Chapter Eight #2
Although I hate the idea of Posey with another man, I know it’s only fair to help her since she was so willing to help me.
“Are you sure there’s nothin’ goin’ on between you two?” Corinne leans in with her drink straw between her lips.
We’re standing at a bar table top while Posey dances with a couple guys my other two sisters picked out for her. She’s in a tight black dress that makes it impossible to keep my eyes off her.
“Nope. She almost fired me yesterday and only gave me a chance in the first place ’cause I’m her brother’s best friend. Before this past week, we hadn’t talked in years.”
“But if it were up to you…” She gives me a knowing look. “You’d hit that.”
I nudge her, making her stumble and bump back into me.
“Isn’t that what you kids say?”
“You’re not that much older than me.”
“I know but I’ve been married since I was twenty-one. I haven’t dated since I was eighteen. I’m outta the loop.”
“You poor thing,” I deadpan, chugging the rest of my beer.
“Hey, I’ve breastfed longer than some of your relationships.”
“I didn’t need that visual.” I shake my head. “I’m gonna grab another beer.”
As soon as I make my way to the bar, Posey catches up to me and grabs my arm. Her eyes are half-closed as she rocks back and forth between her feet.
“Hey! I found a girl for you. Her name’s Gabby. Abby. Tammy? Somethin’ like that. I’ll introduce you when you come back to the table. Can you get us some drinks?”
Glancing above her head, I spot the woman at the table with my three sisters. Fuck.
“Sure, whaddya want?”
“I don’t care. Somethin’ fruity!”
“Okay, sure. You havin’ fun out there?”
“Uh huh! The girl’s really cool. Huge boobs. She started twerkin’ and one of ’em nearly punched me in the eye.”
I snort. “That sounds dangerous.”
“I figured you liked big boobs. Or are you an ass man? Shit, I shoulda asked first.” I’ve never seen Posey this bubbly before, so it’s definitely the alcohol. “Either way, she has a nice ass too.”
“I don’t have a preference as long as we have chemistry.”
“No doubt you two will.” She pokes me in the chest. “Now hurry up before I steal her from ya.”
She walks off, making my head spin.
I return to the table with their drinks and meet Sabrina’s amused gaze. They pingpong between Posey and her new friend.
“Hi! I’m Jamie!” she shouts over the music and holds out her hand.
“Silas.” I wrap my palm around hers. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
“These are my sisters.” I point to the three of them staring. Her shoulder-length black hair is halfway pulled up with long, dangly earrings that almost reach her collarbone.
Her tongue peeks out between her red-stained lips. “Hi, Silas’s sisters.”
“We’re all here to find Silas a new girlfriend,” Posey explains, speaking loudly over the music. “His fiancée just dumped him.”
“Aww…” Jamie coos. “You poor thing.”
“No, it’s fine.” I brush her off, slightly uncomfortable that Posey’s telling her I need help in that department.
“We’re also here to find Posey a date for a weddin’ next month,” I tell her, hopefully taking the heat off me.
“Really?” Jamie’s eyes widen. “My brother’s single! You two would totally hit it off!”
“Y’all could double date!” Celeste suggests, holding up her drink.
She’s only on her second and she’s already toast.
“Oh my God, yes!” Jamie screeches. “Did I tell you he’s a fireman?”
Posey’s jaw literally drops. “Um no…tell me more!”
As they gossip, I drink my beer and watch them. Posey’s bright smile is hard to miss when she hasn’t stopped laughing all night. It’s a nice sound to hear.
Once they’ve finished their cocktails, they drag me and my sisters on the dance floor.
Jamie grabs my arms and positions herself in front of me, shaking her ass to the beat.
I lean into her ear. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-two. You?”
Fuck, she’s young.
“Thirty.” I turn her around so we’re face-to-face, then draw her closer so we can hear each other. “Where do you work?”
“I’m a receptionist at my dad’s law firm. I graduated college in May so I’m still job huntin’ for the right position.”
“That’s cool. I just started workin’ at Posey’s goat farm.”
“She told me! How’re you likin’ it so far?”
“Not bad. It gets hot and dirty, but I don’t mind it.”
“I’ll have to come visit sometime.” She trails her fingers up my chest. “You can show me ’round. I’d love to play with the goats!”
“Sure.” I smile but it doesn’t reach my eyes. “You’ll have to give me your number.”
“Gimme your phone!” She holds out her palm and I pull it out of my pocket.
As soon as she enters her contact info, she texts herself so she has mine.
“Hopefully we can plan somethin’ soon.” She hands it back. “I’m available most evenings after five and weekends.”
“Sounds good, me too.”
We continue dancing for several songs until I break away to get some water. Since I’m driving, I stopped drinking a while ago.
“My brother’s comin’ to pick me up soon. I’ll introduce y’all.”
“Tonight? I need to freshen up then.” Posey takes her hand and drags her toward the bathroom.
“So this is fun…” Corinne drawls.
“Mm-hmm,” I mutter.
“Jamie seems nice,” Sabrina says. “Gorgeous too.”
“Very,” Celeste agrees. “Not a thought in her pretty little head though.”
“You don’t even know her,” I argue. “She has a college degree and works at her dad’s law firm.”
“So? Sabrina has one too but still thought we had fifty-two states up until she was twenty-one.” She chuckles, making the rest of us laugh too.
“Hey!” Sabrina pushes her shoulder slightly. “That’s ’cause you lied and told me that so I’d fail my history test.”
“Perks of being the oldest sister who already knew what was on the test.” Celeste laughs.
“I say give her a chance…” Corinne says, nodding toward Jamie when she and Posey return. “And maybe a double date won’t be so bad. If anythin’, you’ll get more experience.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” I shrug, though I’m not looking for anything serious, it might help get myself back out there.
They announce last call and the girls flock to the bar for one last drink. I’ve lost count of how many Posey’s had but there’s no doubt she’s going to feel it tomorrow.
Oliver arrives to pick up my sisters since they’re all staying at Corinne’s tonight. I help get them all in his truck as they stumble over themselves.
“Y’all have fun?” he asks.
“I think I’m gonna throw up,” Celeste murmurs, her head bobbing from side to side.
“Why’re you drivin’ so fast?” Sabrina mutters, plastering her face against the window.
“I haven’t even started the truck.” Oliver shakes his head. “Y’all gonna be sick as shit in the mornin’.”
I smack him on the shoulder. “Good luck with ’em. I gotta find Posey and Jamie.”
“You brought two dates? Thatta boy.” He smacks me back.
“Ha! Not exactly.”
I tell my sisters goodbye and that I’ll check in with them later.
Walking back toward the bar, I find the girls standing on the sidewalk and talking to some guy.
“Silas! Come meet my brother.” Jamie waves me over.
When I get a better look at him, I notice his muscular frame and height are similar to mine, but I’d guess he’s a few years older than me by the deep lines on his face.
“Hey, I’m Jackson.” He nods when I stand between the girls.
“Silas, nice to meet you.” I nod back. “So you’re a fireman?”
“Yep, for twelve years now.”
“You two have a big age gap?”
“Jackson’s my stepbrother,” Jamie confirms. “His dad married my mom when I was fifteen.”
“Gotcha.”
“Posey needs a weddin’ date and I told her you’d love to go,” Jamie tells Jackson.
“Yeah, that’d be cool. Text me the date so I can make sure I’m not on call that weekend.”
I wait as Posey programs his number and she promises to text him tomorrow. Then I give Jamie an awkward hug goodbye.
“I’ll text you tomorrow too,” Posey promises to Jamie. “If I’m not pukin’ my guts out.”
“I’m sure you will be,” I mutter, trying to pull her away so we can go.
People flood the sidewalks, walking to their vehicles, but I had to park down the street since the lot next to the bar was full.
“C’mon, Posey. Say good night.”
“Night, I love you!” she calls out, walking backward.
“I love you too!” Jamie shouts before getting into her brother’s truck.
Posey trips over her own shoe, but luckily I catch her before she can face-plant.
“Whoa, careful now.” I wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her against me. “Can’t have you showin’ up to work on Monday with a black eye.”
“No, I’m fine. T-totally fine,” she stammers, barely able to keep her head up.
“I never realized how much fun you can be when you have alcohol in your system,” I tease. “You’re almost like a different person.”
“That’s not true! I’m always fun.”
“Minus the stick up your ass.”
“I do not have a stick up my ass!” She pokes me in the gut, hard, making me curl over. “You’re the one who does.”
I chuckle. “So whaddya think of this Jackson guy?”
“He’s hot. Did you see his arms? His biceps are the size of my head.”
“They’re the same size as mine.”
“No, his looked way bigger. Like save people from a burnin’ house bigger.”
“That doesn’t even make sense.”
“Don’t be jealous.”
“I’m not.” I roll my eyes because I’m arguing with a drunken Posey who yesterday got pissed when Emily was admiring my biceps. “How old is he?”
“Thirty-five.”
“That’s a little old for ya, ain’t it?”
“It’s only seven years.”
“Yeah, but it’s interestin’ that he’s still single at his age. Unless he’s been divorced.”
“Okay, Mr. Nosy.” She huffs. “He’s been married before, yes. So at least I know he can commit. Unlike your ex…”
“Damn, low blow.”
“I’m just sayin’! Don’t knock him down until you actually get to know him better. Especially since I found you a banger of a date and I had to get my own with no help from you.”
“I would’ve but you were glued to Jamie’s hip.”
It also wasn’t easy with my sisters there, analyzing my every move.
“It doesn’t matter anyway. Her brother seems cool enough for a weddin’ date.”
“Are you gonna see him before that since it’s still weeks away?”