Chapter 26
twenty-six
. . .
Ronan
Colin opened the door before I put my key in the lock. "Where've you been? We've been waiting for you."
I sidled past him. "I was having a beer with the old man." Bucky and his friend, Gary, were hunched over controllers as they finished up a game.
"You smell like horse. Get showered and we'll head out."
The beer with Dad had helped dull the pain in my hand.
I'd considered not going, but since I wasn't driving it meant I could slam down enough beers to numb all the other pain, too.
I'd sent a text to Doris hoping she could find something for me to do on the site, but she told me under no circumstances could she allow an injured worker onto the worksite.
She told me she'd hold the position for three weeks, and that was only because she liked me.
I pulled my phone out of my jacket and placed it on my nightstand next to the pink hairband Rachel had left there the last time she was here.
I noticed a text notification on my phone.
I'd been checking it constantly, but while talking to Dad, I'd left it in my pocket and hadn't looked at it since.
I read the text, especially the last part "we'll reconnect soon.
" I wasn't a grand master at relationships, mostly because I avoided them, but that sure sounded like a finale.
I dropped the phone on the nightstand and went in to shower. Maybe it was time to bring back black sheep Ronan. This doing it the right way shit was for the birds.
Igulped down two more beers while Bucky and his pal finished their game.
We all headed down to Colin's car. He was the designated driver tonight, but only because he was leaving early in the morning for a business trip.
I had nothing to get up early for, so my Monday wouldn't be too affected by the hangover that I planned to earn.
We piled into the car. I had no idea what the plans were, and I didn't care as long as there was beer and maybe a few shots of whiskey to sweeten the deal … and the future hangover.
I climbed into the backseat with Gary. Colin pulled out of the parking lot. "What did the old man have to say?"
"He said you weren't his favorite."
Bucky laughed. "Who is? I'll bet it's Zander. What's he been up to? Is he still with Nevada?"
"Yeah, he's hooked for life," Colin said. "I'm glad. We all love Nev." Colin looked in the rearview and found me. "So, he threw out his back?"
"Zander threw out his back?" Bucky asked.
"No, idiot," Colin said.
"Hey, I don't think you're supposed to call a guy an idiot on his birthday." Bucky reached forward and cranked up the volume, effectively putting an end to the conversation in the car. I was glad.
Colin pulled into a dimly lit parking lot that was already filled with cars. "Never been to this place."
"You've never been to Tommy's?" Bucky asked. "Shit, dude, you're in for a nice surprise. Tommy's has the hottest dancers in town."
I leaned forward to look at the building. The siding was rustic wood and a dim glow came through the darkly tinted windows. "A strip joint?" I asked.
Bucky turned back with a big, cringey grin. "My birthday gift to myself. C'mon, let's go. Colin's buying the first round."
"I am?" Colin asked as we climbed out of the car.
"It's my birthday," Bucky reminded him for the millionth time. Bucky shot across the parking lot and took a selfie in front of a shiny Maserati. We caught up to him, and he motioned to the fancy car. "Told you this was a great place. Even rich people hang here."
Colin laughed as he surveyed the squat building with its plain exterior and faded wood facade. "Yeah, it's got a real Manhattan swank vibe," he said with a laugh.
An oversized bouncer glared suspiciously at each of us as he patted us down, then he cheerily said, "Welcome to Tommy's" and ushered us inside.
"Gary used to deliver beer here." Bucky looked back at Gary. "Did you get the table reserved?"
"Sure did. It's not the one up front though. Jasmine, the owner, told me she never reserves that one. It's first come, first served."
Bucky stopped a few feet from the entrance and let Gary know how disappointed he was by knuckle punching Gary in the arm.
I glanced over at Colin. "They're your friends."
"Yeah, not always sure why," Colin muttered.
The stage was empty but music was playing through the speakers. Gary waved at a woman behind the bar, the owner I assumed. She motioned toward a table off to the side of the stage.
Gary led us that direction. "See, Buck, it's not a bad table."
Bucky sat down, then looked at the empty stage.
He wasn't impressed. He took the seat that he decided had the best view of the stage.
Colin was paying, and my brother was doing pretty damn well, so I skipped the beer and went straight for scotch on the rocks.
I needed to get the buzz going fast. Bucky and Gary were not great as companions if you weren't at least mildly drunk.
Our drinks came just as a dancer was introduced.
She came out to some heavy metal music and slowly and strategically removed her leather pants and a motorcycle jacket that was covered with silver studs.
She was studded right down to the pasties on her nipples and the tiny leather thong that disappeared in between her ass cheeks as she swung around the dance pole.
Gary and Bucky, like many of the other patrons, yelled and cheered as each piece of clothing came off.
Bucky turned to Colin with his hand out.
"I want to shove some money in the tip jar.
Jasmine doesn't let patrons stick money on the girls, but there's a jar and it's my birthday and you're my rich friend. "
Colin shook his head and pulled out his wallet. "Not that rich. The next tip is on you."
Bucky raced up to the jar as the woman was picking up her clothes. He said a few words to her. She smiled and thanked him with a wink and an ass wiggle. Bucky's night had been made. He walked back to the table with a leering grin that made us all laugh.
He sat with a plunk. "I'm in love. I'm fucking in love."
"One wink and an ass shake?" Colin asked. "Seriously?"
Bucky turned to him. "Uh, not all of us were blessed with the Wilde seduction genes, so we take what we can get and I'm telling you that woman was into me."
Gary laughed. "Uh, I think she was into that twenty-dollar bill you were shoving in the jar. Besides that, I think Irene is married … to a woman," he added with no small amount of satisfaction.
Bucky's shoulders shrank with disappointment. "Yeah?"
"Yep, I'm afraid so, buddy." Gary finished his last gulp of beer. "I'm ready for another. I'll get this round." He looked at my glass of whiskey with little enthusiasm.
"Yeah, I'll take a beer this time." I picked up the glass and drained it.
Colin watched me. "Slow down there, Ro. We just got here."
"Yep, and I'm already feeling behind on my plan to get slammed."
Gary decided to walk up to the bar and place the order. Bucky was busy staring bug-eyed at the next dancer.
Colin leaned closer to talk through the music. "What did your boss say?"
"No bueno," I said curtly. "No use for a one-handed worker. I've got three weeks to heal, or I'll be back in job search hell."
Bucky pulled his eyes from the stage for just a second. "This is the dancer that I'm fucking nuts about. So fucking hot." He focused back on the stage.
"This isn't just about the job, is it?" Colin asked.
I shrugged. "Part of it. That chick I was into—seems she wasn't into me."
"You really liked her, didn't you? Never seen you like this. But hey, just cuz things are going shitty at the moment, doesn't mean you should start partying like you're immortal, right?"
"If I'd wanted a fucking lecture, I'd have stayed talking to Dad," I said angrily.
Colin held up his hand in surrender. "Just putting in my two cents."
"Yeah, well keep it."
Gary returned right then with the drinks. He glanced back at the stage. "What do you think? Isn't she fucking hot?" he asked as he sat down to watch the dancer.
I wanted nothing more than to sit and drink myself into a stupor.
I leaned back, and my heavy-lidded gaze drifted lazily toward the stage.
I stared at her incredible body and legs as she spun around the pole.
Something about her, her muscular legs, smooth skin and the way she moved was familiar.
I sat forward with a jolt and was drunk enough to knock the table.
Colin and Gary looked back at me. Bucky was too focused on the dancer.
Gary chuckled as he elbowed Colin. "Guess she's got Ro's attention, too."
Colin laughed. "She's hot, that's for sure.
" He looked at me for agreement, but I was too busy holding myself together.
Every mix of emotion went through me as I watched the woman who had stolen my heart dance nearly nude for everyone in the room, including my brother and his idiot friends.
Bucky was just about drooling as he watched her dance.
Colin tapped his shoe against mine. "You all right?"
I shook my head. The music was coming to an end.
I wasn't sure which was worse, the heartache as I realized how much I missed her or the anger of knowing a bunch of pricks were sitting with hard-ons as they watched her on stage.
My first instinct was to walk out, but I had just enough booze in my bloodstream to push me to a stupid decision.
I pulled a twenty-dollar bill out of my wallet.
The music ended. Cheers and clapping echoed through the small room.
I walked up to the stage just as she leaned down to pick up a silky top that had landed near the tip jar.
I stared up at her as I pushed my money into the jar.
She glanced up with a friendly smile, a smile that faded fast. Her lips turned down, and she gazed at me with those amazing brown eyes, brown eyes that knew how to look right into my soul.
She swept up the shirt and the rest of her clothes and hurried off stage.
I walked back to the table. My tablemates were staring at me as if I'd grown horns. Bucky was wearing a stupid grin. "At least I got a wink from a lesbian. You scared that cutie off as if you were showing her vampire fangs. I guess the Wildes aren't all badass when it comes to women."
"What the hell just happened?" Colin asked. "She ran off that stage so fast. What the hell did you say?"
"Didn't need to say a fucking thing." I gulped the rest of my beer and slammed the bottle down. "I'm leaving."
"What? How you getting home? What's goin' on, Ro?" Colin asked.
I stood up. "I'll walk."
"It's like five miles," Bucky said.
"Yep, five good miles to clear my head." I turned to leave.
A shiny, spruced-up prick with a big fat watch and expensive bottle of scotch was sitting in the dark corner by himself.
It was easy to match him with the Maserati outside.
He stared at me as if he knew he didn't like me, even if he didn't know me.
I reached the door and stopped. "Nope, fuck it.
" I turned around and knew damn well I was going to regret the decision, but my ego and the unfamiliar ache in my chest won the argument.
I headed down the small, dark hallway that led to some of the back rooms. The management had helpfully written "dancers only" on a door. I grabbed the door and opened it.
Two women were standing with Rachel, comforting her as she blotted tears from her eyes. They looked up in surprise.
"Can't you read the door?" the woman, Bucky's new friend, asked angrily.
"I need to talk to Rachel," I said.
They looked at Rachel. She nodded that they could leave her side. I got angry glares as they slipped past me into the hallway.
I stepped inside the dressing room and shut the door.
I figured I had less than a minute before the giant bouncer came storming in to throw my ass out.
It was all I needed. The crazy thing was that what I was thinking of saying and what actually came out of my mouth were two entirely different things.
But seeing her, standing there looking so incredibly beautiful, big brown eyes shiny with tears, my mind and my ego switched directions.
"I fucking need you, Rachel. I need you in my life."