5
Ava
Smoothing down my pencil skirt, I walk into my bathroom and crank up the volume on my Spotify playlist while I get ready to be that badass bitch again today.
Labrinth shares with the world that ‘Mount Everest ain’t got shit on me’.
I like it. I’m going to go with that vibe today.
It’s finally the end of the week, I’ve finished my cycle, and I want to see the girls. I pull up our group chat.
Me: Girls, I feel like drinks tonight. It’s been one hell of a week. Phil’s Place? Who’s in?
I set my phone down and work on my face for the day.
Ping.
I click on the phone to see which one of my gals messaged back.
Jane: Ava wants to go out, Ava gets to go out. I’m in!
Holly: Uh, duh, I’m in!
Sydney: I need details about why Colin had to come grab Mark from your house the other night…
All the bubbles going the second that hit the screen have my stomach clenching simultaneously with a few giggles because that’s a quick way to get everyone’s attention.
Jane: What the heck did we miss?!
Holly: Ummmm, yeah, gonna need deets…
Sydney: We’re going to need margs
Holly: 6 too early?
These girls are the best.
???
I sling open the door to Phil’s and spot Holly straight away.
She’s already got a pitcher of margs at the table.
I didn’t have time to run home and change because things were running late at the office, but I ditched the blazer and unbuttoned my silk blouse a couple of buttons.
My hair was freshly styled this morning, so it still looks great, and I slapped on some sexy lipstick in a gorgeous red shade to give me a little pizzazz after retouching my eyeliner and mascara.
I even put on heels versus my typical ballet flats.
I look business hot. To prove my point, a few heads turn from the bar.
It feels good to be noticed again. I’m done hiding.
I proudly strut over to the booth and set my bag down.
“Wow, you look hot!”
“Gee, thanks. I’m trying something different. Sick of hiding myself. It’s time I show off a better me.”
“You’re gorgeous any way you choose, but I get it! I’m all for this new look too! Did you see the way some of the heads up front turned?”
“Thanks, friend. And yes.” I do a little shimmy of my shoulders to convey the thrill that gave me.
“We’re here! I had to pick up Syd on the way,” Jane states as she slides into the seat next to me then freezes as she takes in my appearance. Sydney is grinning from ear to ear as she takes her place next to Holly. “Girl! What is going on with you?”
“You like?”
“We love!” Sydney exclaims.
“We do, now spill. Wait, hold on a sec, let me pour a marg.”
I purse my lips to hold back a giggle as she pours both herself and Sydney drinks from the pitcher. She takes a sip and exhales deeply.
“Okay, go.”
“So, the other night, I was at the grocery store after a long day at work. I filled my basket with wine and tampons because, go figure, I started at work, when I ran into Mark. It was our typical run in, but at least he was nice enough to suggest ice cream instead of saying something else snarky when he saw what was in my basket.”
The girls are just eyeing me, waiting for me to continue.
“So, I’m walking out of the aisle when I run straight into a hard chest and drop all my stuff on the floor.
I’m there apologizing and picking up my items while thinking to myself, “what happened to the gentlemanly behavior of helping a lady gather her spilled things?”, when I look up and notice it’s Eric.
He was awful. To shorten that bit of the story, Mark had been coming out the other aisle and overheard the way that Eric was talking to me.
He stepped in and introduced himself as my boyfriend, and you guys, Eric saw red.
It was great. He didn’t like someone standing up for me and got nasty when Mark started to lead me to leave.
Mark said a couple of things that left Eric speechless, grabbed my hand, and paid for our stuff.
Then he asked for my keys and drove us back to my place. ”
Their faces say it all. They’re dumbstruck.
“What happened when you got home?” Sydney asks as Jane takes a big slurp next to me, staring hard like I’m her afternoon soap opera. Holly giggles with excitement.
“We chatted for a while. Then he told me to go get comfy while he baked the pizza for us to eat. By the time I was done, he was handing me a plate of pepperoni and directing me to the couch. He brought me over my drink and my ice cream to eat for dessert, then covered me with a blanket and sat down next to me and chatted some more as we ate. Before he left, he refilled my plate with pizza.”
Holly sets down her drink with a thud, and all three of them have their mouths agape like fish trying to suck in air because they jumped out of the damn water onto the rocks.
“He took care of you?!” Sydney squeaks.
“Holy mother, I never saw that coming,” Jane says in bewilderment.
“Who the fuck stole Mark’s body?” Holly chimes in, and we all giggle.
“I’ve been trying to wrap my head around it for days. It was an experience, let me tell you. I had no idea what to think.”
“I can’t picture all of the smug hotness getting all soft and nurturing someone. Fuck, that’s hot,” Holly exclaims. Sydney tosses her head back, laughing at our friend’s frankness. She’s not wrong though. It was hot.
“He even called me beautiful in Italian, but I don’t think he knows I heard it.”
“What?!” Jane asks, practically bouncing in the seat next to me.
“Yeah, when I came out in my comfy clothes and sat back down at the island, I tossed my hair up into a messy bun. I caught him watching me out of the corner of my eye. He whispered “bella” under his breath, but I didn’t know what it meant.
You’d think being part Italian, I would’ve known some of the basics?
Nope. When I got to the couch, I pulled up a translator on my phone. ”
Holly taps her hands on the table like an excited little schoolgirl, and I blush. Jane and Sydney are sharing a silent conversation with their eyes.
“He was just being nice to me after a rough day.”
“Maybe, but Mark doesn’t just do that kind of thing,” Sydney explains.
“Speak of the devil,” Holly says and nudges Sydney in the arm to look.
Mark just walked in and is walking over to the bar.
He hasn’t noticed us yet. Trystan walks in roughly a minute later, notices us right away, and waves before joining Mark.
They order beers but stay at the bar. I see Mark look over once at us nonchalantly but whip his head right back when it registers that it’s us.
He hitches his chin in acknowledgement and raises his beer in hello.
We all wave back. When he takes a long sip, his eyes settle on mine, and I feel this weird charge between us.
I choose not to linger on it and break eye contact, turning back to my girls.
They’re all looking at me hard with big ol grins on their smug faces.
“Don’t even,” I begin quietly, but I’m cut off by their laughter.
Colin and Garrett walk in at that moment, and we all realize that they’re crashing girl’s night. The guys amble over to us and lean in to give their lady loves each a kiss.
“We will stay out of your hair, but now you all have drivers in case you drink a smidge too much,” Colin explains. If Sydney could have the cartoon love heart eyes popping out of her head, they would be.
“That’s only for Sydney and Jane though!” Holly says as if she’s all butthurt about it even though we all know she’s just playing with him.
“Nah, Trystan and Mark are prepared to drive if need be.”
I clear my throat and look back over my shoulder at the other two, and sure enough, the handsome devil is looking at me.
He winks and I scoff, turning back toward Holly.
Colin noticed though and smirks at me before kissing Sydney on the cheek one more time.
The guys head up to the bar and order drinks, probably catching up with how each of their days went and some shit.
“You gonna let Mark give you a ride?” Holly asks suggestively, and we all get a good giggle from it. You can always count on something interesting to come out of Holly’s mouth. She’s like our female version of Mark. That is if Jane doesn’t beat her to it.
“I don’t plan on drinking enough for that.”
Big-Tits-McGee Mindy chooses that moment to arrive. I quietly groan my disdain for that woman into my margarita.
“Come on, give a girl a break…” Jane mumbles under her breath.
“Really? Could that shirt have any lower of a neckline? Seriously, those tits should be illegal.” Holly whistles low before she drinks another sip. Mindy zeros in on Mark like a hog running for its slop.
“You should’ve seen her shirt the last time she came rubbing up on Mark,” Sydney mutters and looks at me sheepishly.
“Is she like his ex or something?” Holly asks.
“Fuck buddy,” Jane announces, and Holly almost spits out her drink.
“Yeesh,” she draws out between her teeth as she eyes me.
I watch Mindy out of the corner of my eye, and I can say I’m a bit shocked when I see Mark stiffen slightly when she rests a hand on his shoulder.
I also catch him looking my way to see what I’m doing.
I make sure to cock a judgy brow his way once or twice.
Yeah, I decided to be petty like that, but it’s kind of our thing.
He started it, and it’s a bit of a bad habit.
I’m not sure if we’ll ever figure out how to break it. He’s still a pig.
I ask to scoot out so that I can hit up the ladies room.
I make sure to show off my outfit by walking closer to them.
A group of college kids happen to be in that vicinity, and I totally enjoy hearing one whistle under his breath at me when I pass by.
I equally enjoy the murderous look Mark sends the kid that he doesn’t think I see.
When I walk back out, I go up to the bar to order another pitcher for our table, but before I can order, Whistle Boy sidles up next to me.
“Hi. What are you drinking?” Whistle Boy asks, flashing me a dashing grin. He’s cute and way too young for me. I don’t want a pet.
“Are you even old enough to drink?” I ask, and he smiles as if he just accepted a challenge.
“Yes, I’m old enough to be here. You have a bit of fire. I like that. It makes you even more beautiful.”
A throat clears behind us, and I turn expecting Colin or Trystan to be in big brother mode but find Mark instead.
“Buying her a drink won’t be necessary, man. I have her next pitcher.” He gives a protective “I’ll fuck you up where you stand if you keep looking at her like that” smile that renders me speechless. It’s hot and feral and does crazy things to my lady bits. Nope, don’t go there.
“Sorry,” I say sheepishly to Whistle Boy and turn to glare up at Mark. “Are you my big brother or something now? Or are you going to pull the fake boyfriend card again?”
“Just saving you some trouble from the drunk college boys.”
“Maybe I like drunk college boys.”
He raises his eyebrows at me as if I’ve got to be kidding. I am, but he doesn’t need to know that.
“A college boy wouldn’t know how to handle you,” Mark mutters low. “That’s not what you need.”
“Oh, it may not be what I need, but what if it’s what I want?”
His eyes drop to my red lips.
“You have such a bratty little mouth tonight. Is that really what you want?” Fire glimmers in his eyes like a taunt. Like he has more he’d like to ask.
“No, but that’s beside the point. Point is, you don’t get to decide for me.”
He chuckles darkly.
“Was your ice cream good? Did it help?”
“Yes, why?” I ask curiously, wondering why the discussion veered to period matters.
“Oh, just wondering, in case you needed my other suggestion. We’re not in a grocery store anymore, so the setting is a little more appropriate for the topic.”
“I now vaguely remember you bringing up a different suggestion, but you never told me. So, what’s this other idea that I need to keep in mind for the next time that you just couldn’t bring up in the grocery store?”
“Orgasms. They’re great for relieving cramps.”
Oh hell… how do I answer that? Is my face as bright red as it feels? Is it even bright enough in here to tell that I’m blushing?
“I believe I caught you off guard with that one.” He smiles lewdly, and even though it’s hot, it gives me the insane urge to wipe it off his face.
That’s what this man does to me. “Pretty sure little college boys don’t know a thing about that.
They’re still just learning how to give them.
I like that shade of lipstick by the way. ”
He grabs the pitcher and carries it over to our table, setting it down in front of my friends. All of them are staring with big eyes screaming for him to walk away so that they can pounce for more deets. He fills each of their glasses, saving mine for last, and he doesn’t take his eyes off of me.
What. The. Fuck?
He walks back to the guys, smiling at Whistle Boy with a victorious caveman grin.
“Okay. Since nobody’s asked it yet… What. The. Fuck?” Holly asks all flustered. If she’s flustered, then what am I?
“I’m gonna need more to drink for this conversation.”