Exposed - Chapter 36 #2
“Sanders. Come on, remember when Wizzy started farting? You could barely hold back your laughter. And when she fell through the ceiling? Ah, remember the carving knife hitting the portrait? And Mrs. Pruitt slipping in what she thought was shit? It was the best Thanksgiving ever.”
That was pretty funny… “Rob, that day was the worst. And I’m done owing you favors. I just got back. I don’t want to mess everything up again.”
“Yeah but we haven’t had a classic Hunters Sanders mess around in years.”
“Technically my last name is Miller.”
He smiled down at me. “And it’ll be Caldwell soon enough. But I’m always going to call you Sanders, Sanders.”
I laughed. “I don’t owe you another favor.”
“But Thanksgiving is coming up and I have a really great idea for a prank to play on Matt.”
“Absolutely not. No pranks.”
“But you do agree that you owe me?”
I sighed. “I guess…yeah. I owe you a favor.”
“Actually, you owe me whatever I want.”
Damn it. “Yeah. That. But not a prank. Please, Rob.”
“How about a threesome with Daphne?”
I laughed. “Wait, are you serious?”
“I’m not not serious.”
“I don’t think Daphne would appreciate that.”
“So you would appreciate it? Nice. I’ll go ask her.”
I laughed again. “Please don’t.”
“Well, that brings us back to the prank then.”
I groaned.
“Just wait for it. I have a month and a half before Thanksgiving to change your mind. Think about it. It’ll be epic.
And so will this.” He nodded to Felix walking over to us.
“It’s like homecoming all over again. Hopefully James and I don’t have to kick the Caldwells asses this time.
” He took a step back and handed me off to Felix.
Yeah, this definitely felt like homecoming again.
And when I put my hands on Felix’s shoulders, Matt didn’t look quite as calm.
Felix looked at where I was staring off. “Don’t worry, Newb. I have no intention of getting in between the two of you again. I just wanted to see how you were doing.”
“I know. I’m good.” I took a deep breath, pushing away the guilt for saying that. I was as good as I could be. “Kennedy told me you might be staying in the city for a while.”
“I actually kind of wanted to talk to you about that too. I know this is all weird. I was with you. Matt was with Kennedy. And now Kennedy and I are together. It’s…”
“It’s finally all working out the way it’s supposed to,” I said. “You know, when I was away, I always imagined the two of you got married and had a bunch of kids.”
“I don’t know…Matt’s not really my type, Newb.”
I laughed. “You know I meant you and Kennedy.”
“I really thought she hated me.”
“Yeah…I did too. But I was just a bad friend.” I sighed.
“You weren’t a bad friend.”
I shook my head. “I was so concerned with my own problems, I didn’t see it. I mean, I had my suspicions that she had a crush on you. Hell, even Rob told me that she did. But she denied it and I didn’t press it. And I really liked you, Felix.”
“I really liked you too.”
We were both quiet for a moment as we danced.
“It really sucked without you in high school,” he said.
I nodded. Yeah. It sucked not having him in my life too.
“But the way Matt was after your funeral…I knew you’d made the right choice back then. My life kept going. I missed you, and it sucked, but my life didn’t stop. His stopped.”
I looked over at Matt. He took a sip of his drink as he stared at me.
“I’m happy for you,” Felix said. “And I’m happy for him. Somewhere in everything that happened, Matt and I actually became friends. He’s a good guy. And I think the two of you are perfect together.”
He was going to make me cry. “Thank you. And thank you for being there for him when I couldn’t be.”
Felix shrugged. “You know I’d do anything for you, Newb. And I really hope the four of us can hang out like old times. I know Kennedy really wants that too.”
“That sounds perfect.” I stepped closer and hugged him. God, I’d really missed Felix. He’d been one of my closest friends. And it finally felt like that’s all it was. All it was ever meant to be.
Felix walked off to find Kennedy. I turned to go join Matt but Nigel blocked my path.
“If you’ll allow me a dance, mademoiselle.” Nigel put out his hand and bowed.
How was I supposed to say no to that? “Of course, Nigel.”
He pulled me in way too close. And since he was so short, his face was practically pressed between my breasts. The music was loud, but I could have sworn he made a noise with his mouth like a motor starting.
“Nope, no, stop it, Nigel.” Tanner picked him up and put him to the side. “Excuse him. I specifically told him not to motorboat you. And he’s breaking a promise.”
“I never agreed to that,” Nigel said.
“You nodded.”
“No. I did this.” Nigel turned his head in rapid circles. Almost like he was nodding and saying no at the same time.
“Go dance with Cleopatra. She’s scowling next to the third lion cage.”
“She’s always scowling. Brooklyn, your smile is lovely. You’re lovely. But you’ve been dancing for some time now. How about we go down the hall and I draw you a private bath?”
“Oh…um…”
Tanner grabbed my hands and put them on his shoulders. “Ignore him.”
But it was a little hard to ignore Nigel in his dapper little tux.
Tanner turned us so that I couldn’t see Nigel anymore. “How is your big night going?”
“This is all amazing,” I said. “It’s fun getting to catch up with everyone. But it feels like I haven’t danced with Matt in like an hour.”
Tanner laughed. “You’re the belle of the ball. He’ll have to wait his turn. Now tell me, on a scale of one to ten, how would you rate this evening? I think I might throw another of these.”
“Definitely a ten, Tanner. Thank you so much for putting this all together. I always wondered what prom would have been like.”
“I’ll tell you, I was a little worried about it. I wanted tonight to go perfectly and it’s always iffy on a Friday in this part of the club. But reconstructing any other room so quickly would have been difficult.”
“Wait, this isn’t the whole club?” I guess Mason had mentioned some rooms…
Tanner laughed. “No. This isn’t really even where the real Club Onyx truly begins. The magic happens down that hall.” He nodded to an opening in the back of the room by one of the lion cages.
“And what exactly is down that hall?”
He smiled. “Well, aren’t you and Matt both curious tonight? He just asked me the same question.”
“And what did you tell him?” The hallway looked dark and empty to me.
“I told him he’s welcome to go through. And to take you into the room with a mask on the door. I have a feeling you’ll both enjoy it.” He pulled out an old-fashioned key and slipped it down the front of my dress.
Just the way James had slipped a keycard down my dress 16 years ago.
I looked back over at the hall. “So this is a sex club?”
“Not at all. Is there sex in most of the rooms here? Of course. All good relationships need that foundation. Intimacy is a vital part of being in love. But look.” He pointed to the wall behind me. “See those portraits? Those are couples that met here.”
There were tons of happy couples smiling in the portraits. “You got all those people together?”
“Just like I got you and Matt back together. And got Kennedy and Felix together.”
“So you’re a matchmaker? Not a mobster?”
“If only.” He stared at the wall with a frown.
I didn’t know what that meant. But he was staring at the happy couples and he looked so…sad. I understood that feeling. “It’s going to be okay, Tanner.”
“Maybe one day.” He cleared his throat and looked back at me. “I also have an odd sense that your father and Kennedy’s mother may have a sexual connection.”
“Ew, what? Don’t tell me that.”
He laughed. “You’ll see.”
“I really don’t want to see that.”
“Everyone deserves happiness, Brooklyn. Life is so fleeting.”
I wasn’t sure my father deserved happiness. And I wouldn’t wish him upon anyone. Especially someone as kindhearted as Mrs. Alcaraz.
“Ah, and here comes your match runner-up.”
“What?” I turned to see James standing there.
“Match runner-up?” he asked Tanner.
“If Matt and Brooklyn weren’t a perfect match. It would have been you two.” He took my hand off his shoulder and handed it to James. “In another lifetime, I think.”
James laughed as Tanner walked away and looked down at me. “You and me in another lifetime? Do you think that’s true?” He put his hand on my waist and stepped forward so that I’d step back to the music.
“I honestly can’t imagine you with anyone other than Penny.”
“Well, you and I certainly would have fared better than me and Isabella.”
I laughed. “Definitely true. And you did propose to me.”
“I did.” He smiled down at me. “My first proposal. But not yours.”
I shook my head. “Matt beat you to it.” I looked over at Matt at the bar. He downed his glass and put it on the bar top. This dance probably made him the most angry. Because maybe there was some truth in what Tanner had said.
“I thought about you over the years,” I said. “I hoped you were better. I hoped you found someone that was happy. So you didn’t have to be miserable together with someone.”
James laughed. “Ah, such a good proposal I made. Miserable together. In another lifetime, I think Tanner’s right. We would have been happy together. I definitely would have been happier if you hadn’t died.” He lowered his eyebrows as he stared down at me.
“I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “I’m glad you were happy while you were gone. But I’m even more glad you came back. Because Matt needed you. And I really missed you, Brooklyn.”
I blinked away my tears. “I missed you too, James. You know…I never really got to thank you for that night at homecoming. For helping me. Even though you were mad at Matt.”
He smiled. “That was definitely a fun homecoming. Minus Rachel biting me.”
I laughed. “Definitely not a highlight. The fist fight wasn’t great either.”
“No, that was fun.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
He smiled down at me. “I was drunk most of high school. But there are three things I remember vividly. Your memory haunted me. But mostly the good things. You in my treehouse rejecting my proposal. You locking eyes with me while Rachel was giving me head.”
I felt my cheeks turning red.
“And sitting with you in that shower after homecoming. Do you remember that?”
“Yeah. I remember. I really appreciated that too.”
“If you ever just want to sit in a shower and cry fully clothed…I can still be there for you.”
I laughed. “Thanks, James.”
“And screw any other lifetime. We only have this one. And I’m really glad you’re happy, Brooklyn. I’m really glad we get to be friends. And I’m really glad you’re back.”
He leaned down and kissed the top of my head. I’d seen him do that to Scarlett and it was oddly comforting.
Maybe in another lifetime we would have been together. But I was really happy with what we had. And I knew if I ever needed him, he’d be there. Holding me in the shower while I cried.
The music stopped and someone tapped on the mic.
I turned to see Tanner standing there holding two envelopes.
“It’s time to announce prom king and queen!” he said.
“Oh, that’s definitely going to be you and Penny,” I whispered.
James shook his head. “I think I’ve worn enough crowns. Hopefully it’s someone more deserving.” He winked at me.
Me? I didn’t think so. I barely knew anyone here. And I hadn’t even seen a place to vote. But if I had I would have voted for Kennedy and Felix.
Tanner lifted the mic again. “But first let’s all wish the beautiful Penny Hunter a very happy birthday!”
A spotlight hit Penny. Bee and Daphne both hugged her as everyone shouted, “happy birthday!”
Penny turned her head while still in her friends’ embrace, to try and find James in the crowd. They locked eyes and James winked at her. Her face flushed. They were freaking adorable together.
“Now without further ado,” Tanner said. “The Empire High prom king is…” he tore open the envelope. “Matthew Caldwell!”
James started clapping.
“Ow ow!” Bee yelled.
“And the Empire High prom queen is…” he tore the envelope.
And I have no idea why. But I had the oddest sensation that he was about to say Isabella Pruitt.
I heard the ticking down in my head louder than ever. A chill ran down my spine and I looked over my shoulder. But there was no one there.