Chapter 29
Paige
“ T here is something I want to talk to you about,” Bre says, sitting across from me at the dinner table.
I look over the daisies in a vase on the table and squint in annoyance while playing with the necklace Seth bought. I had worn it the past few days, and Bre still hasn’t said anything about it.
She might have finally said something while we were cooking dinner, especially since I caught her attention lingering on it more than once. That simply wasn’t going to do since this was girl’s night, and we had a lot to catch up on.
“Shoot,” I say, taking another bite of the baked chicken.
“So, I may have just let Chris move in before consulting you. It was brought to my attention at our last family dinner at Clint’s, and I wanted to address this with you now to avoid any awkwardness down the road.”
I smile, looking at her, enjoying that Bre seems almost worried that I am mad at her for letting Chris invade our lives. I swallow the food, taking a sip of my wine.
“Thank you for realizing that you didn’t consult me. However, I think you know me well enough to know I love Chris too and enjoy having him around.”
The man treats my sister like a queen, and they have found a weird balance between their high-profile careers, yet he is so normal.
Bre smiles widely and nods.
“Good, then maybe you’ll be more open to this next part.”
Bre shifts uncomfortably in her seat.
“Oh god,” I say dramatically, dropping my fork onto my plate.
My rice flies across the table. Bre laughs slightly before flicking a piece back towards me.
“Always so dramatic for no reason.” With an eye roll, she says, “I want to invite Chris with us and maybe make it a group thing for our trip to Europe.”
I let out a sigh, already knowing Seth doesn’t want to go. I attempted to talk to him about it, but he shut down immediately before leaving to work for a few hours. He has picked up a security job part-time to help with his business decline.
“Seth doesn’t want to go.”
“Chris thinks he can get him to.”
“I don’t know Bre. Has anyone else expressed interest?” I ask, and Bre smiles.
“Graham did, and Chris said he put in for the time off. Worse case you two get stuck together.”
Her smile tells me everything I need to know.
“Do you not like Seth?”
“I don’t trust him,” Bre says flatly.
“Why?”
“He just doesn’t seem like someone worth trusting to me.”
I want to be mad at her, but I might have wondered the same thing more than once. But there is something else I want to know.
“And you trust Graham?”
I meet her eyes, and I know she is painfully aware of what I feel for Graham. I have never felt like this before.
“With my life.” Before she adds, “And what’s with all the daisies? Seth doesn’t know you because it would be tulips if he did. We both know that. Mom was the one who always had daisies everywhere.”
“I like daisies.” I smile half-heartedly before dropping my fork on my plate. “I love Seth. The gift is sweet.”
“Do you love Seth? Because I wonder sometimes, and maybe you should take some time to figure that out before you start telling people that. Seth only seems to love sleeping with you.”
I’m not sure why the words hurt. I just reach for my wine before sighing.
“Whoever would like to join us on the trip is welcome. All I care about is that we have a good time.”
I almost freeze at the words. The realization of the small unit her relationship with Chris has created for us. The people who now live in our lives.
“What?” I ask, just feeling the weight of her stare.
“Just don’t put Graham on the back burner. I think you’ll regret it,” Bre says softly.
I laugh and then remember how Graham always makes me feel without saying a word.
“He isn’t,” I say firmer than intended.
“Has anything happened between you two?” Bre asks with some serious curiosity.
I am not annoyed and want to talk to someone who isn’t as delusional as David. It’s all he asks about since I mentioned the FaceTime calls. He keeps saying I need to flash my goods at Graham and get it over with.
“No. I don’t know how to explain what is happening. I haven’t experienced it before. We just always seem to gravitate towards each other. Ever since your birthday.” I let out a long sigh. “The night after Katherine’s overdose, I was working and decided to check on her on my break. I was surprised when Graham was there. That night, when his eyes met mine, my chest ached differently. I brushed it off at the time, but now, sometimes I wonder if it was something.”
I reach for the wine bottle and refill my empty cup. Bre watches my every move, reading me like a well-worn copy of a book.
“And what about Seth? Do you get these feelings from him?”
Her question is the same one I have been asking myself for weeks. I sip from my wine, and panic settles in my stomach.
“No,” I say, meeting her eyes. “He makes me feel sexy, and I enjoy spending time with him. But I can’t stop hoping some guy I only met a few months ago will leave his awful fiancée.”
“You and I know Graham isn’t some guy for you, Paige.”
I am self-aware enough to know my feelings for both men, but I am afraid that I will somehow lose Graham with the truth.
“He isn’t interested in me, Bre,” I lie to both of us.
Bre just glares at me before smiling. I contemplate telling her about my daily FaceTime conversations with Graham but opt for something less stressful.
“Can we go dancing?” I ask, starting to feel slightly tipsy.
Bre’s smile widens.
“Can Chris and Graham come?”
I roll my eyes.
“Yes, the boys can come.”
She shoots up from her seat and comes over to hug me tightly. I can’t help but smile.
“I love you, Bre.”
“I love you too, Paige. Now you do the dishes while I call Chris.”
By the time I finish the dishes, Bre has planned our whole evening, including calling in a favor to an ex of hers to get us VIPs at such late notice. The girl is well-connected and has the weirdest knack for preserving relationships long after the romantic portion has fizzled.
I head to my room and shower quickly before doing my hair and make-up. I take the time to wave my long blonde hair and then slather myself with vanilla glitter lotion. I throw on a lace neon green thong teddy before heading to my closet and picking a dress.
I see a white mini dress I bought a few weeks ago in the back of the closet and decide it is time for its debut. It fits my toned curves perfectly, and I can see hints of neon green lace around my full breasts. I slip on my neon green strappy heels before texting Seth, who is visiting his parents for their anniversary.
Me: Girl’s night. Text you in the morning. Miss you.
I hear a knock at the front door and Bre yelling something before the door opens. I leave my bedroom and walk towards the kitchen, ignoring Chris sitting on the couch. I grab a water from the fridge when I hear Bre’s bedroom door open and see her come out in a black mini dress with hot pink accessories and her long brown hair down curled at its ends.
“Damn, love,” Chris says with a long whistle before kissing Bre’s cheek.
“You do look great, Bre.”
I smile, pulling a few things from my purse, including my wallet.
“Where’s Graham?” Bre asks, looking around. I focus on putting on some lip gloss I just found in my purse that has been on the counter.
“We are picking him up along the way. He had a late surgery and needed to shower.”
Chris smiles, offering his arm to Bre as she slips on her black heels.
“Perfect, I wanted Paige to see his complex. I liked the size of the places and saw they had a nice three bedroom.
Chris and I just let our eyes bounce between each other and Bre before I smile wider.
“Why would we need to move or a three bedroom?”
“Well, Chris could have a game room. Oh, maybe we should look at a house.”
“A house?”
Chris grins brightly before motioning towards the front door, opening it for us.
“Yes, a house, get a yard, and maybe a dog.”
I love that she talks with him like this. Just lost in whatever world she is creating in her head for them.
“So not only are we getting a house but a dog, love?” Chris asks, still holding onto Bre as she attempts to keep herself covered in the small dress.
“Sorry, that’s a lot,” Bre says with a slight blush.
Chris pulls her towards him.
“What kind of dog love? Because I don’t want something small that I can trip over. I have seen too many people break their ankles that way, and I feel like six months of me home in a cast would drive you insane.”
Bre laughs before kissing him. “No six months of straight sex might drive you crazy.”
“Gross,” I say, pushing past them and blocking the stairwell as I hear my phone chime.
Seth: Have fun. Miss you too. Love you.
I linger on the message, locking my phone screen. Ignoring the nauseous feeling in my gut. The same one I have since he has started saying it while his dick is in my mouth. I don’t want any distractions and want a night out with a few of my favorite people.
One of these times, we will have to sneak David out so he can join us. Undoubtedly, he can dance and is a blast to party with. He was a cheerleader for years and always had the best makeup for work. I laugh to myself, climbing into Chris’s Tahoe.
I open my e-reader app and decide to lose myself in the mystery romance I have been reading between looking up to see where we were heading or answering Bre’s random questions. When we get close, Bre insists I pay attention to where we were going. I decide to note every bar I see before we pull into the large complex with units that have attached garages.
The townhomes are nice, and I notice Graham’s truck parked outside one of the bigger units. I take in the house and drown. I find myself wondering yet again about Graham and his life. The guy has his shit together between the job, his house, and his truck.
Chris parks in front of one of the garages as he pulls out his phone.
“He should be right out.”
Chris smiles, his eyes meeting mine in the mirror.
I linger on it as I hear a garage open. When Chris’s eyes dart away, I straighten myself out slightly again and push my breasts together. By the time Graham opens the car door, I am grinning like an idiot, and his eyes roll over me before he clears his throat and climbs in.
“Paige, you look…damn.” He genuinely sounds impressed, so I flirt back.
“You don’t look too bad yourself.”
I let my eyes roll over the dark slacks and navy blue button-down shirt. Between the polish of his shoes and the belt, he had clearly dressed up. He also had his thick black curls done softly, and I want to tangle my fingers through them.
By the time we hit the road, I had focus all my attention on looking at anything but Graham, his broad shoulders, and strong arms, which he insists on showing as he undoes his cuff links and begins to roll his sleeves.
God, I can’t wait to get to the club. I want to lose myself in the music.
When we finally make it in, Graham buys the first two rounds of Fireball, and the burning cool sensation of the drink fills my whole chest. Just then, Missy Elliot’s “ Get your freak on ” starts, and I can’t help but smile. Reaching for Chris, I pull him towards the dance floor.
His smile is playful as I begin to roll my hips to the beat, shaking my ass probably more than necessary before he wraps his arms around my waist. Graham and Bre finally appear from the corner of my eye, and they seem to be enjoying themselves as much as we are.
I smile and can’t help but point, focusing Chris’s attention. He smiles and pulls me closer. I don’t fight but turn my ass in his lap as the song changes into Nelly’s “Hot in Here .”
The millennial in me yells for joy, and I drop deeper into Chris’s lap while rolling my chest. Chris wraps his arms around me and rolls with me in unison, much to my surprise. I can’t help but laugh and have to put some distance between us, and he doesn’t object when I pull him towards the bar, buying another round for the group.
Bre is so occupied dancing with Graham that she doesn’t realize when we walk up with another double round of shots. We all just smile before taking the next two shots like we weren’t already feeling the first two. We were all having so much fun, and I can’t help but smile as the “Cupid Shuffle” blares through the speakers.
To my surprise, the boys keep up and don’t mind acting goofy while we all move on the dance floor in unison. I can’t help but feel lightheaded and opt to head back to the bar for some water, and Bre follows behind.
“Oh, it’s a good DJ tonight,” Bre yells in a giddy tone over the music as I order another round of water pulling cash from my bra.
“You looked like you were having fun,” I say, playful, and Bre smiles wickedly.
“If he fucks nearly as good as he dances, I don’t understand why you haven’t taken advantage of him yet,” Bre says.
We both laugh, but I roll my eyes.
“Chris isn’t exactly lacking, Bre,” I say, and her smile tells me everything I need to know. My sister tends to like men who control the bedroom, and I have no doubt Chris can do that.
The music changes again as the next round appears, with the guys following right behind. Chris pulls Bre in for a passionate kiss, and Graham and I stand awkwardly, seemingly avoiding touching each other. I let out a small laugh before chugging the rest of my water. I didn’t feel like watching my sister get her face sucked off.
Fuck it.
“Want to dance?” I ask Graham with a soft smile, heading towards the dance floor. Hearing the sound of a glass hitting the bar behind me before I feel him wrap me in his arms as the next song begins to play, and I can’t help the butterflies suddenly making me panic.
Nelly Furtado’s “Maneater” comes on as we make it to the dance floor. Pulling Graham closer and focusing on just dancing, losing myself in the song as I grind and pop my ass across his lap. His arms wrap firmly around my waist as the other grips my hip.
I roll my body into his, reach my hand into his curls, and pull slightly as I grind harder on his lap. Basically, dry humping the fuck out of him in the middle of the dance floor. The music begins to fade in my memory, and all there is me and him in this moment. I have my breath in perfect unison with his, and a new craving in my soul begins to bloom as my heart pounds in my ears.
As the first beat of Latch, featuring Sam Smith’s smooth vocals begin to filter through the club I turn to face him, somehow pulling him closer, feeling every part of his body on mine. Graham doesn’t seem to mind wrapping me tightly against him, and I notice this pattern of whispering kisses across my exposed skin whenever he turns away from my face.
I can’t help but bite my lip and moan softly with every kiss. His hands gripping my ass firmly, and I lean into it, craving him. I’m unsure if it is the shots of whiskey I’ve had or my primal attraction to him that leaves me wanting more. Our lips barely miss the other, but neither of us pulls away. My chest feels heavy as I look at Graham’s beautiful ocean eyes. It’s too much.
“Another round?”
I can feel the desire for him dripping in my tone as I lean toward Graham’s ear. He kisses my cheek and nods before taking my hand and paying for my drinks for the rest of the night.