Chapter 33
“This was long overdue.”Amelia held her extremely dirty martini in the air. “Like extremely over-fucking-due.” We clinked glasses, Amelia’s spilling down her hand with gasps and light screams following until she downed half her cocktail. I took a healthy gulp of my vodka soda. “Isn’t this great? Peter has the girls tonight. You’re with me. Life is almost right again.” Amelia spread her arms wide while scanning the attractive bar crowd.
“What do you mean almost right?” I craned my head, watching a classically handsome man in a suit with his top button undone, throwing Amelia come-fuck-me eyes.
“Yeah, almost.” Amelia gave me her signature side-eye. “You know, you could also find a guy here. You are allowed to.” She leaned in closer, her breath smelling of olive brine. “Or a boy toy just for the night.” Amelia swirled the stick of three green olives around her drink.
“That’s how you roll. Not me.” Everyone was out, and this dimly lit swanky hotel bar was packed. We were lucky to nab a four top as the throngs pushed past us. Of course, the men here were fire, but they weren’t magnets for my eyes. And my heart certainly rejected all of them. Who I wanted was easy.
Brett.
It had been two weeks since I told Brett we should see each other and his elusive response, but that didn’t mean we weren’t talking—because we were. Every night. We were in our lives, whether texting or on the phone. And I was fine with that. It was a slow burn, and I couldn”t wait. But I didn’t want to think of any drama tonight. I wanted to let loose and have fun with Amelia and…Bridgette. Amelia didn’t know I had invited the latter, but I knew she would love Bridge as much as I did.
“What are you hiding?” Amelia’s dark eyes stared at me from above her glass’ rim.
“What do you mean?”
“You keep glancing at the door. Who did you invite?” She swirled her index finger in her drink before licking the digit.
“If you must know…” I trailed off, taking another sip of my pure vodka. Seriously, where was the soda?
“I need to know everything.” Amelia held up a loose finger. “And don’t you ever forget that.”
I reached across the table, taking Amelia’s hand in mine, her warmth penetrating my skin. “Don’t ever change, okay?”
“I would never.” Amelia rolled her eyes. “Okay, so what don’t I know about tonight?”
“I invited someone very special to join us.” I glanced at the door once more, but no signs of Bridge yet.
“Oh my God, Jules.” Amelia squeezed my hand, her eyes bulging. “Is Brett coming?”
“Wait, what?” I scrunched my face. “No. Tonight is going to be a girls” night.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” My face dropped.
“I don’t know.” Amelia popped her shoulders. “I thought you’d finally come to your senses.”
”Oh, and what would that look like?” I asked, setting my glass down with a sharp click.
”You finally giving yourself permission to be happy, to let someone care about you,” she answered with uncharacteristic gravity. ”But we can talk about this later. Let”s not spoil the night.” Just then, her eyes shifted to the space behind me, and her brilliant orbs illuminated with a mischievous curiosity. “And who do we have here?” The corner of Amelia’s red mouth lifted before she took a deep swallow.
“Sorry, I’m late,” Bridgette said over my shoulder.
I spun around and saw Bridge standing an inch from me, wearing black stilettos, gold feather earrings popping against her olive skin, and all eyes in the bar glued to her ethereal magnetic glow. Her onyx eyes, their dark effect exacerbated by the jet-black eyeliner, shifted from me to Amelia. And while I knew both women were straight, something passed between them, like an unspoken want to get to know one another.
“You made it!” I threw my arms around Bridgette’s bare shoulders, pulling her in and signaling to the empty chair. “Bridge, this is my best friend, Amelia. And this is Bridgette. Brett’s cousin.” I gestured between the women.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you.” Amelia wasted no time extending her hand, and Bridgette accepted the gesture.
”And you as well,” Bridgette replied, her voice smooth and low. She took the proffered seat, crossing her legs elegantly, and the skirt of her little black dress hiked up to show more of her toned thighs. ”I”ve heard a lot about you.”
”Hopefully, all good things.” Amelia winked, and I couldn”t help but roll my eyes at her. That was Amelia, always putting on a show.
”I wouldn”t say so,” Bridgette teased with a chuckle, and Amelia”s eyes widened with mock horror.
”What?” Amelia feigned outrage, clutching her chest dramatically. ”I demand to know what she said about me!”
Bridgette laughed again, her soft yet hearty sound that turning many heads in the busy bar. ”Now, that would be breaking the girl code.”
Amelia grinned at this, turning to me. “Why haven’t I met Bridgette sooner?” She shifted her wide eyes to Bridgette. “You’re fun.”
“See? I told you.” I glanced at Bridgette. “I’m telling you, anyone who meets you automatically falls in love.”
Bridgette threw her head back, laughing. “If only…”
“I’m serious.” I placed my hand on Bridge’s arm. “Even Brett told me so.”
Both women cocked their perfectly plucked eyebrows at me when I uttered his name.
“And how are you and my cousin doing?” She thrust her tongue into her cheek, drumming her navy polished nails on the wood table.
I waved the air. “Let’s not talk about that now. I want to have fun tonight. Drama free. Stress-free. All of that.”
“Yeah, we’ll see,” said Bridgette, not missing a beat and tracking down a server to order a matching dirty martini to Amelia’s.
Bridgette’s eyes glinted with a knowing look that sent an unexpected shiver down my spine. An unspoken understanding seemed to pass between her and Amelia, causing me to feel vaguely unsettled. But I brushed it off, refocusing on the night at hand.
“Okay, what are we drinking to?” Bridgette finally asked, holding up a newly arrived martini glass, the green olives skewered on a toothpick, looking exceedingly tempting under the bar”s soft lighting.
“To girl’s night,” I declared, lifting my final drink. I had already decided one was my limit because I wanted to be able to drive home later. Amelia chimed in with her own glass, her eyes sparkling with an intoxicating mixture of mischief and excitement. The clink of our glasses was like a promise—a promise to forget all about reality for a few hours.
My friends drank deeply, we laughed harder, and soon we were probably the loudest, happiest table in the bar.
“Wow, so let me get this straight,” said Amelia, popping open another button of her blouse, entering dangerous cleavage territory, but I didn’t blame her. It was getting fucking hot in here, evidenced by the sheens of sweat bursting across all our foreheads. “All three of us are divorced and first wives.”
“It’s like the first wives club over here,” Bridgette cackled.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Amelia asked Bridgette.
“No,” she answered deadpan.
“Oh, okay.” Amelia shot a furtive glance in my direction.
“Who wants to talk about why their divorce happened anyway?” I asked, shrugging.
“I guess my curiosity gets the best of me, plus I’m an open book,” Amelia admitted, flashing a guilty smile at us. Bridgette was the only one at the table who hadn’t shared her divorce story, and I was almost certain tonight wouldn’t be the night.
“Well, you’ll hear about it. But my story is for another time.” Bridgette winked at Amelia.
Amelia reached for Bridgette’s hand. “Whenever you’re ready, I’m here to listen, babe. And if you never tell me, no pressure either. You’re wonderful.”
I watched my two tipsy friends hug, but that was fine. This night was going exactly like I hoped for. Just a time to have fun. When Amelia and Bridgette finally broke their embrace, their deadly eyes fell on me, making my stomach flip.
“Why are you guys looking at me?” I hid behind my only all vodka and no soda of the night.
“Should I ask her?” Bridgette spoke to Amelia.
“If you can’t ask her, then I won’t,” said Amelia, pointing to her chest.
“Will one of you just come out and say it,” I blurted, my heart racing.
“Why won’t you and Brett see each other already? It’s like the two of you are enjoying the torture,” said Bridgette.
I froze, the citrus liquid in the glass halfway to my lips. My eyes darted from Bridgette to Amelia, a pit opening in my stomach. ”That”s not... it”s not like that,” I stammered, a sudden sense of unease washing over me.
”Yes, it is,” Amelia chimed in, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest. She was grinning at me, but an undertone of seriousness in her voice matched Bridgette”s.
”You”re both dancing around each other,” Bridgette continued, setting down her martini and staring at me with an intensity that was surprisingly sober for how much she”d had to drink. ”You”re playing this game of cat and mouse, and it”s getting a bit old.”
”Well, maybe I”m not ready.” The words slipped out before I could rein them in, and all humor drained from the women”s faces.
Amelia was the first to respond. She reached across the table, placing her hand over mine and gently squeezing it. ”Julia,” she began softly, ”we know you”ve been through a lot. You don”t have to feel pressured to jump into anything.”
”But also,” Bridgette interjected, sipping the last of her martini before she continued, ”don”t deny yourself happiness because you”re scared. Brett isn”t your ex-husband. You deserve to be happy.”
The heavy silence blanketing our table half sucked. Their words hung in the air, tangible and raw.
Amelia gave Bridgette an approving nod in the corner of my eye. “Why do I feel like I’m at a love intervention?”
“That’s the best kind of intervention.” Amelia winked.
“Look, we’ll see each other eventually. It’s like we’ve fallen into a pattern of talking easily about little things throughout our day, keeping it light. And it’s nice. But now, when do we jump to the next step of seeing each other? You know what I mean?” I asked the women. “It’s hard to explain. It’s like we’re almost stuck. You’re right. We should just see each other already. Why wait anymore?” I wasn’t sure if the lingering effects from my first drink filled me with courage or if this was all raw and real, but my fingers itched to call Brett and insist on seeing him.
Bridgette smiled, nodding, and it appeared she was trying not to laugh or choke. It was hard to tell, but her eyes were glued to the bar across the room. “I don’t think you’ll have to wait much longer.”
Amelia joined Bridgette’s gaze, and her mouth fell ajar. And then I saw Brett, sitting at the bar, looking handsome and sexy as ever, wearing… a tuxedo? My heart fluttered at the sight of him. The light from the overhead lamps glinted off his dark hair and the crisp lines of his tuxedo, making him look like a character from a romance novel. He lifted his gaze, meeting mine across the crowded bar. His lips curled into a soft smile that sent shivers down my spine.
”Is he... is that...” I stumbled over the words, my heart lurching into my throat.
”Yes,” Bridgette confirmed, lightly slapping my arm. ”He’s waiting for you.”
“Why is he wearing a tuxedo?” Amelia blurted, breaking the spell.
The girls broke out in buzzed giggles while I stared at Brett from across the room, our eyes never leaving the others. When I thought this moment couldn’t be more of a bizarre fairytale, Brett reached behind him, pulling out a ruby rose. That was it. I couldn’t just go to him. I had to.
“Did you have any idea Brett was coming tonight?” I asked Bridgette, whose guilty expression said it all.
“I didn’t want to spoil the surprise.” Bridgette winced.
“I’ll be right back,” I announced to Amelia and Bridgette, never looking at either of them as I glided away from the table.
“Don’t worry about us,” called Amelia. “Go get your man.”
Bridgette’s cackle was the last thing I heard from the table until I was toe to toe with Brett.
“Hi,” I managed to say. My eyes dropped to the flower in his hand. “Is that for me?”
Brett’s eyes found the rose before shifting back to my face.
“Indeed, it is,” he replied, holding the stem to me. His smile was casual yet warm, his eyes reflecting a kind of honesty I found myself drawn to. ”I thought you might like it,” he explained further, his gaze never leaving mine.
Accepting the flower, I brought it up to my nose and inhaled its sweet scent. The petals were soft and plush against my skin. “It’s beautiful, thank you,” I replied, looking back at Brett. There was a moment of silence before I addressed the elephant in the room; “So… why are you all dressed up?”
He shrugged lightly. ”Thought I”d make an impression,” he admitted. A playful smirk curved his lips as he added, “Seems like it’s working.”
“It’s really nice to see you. The texting was fun, but…” I trailed off, my eyes darting to the crowd around us.
“In person is always better.” Brett guided my chin with a single finger until we faced each other again. “Why did we wait so long?”
“I’m sorry for ever doubting us.” My hands cupped his face, drowning out everyone and everything around us.
“Stop. You don’t have to say that.” He placed his hands over mine.
“No, but I need to. You were always ready. Always waiting for me. I’m not sure why I couldn’t decide like you.”
“Julia, it’s okay. Really. There always needs to be one in the relationship who overthinks life.” He flashed a brilliant smile. The one I fell in love with.
“Thanks.” I threw Brett a sheepish grin.
“Anytime, babe.” He winked, snaking his arm around my waist and pulling me in.
His warmth enveloped me instantly, a comforting cocoon that shut out the noisy chatter and the clinking of glasses. I nestled closer, my heart fluttering like a trapped bird against my rib cage.
”See,” he murmured, his breath lightly brushing my ear, ”this is where you belongby my side.”
“I just wish I had realized it sooner.” My hand pressed against his chest.
“Julia.” Brett planted a kiss against my forehead; his soft lips against my skin ignited every nerve in my body. “I love you, but sometimes you are so annoying.”
I laughed into his chest, totally understanding his point. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. And don’t ever apologize for being you because this is what I love. Who I love.” Brett motioned the length of my body.
”Brett...” I whispered, tracing the shape of his jaw, fascinated by the feel of him under my skin.
”Yes?” His voice was low, edged with a tender excitement.
“I love you.” I knew I should have said more, but those three words begged to be released from my mouth. I finally stopped thinking and worrying about the future and embraced the moment. Because being here with Brett had never left me feeling this full and satisfied. I didn’t need someone to complete me, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to be loved. Because I wanted to be loved by one man: Brett. And I wanted to love him back. And I would.
He looked down at me, his eyes soft in the bar”s dim light. I could see the playful glint I had come to love so much dancing within them. “I love you, too, Julia,” he said. Brett’s deep timbre wrapped around me like a blanket, protecting me from everything else.
The words hung in the air between us, almost tangible. I beamed at him, letting out a breath I hadn”t realized I was holding.
“Good,” I murmured and leaned back into his chest. Brett’s arms tightened around me in response.
A silence fell over us, but it was comfortable. It was filled with something new and foreign—an understanding, an acceptance of what we had just shared. We stayed like that longer, swaying gently to a song playing softly while everything faded.
“Should we get out of here?” Brett spoke into my ear, his warm breath tickling my skin.
“What about Amelia and Bridge? They’ll think I abandoned them.” I pointed to the air behind me.
“Something tells me they’ve already forgotten by you.” Brett nodded over my shoulder, and I pivoted, finding Amelia and Bridgette at the bar, chatting up some handsome men in power suits. “How did Amelia convince Bridgette to speak to a guy? I haven’t seen her do that in years.” His brow scrunched.
“Oh, Amelia can convince anyone to do almost anything.” I giggled, watching as Bridgette tossed her head back in laughter. It was a sight I was almost certain Brett hadn’t seen in a long time, and it warmed my heart to see her finally letting loose.
Brett shrugged and grinned at me. ”Well, if they”re busy, we might as well escape.”
“Where should we go?”
“I have a few ideas. How about we go someplace where we can get to know each other better?” Brett flashed a wicked grin, knowing exactly what he meant.
I wasn’t going to argue.