and then there’s the group of younger women behind her, also shamelessly staring. One of them holds their phone up, and I can see the flash, which is quickly turned off and their phone pocketed.
It’s then the reality of how this looks from the outside looking in makes me feel the ignominy of the situation.
“I’m going to run to the restroom,” I say really quickly, barely giving the brothers a moment to say anything, as I part myself from their arms and rush over to the bathroom. I hoped it would be a moment of reprieve, but it turns out to be even worse.