4. Blaise
CHAPTER FOUR
blaise
“Do you think that shit is funny, little bro ?” I cut my eyes at him before sipping the cheap-ass beer he gave me.
He full belly chuckles as if creating uncomfortable situations for me is what he lives for. My fingers twitch at the urge to wrap my hands around his neck.
“Would mom really miss you? I feel like it might bring her joy to not have to worry about you blowing money or your poor taste in women.” That comment catches him off guard, causing his laughter to cease quickly.
“Blaise, you agreed to come on this cruise with me to help me get over my broken heart. How was I supposed to know that the girl was a firecracker underneath the shy exterior? Like shit…she seemed quiet enough and you two were practically eye fucking all evening. You need to relax. Also, fuck you, you might be the sensible one but we BOTH know that I am our mother’s favorite.
So, no, you can’t throw me overboard.” He knocks his shoulder into mine as we stare out at the crowd of people fucked up and dancing.
We settle back into silence because we both know he’s right.
Mom loves the little terror despite my protests the past twenty-three years.
Attempting to ignore the girl who walked away from me, my eyes roam over other women in the crowd. I try to find another that could be fun to play with.
No matter how hard I try, my eyes come back to her.
Elodie.
She grinds against some tool who’s eyes think he’s getting lucky tonight. The way his hands grip her waist irritates me more than I care to admit.
She walked away from me for that? What the fuck does a discount Chad have that I don’t?
I begin to compare my traits to his, and he is clearly lacking in several areas. Areas I bet I could give her much more in.
Without taking my eyes off of them, I down the rest of my shitty beer. The foam crashes into my lips as I notice a shift in her body language toward him.
I push the empty glass into Knox’s chest. “Can you please get me the best whiskey they have on the rocks? If I have to be here, at least don’t make me drink shitty beer the whole time.”
He nods, following my eye line to Elodie. “I’ll be back in a second. Don’t do anything stupid. She said no.”
He takes off, leaving me alone in the corner.
Watching her body tense, her face is strained as his expression morphs into anger. The interaction causes unease to settle in my gut. I look around to find her friend and spot her at the bar, I pray she goes to help our girl.
Wait, fuck…
Scrubbing my hand down my face, I let out a strained groan.
This girl is under my skin; pretty little Storm indeed.
Her long brown hair falls in waves half way down her back, swaying as she moves. Her petite frame and short size make me want to put her in my pocket and keep her until I get bored again.
The fact she’s so small makes me want to test her limits. I think of how she felt against my body. So soft and fragile. A stark contrast to her words; she packs a strong bite there.
Reassessing her situation, I notice her friend barrelling through the crowd like a mama bear on the hunt.
As she gets close enough, she slows down, making herself seem ridiculously drunk.
With ease, her friend plays the role of a stupid party girl, wedging herself between the two and attracting the attention of everyone in the crowd around them.
This does nothing to quell the fire in his eyes, if anything, it’s like they just dumped gasoline on him as he stomps away to get a drink.
The tension bleeds out of Elodie as fast as it came and they begin weaving through the crowd.
Good girl, don’t let yourself get caught by some stranger.
I look over to the bar to see if Knox is on the way back with my drink but instead, he’s standing there with both drinks in hand flirting with someone new already.
The man has an attention span of a wet noodle and the sexuality of one to boot.
Realizing the only way I’m getting said drink, is if I make my way through the crowd to the bar.
Taking the drink out of his hand once I cross the room, the guy he’s flirting with sizes me up as if I’m competition and not his brother.
Knox laughs at the look before correcting the situation. “This is my brother, my incredibly straight brother , Blaise.”
The guy's face morphs into the shade of a tomato. Before he can awkwardly apologize, I hold my hand up. “We don’t look alike. It’s okay.”
He nods as Knox places his hand over the guy’s, drawing his attention back to solely him. Understanding I’m not needed here, I head to a different place on the deck to see the view when someone barrels into me, spilling my new whiskey all over us both.
Taking in the state of my shirt, I look up to apologize only to find none other than the current object of my obsession for reasons I am yet to understand.
“Look at you, my pretty little Storm. Are you sure you aren’t trying to wreck me, because this seems like you’re on track for it,” I state and gesture to the now soaked shirt that is clinging to my skin.
“Hello again, Blaise . I didn’t realize you not watching where you walk was me being a storm, but since I am such a problem for you, I’ll be going now. Again ,” she says as if I planned to run into her.
The look on her friend’s face tells me that this isn’t her normal setting.
How interesting…
Taking her dainty wrist in my hand, I tighten my grip, pulling her to me. I lean down to whisper into her ear so her nosey friend can’t hear me.
“Don’t think this is the last you’re going to see of me, pretty little Storm. I don’t normally let go of the things I want. You owe me a conversation.”
It’s the least she can do given the fact she keeps trying to run from me.
She kisses my cheek, catching me off guard. “I owe you nothing. Once you learn that, we can talk. Good night.”
As I process what she said, she quickly slips out of my grasp, taking off like her ass is on fire. The way she runs makes me want to throttle her for the disobedience and fuck her at the same time.
Picturing her naked underneath me does nothing for my mood as she runs away from me once again.
Adjusting myself, I set down the now empty whiskey glass on a random table before going to the furthest bar from my brother to get a drink.
Once I make it through the throngs of people, I begin to flag the bartender down.
The guy next to me who’s also waiting leans over, trying to make friendly small talk.
“So, what brings you to this supposed fuckfest of a boat ride, dude?”
The crass comment makes me roll my eyes. I turn to give him a piece of my mind and tell him that life isn’t about filling holes, when I realize it’s the Chad from earlier that danced with my girl.
Well, this just got interesting…
Not willing to throw away a chance to see why she acted the way she did, I entertain the question the best I can.
“I'm not here for me. My poor brother got his heart torn to shreds, so what better way to heal from that than to flirt with someone new and find that ‘spark’ again. You know?”
He scoffs. “Oh, so your brother is one of the ‘good guys’, huh? How boring. I bet a guy like you though is just like me. I left my bitch at home with the kids. It's a guys’ fishing trip on the gulf. So, even if they track us, we are in the water like we said.”
Disgust rolls through me knowing that he was all over Elodie with a wife and kids back home. I keep the disdain off my face. “Yeah, actually I am single, but good for you, I guess. Find anything worth chasing yet?”
The look on his face tells me that I know what’s about to come out of his mouth is going to piss me off. I brace myself for his stupidity.
“Oh yeah, man! There was this hot little piece of ass I was dancing with earlier. We hit it off so good. She’s a teacher just like me.
She clearly wanted me but was just shy. You know what they say about the shy ones.
” He elbows me and suggestively winks as I swallow down the threats I want to spew about staying away from her.
The bartender finally comes over, ending this shitty conversation and getting both of our drink orders. Thankfully, whoever came up beside him has caught his eye. I listen to him trying to put the moves on her while I watch the waves over the side of the deck.
The bartender places the new whiskey in front of me and I take a sip, relishing in the burn as it goes down.
Finally, something not shitty about this evening.
A shrill giggle that is clearly fake rings out from the girl next to us along with a corny, “Oh my goshhh, you're like, so funny.”
The voice causes me to do a double take, and I see Elodie’s friend sitting next to the guy she just saved her friend from.
She changed her outfit to something much more scandalous and dark compared to the Barbie pink outfit she was sporting earlier. However, when I saw her earlier she clearly wasn’t drunk.
Apparently, I don’t hide my expression well because she catches it out of the corner of her eye. Giving me a wink, she goes back to flirting with the guy whose name is apparently Rhett, ‘like the country star.’
I learn her name is Jade and she also works in an elementary school with her best friend. The last piece was probably for my benefit and not his, but he smooth talks her and plays a sweet single guy almost too well.
My disgust for him grows bigger as he closes the distance between them, placing a hand on her thigh because he thinks she’s too drunk to say no. I want to step in but question whether or not she’s playing a bigger game here.
So, I keep to myself, drinking the whiskey and curiously keeping an eye on the situation. Knox finally stumbles over with tousled hair and his shirt unbuttoned.
I raise my brow at him to question where he wandered off to. “That was fun, and I am much happier now. Isn’t that all you want to know? Or do you need the sordid debauchery details?”
I quickly shut him down. “Nope, definitely don’t need to know. Thanks for that mentally scarring image.”
He chuckles and leans against the bar end next to me, drawing the bartender’s attention over to us.
“Want another one, or are you calling it for the night?” Knox asks before the bartender reaches us.
Deciding this is my last drink before I tuck in, I wave my hand. “No thanks. I’m sure you have plans for lots of drinking over the next few days and would prefer not to kill my liver on day one.”
“Sure thing, bro,” he says, clearly uninterested in me. He nods over to Jade and Rhett next to us.
Lowering his voice, he leans in. “Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that your girl’s best friend and the douchebag she was dancing with earlier?”
I can’t help but to chuckle. “Yes, that’s the one you let get away, her best friend, and the douchebag she had to save my girl from.”
The second the words leave my mouth, I know they’re the truth. No matter what she thinks, I can’t deny the pull between us, and why would I? I can’t even recall the last time I was interested in anyone or anything.
He nods, sipping his new drink and watching the scene unfold with me.
Rhett takes Jade’s hand and pulls her away through the crowd and the show is suddenly over. With nothing keeping my attention out here, I clap my hand on Knox’s back.
“I’m tapping out for the night. Do you have your key?”
Fishing through his pockets, he feels around until I assume he finds it, nodding at me.
“Good night, see you in the morning, bro.”
“Good night.”
With our parting words, I make my way across deck to head inside. Jade and Rhett are nowhere to be found which is odd, but I brush it off.
Tomorrow will be a big day. And I don’t waste time worrying about people who don’t matter .