Chapter 2
Sutton
“Get. The. Fuck. Out of here.”
Miles stamped punctuation at the end of each staccato word. I didn’t think I’d ever seen him so shocked.
I chuckled and shoved a French fry into my mouth. “Last night’s humiliation was almost worth it, just to see your face look like that.”
“What happened after he realized you had no idea what type of dating site you’d joined?” He paused and shut his eyes. “Wait, no. Tell me how tall he was before you answer that.”
“Pretty tall. I’d guess about six-two, maybe six-three.”
“Yum.” Miles took a deep breath and smiled before opening his eyes again. “Okay, I’m banking that visual for later. Now, tell me how he reacted.”
“Believe it or not, he was actually pretty gracious. He raised his hand to get the bartender and ordered me the drink he’d stopped me from having.
Then he apologized, paid the tab, and left.
The funniest part was when he was leaving.
He took a few steps, stopped, and turned back to ask, ‘You’re really a virgin?
’ As if the most shocking part of our encounter wasn’t that he was into whatever it was he was into or that I’d had no idea when I joined. Virgin was what he couldn’t get over.”
“I love you, cookie. But you are twenty-four. Your V-card should be in a museum by now.”
I whipped a fry at him. “I’d rather have my V-card than the frequent-flier pass you have.”
Miles grinned. “Flattery will get you everywhere with me.”
I chuckled. “I was prepared to be disappointed that my date looked nothing like his profile picture. But I was not prepared for him being a Dom or whatever.”
“Are you opposed to getting tied up or a little spanking?”
“Honestly, I probably would’ve let this guy do whatever he wanted to me. He was that gorgeous.” My belly fluttered just remembering his bright blue eyes and Superman-esque jawline. Though it was more than that, something about the guy just oozed sexy.
Miles gestured to my phone on the table. “Show me a picture of him.”
I called up the app, unsure if I’d still have access to it. Maybe my perfect match had told the gatekeepers I was a virgin and they’d kicked my sad ass off. But Jagger’s face popped up on my screen as soon as the app opened.
Miles swiped my cell from my hands. “Holy shit. He’s freaking hot.”
I leaned forward and stole a fresh glance, then shook my head. “I know. Such a shame.”
“I usually like to be the one in charge, but hell, I’d let this guy whip me and tell me what to do.”
I took my phone back. I wasn’t about to mention it to Miles, but I’d gone back home thinking the same thing last night.
Hell, I’d almost told the cab driver to turn around more than once.
And I’d tossed and turned all night long, feeling hot and bothered by images of Jagger L. putting me on my knees and over his.
Stealing one last look at my phone screen, I sighed before closing the app. “I really wanted to lose my virginity before this painful wedding.”
“I brought the red dress. I still vote you bag the jackrabbit’s brother.”
I wrinkled my nose. “The thought of seeing Brendan’s brother naked makes me ill.”
“Pretty ironic, considering who the jerk is marrying tomorrow, huh?”
I frowned. “He’s getting married, and I can’t even find a one-night stand properly.”
Miles patted my hand. “Of course you can. You could have a one-night stand by walking into any bar or going on any of the normal dating apps. You just decided you needed to finally get laid three days before flying off to New York, and then you happened to pick some weird-ass app.”
“I hate the thought of going to the wedding of the asshole who made me wait all those years while still being a stupid virgin.”
Miles pointed to my phone. “Go on Tinder. Three swipes and you too can be a fornicator.”
I laughed and finished off my lunch. Deep down, I knew Miles was right.
It wasn’t hard to find a hook-up. It was my own fault I was still a virgin.
After three years in a sexless relationship with holy-roller Brendan, I should’ve gone hog wild when I was finally single.
But instead, I’d wallowed and let it become this thing that was now bigger than it should’ve been.
“Let’s get out of here,” Miles said. “I want to see your new apartment before we have to get ready for the rehearsal dinner tonight.”
Twenty minutes later, we walked into my doorman-equipped building. Miles whistled as he looked around the modern lobby.
“Fancy. You’re really moving on up in the world.”
“My mother has great taste in real estate—when she’s buying it with other people’s money.”
Mia Holland—actually, it was Mia Newport now—had purchased this co-op in Gramercy Park a decade ago with money from her divorce settlement from husband number three, Peter Swenson, heir to a shipping empire.
We’d lived in it for a few years before she met husband number four, and then she’d decided to keep it in case things didn’t work out and she needed somewhere to live while searching for husband number five. Fortunately, that hadn’t happened.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Holland.” The uniformed guy behind the desk tipped his hat. “Ms. Newport has arrived and is waiting upstairs.”
I stopped. “My mother’s here?”
The doorman’s face fell. “You weren’t expecting her?”
I wasn’t, but I absolutely should’ve been. I forced a smile, not wanting to make the poor guy feel like he’d done something wrong. “I was. She’s just…early.”
His smile returned. “Have a good afternoon.”
Once we were in the elevator and the doors slid closed, Miles looked at me. “You had no idea she was coming, did you?”
“Nope. But shame on me. I should’ve. This was one of the reasons I wanted to get my own apartment. My mother isn’t good with boundaries.”
Miles pointed to the elevator panel. I hadn’t pushed a button yet. “What floor?”
I took out a keycard and slipped it into the slot. The floor illuminated automatically. “PH. What else?”
The apartment door wasn’t locked. I took two steps inside and stopped short, finding two men in the living room. Then I spotted my mother in the kitchen, laughing and drinking from a champagne flute. I would’ve preferred a burglar.
She threw her arms in the air. “There she is! My beautiful daughter.”
I steadied myself and walked in the rest of the way. “Hi, Mom. I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Of course you did. I told you Pablo and Mario were going to get us ready for the party tonight.” She looked at the taller of the two. “Isn’t she stunning? I had her when I was eight, of course.”
My mother engulfed me in a hug before moving on to my friend. She pressed her cherry red lips to his cheek. “Miles! How have you been, darling? Have you gone straight yet?” She wagged her finger. “I’m holding the husband-number-five spot open for you.”
A lot of gay men would find that type of comment insulting, but thankfully Miles was a good sport. “If I was going to switch teams for a woman, it would be you, Mia. You look as amazing as ever.”
She rubbed lipstick from his cheek with her thumb. “When are you going to move back to New York like my Sutton?”
“I didn’t move back, Mom. I’m only here for the summer for my internship.”
My mother ignored me. She walked over to the kitchen counter and lifted two big garment bags. “I brought you a selection of dresses for tonight and for the wedding.”
“I have a dress for tonight and one for the wedding.”
She smiled. “Not Monique Lhuillier and Christian Dior.”
“Nice,” Miles hissed.
I whipped around to look at him. “Don’t encourage her.”
Mom lifted a third bag. “And I brought you a new suit, Miles. It’s navy with a light pink check. I hope you brought those Barbie-pink glasses I’ve seen you wear.”
“I don’t leave home without them.” He kissed her cheek. “Unlike your daughter, my loyalty can be bought. I can’t wait to try on my new duds.”
My mother and Miles disappeared down the hall, while I went to the kitchen and uncorked a bottle of wine. Mom came back when I was halfway through a glass.
“Honey.” She frowned. “You know alcohol will make you puffy.”
“I’m not worried about it.”
She took the wine glass from my hand and sipped. When I looked at her as if to say, how come you can drink it then? she waved me off. “My face is too frozen with Botox and filler to puff.”
I laughed as I stole the glass back and drank. “Are you going to be popping in like this all the time? Should I get the locks changed?”
She winked. “Only the owner on the deed can authorize a lock change.”
I rolled my eyes. “Great.”
Her face grew serious. “How are you holding up, my love?”
“Well, this morning when I went to the ATM, I considered robbing the bank so I would get arrested and not be able to go anywhere for the next few days.”
She frowned and stroked my hair. “I’m sorry this is so hard on you.
If it makes you feel any better, I bought you and Miles new outfits for tonight, but not Brendan and Colette.
I have to play nice because she’s my stepdaughter, but I’ll never forgive either of them.
Edmund is still embarrassed about what his daughter did.
He hates that he has any part of seeing you upset.
And I don’t think he’ll ever be able to talk to his soon-to-be son-in-law without clenching his teeth.
He calls him the speedbump, because that’s what he was hoping Brendan was when his daughter first started dating him—a bump on the road to finding a real man. ”
I smiled sadly. “Thanks, Mom. But I’m not even mad at them anymore. Not really, anyway. I’m more mad at myself for not moving on yet.”
“Have you been dating?”
“A little.”
Her eyes sparkled. “I have a nice man I’d like you to meet. Jack’s a friend of Edmund’s from work. He’ll be at the wedding.”
I waved my hands. “No fix-ups, Mom. That’s the last thing I need.”
“He’s an attorney—a little older, but I think older is better for a husband.”
“Dad was two years younger than you.”
She threw back the rest of the wine in the glass. “Exactly. I learned my lesson.”
***