Episode 241
JAZZ HANDS
Brett
This may be the first time I’ve laid eyes on Ariel’s best friend, Jazz. Did she arrive yesterday or today?
Doesn’t matter. Between Jake’s reappearance, my anger at River, and my rift with Sienna, I haven’t noticed much else.
But she’s fucking hot. Blond, blue-eyed, and built like a fucking brick house, she’s exactly the type I’d normally go for when I’m drowning in bourbon.
Instead, I’m pining for a brown-eyed beauty and a blue-eyed stud.
What the hell has happened to me?
Jazz is dressed in some kind of red lingerie. Is it a nightie or a teddy? I’m sure we’ll soon find out. It’s all silk and lace and hot woman.
She gyrates over to Alex and jiggles her big tits in his face.
Alex, ever the gentleman, blushes bright enough to rival her lingerie. Sebastian is hooting and hollering, and Riv and Jake join in, but the jovial atmosphere does nothing to lighten my mood.
Jazz doesn’t waste a second. She throws one leg over Alex’s lap and straddles him, dancing to the soft rock playing from the outdoor speakers. The sight is seductive enough to awaken desire in a saint.
I take another swig of my bourbon, trying to drown the unexpected surge of envy that hits me. It’s not for Jazz. It’s for Ariel and Alex and what they have. It’s like a cruel jab to my gut.
Jazz swings around on Alex’s lap, now facing me. Her icy blue eyes meet mine with a predatory glint.
“Your turn, Brett.” She pushes herself off Alex and saunters toward me with the grace of a tigress.
She stands only inches away from me, her blue eyes sparkling with anticipation. Her perfume drifts over me—something light and floral—and it challenges my self-control. She’s expecting a reaction.
So I oblige.
In a pretty twisted way.
“I’m afraid I prefer brunettes,” I say, raising an eyebrow at her while taking another sip of my drink.
The room erupts into laughter, Sebastian’s the loudest of all. He knows my type, and Jazz is it with a capital I.
Jazz doesn’t falter. Instead, she throws her head back and laughs along. “Well, I’m what you’ve got tonight. And I’m here to entertain all of you.” She winks and slips her arms around my neck. “Besides, you never know until you try.”
Try?
I’ve had more blondes than I can count.
I glance at Sebastian, who simply shrugs, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Everyone is watching, waiting for my move. Even Jake.
Fuck.
Jake.
Jazz’s confidence is infectious.
Still, I can’t shake the images of Sienna’s enchanting smile and Jake’s captivating blue eyes from my mind.
I smirk at Jazz and gently remove her arms from around my neck. “You’re right,” I reply. “But not today.”
Jazz only grins wider. She steps back gracefully, twirling once before taking a bow. “Well played, Brett.”
As Jazz snakes her way to Jake—who’s ignored me since he got to the party—I rise and pour myself another drink.
She engages Jake in what appears to be flirty whispering. I watch, my eyes trained on them, and my heart beats irregularly.
The jealousy returns.
This time over Jake.
More bourbon. It burns my throat in that perfect way. The atmosphere is electric, palpable energy that everyone seems to be enjoying. All except me. I’m in my own world, my thoughts consumed by Sienna and Jake.
I glance over at Sebastian who gives me grin. I give him a half-hearted smile back.
I gaze toward Jazz again, now settled comfortably in Jake’s lap. I begin to detest the sight of them together. Every touch, every whisper exchanged between them fuels the fire inside me. It’s all a glaring reminder of what I’ve lost.
I stare at my bourbon, the amber liquid reflecting the lit torches. I resist the urge to throw it on the fucking grass like a child.
A knife twists in my gut.
I want to look away, but I can’t. It’s like a train wreck, captivating and horrifying at the same time.
I pour myself another bourbon.
Sebastian stands at the bar next to me. “You okay, man?”
“Does it matter?” I say, my mood souring further.
Sebastian raises an eyebrow at me but says nothing. Instead, he knocks back his own glass of bourbon.
Jazz is draped all over Jake now, her laughter ringing out loudly over the music. He looks relaxed, comfortable.
Happy.
He deserves to be happy.
Even if seeing them together is like salt on an open wound.
Fuck. This is a bachelor party. Jazz is the entertainment, and Jake is eating it up. They’re both playing their roles perfectly.
If only I were sure they were actually playing.
Jake.
Sienna.
At this point, I think I’ve blown it with both of them.
I shake my head in frustration, trying to clear the fog of regret. But it’s no use. The what-ifs keep piling up like a stack of dominoes.
We’re outside, but I feel like I’m in a room that’s too small, too suffocating. I need to be somewhere else. Without a second thought, I shoot up from my chair and make my way toward the door.
I look over my shoulder.
Jazz has turned her attention to Sebastian now.
River is glaring at me.
And he’s right.
This is Alex’s big send-off. I can’t leave just because I’ve fucked up my own life. Al is happy, and he deserves to be.
I return, take my seat, and down another sip of bourbon.
Seb is in his element, motorboating Jazz’s ample tits, even pinching a nipple.
That spurs her on. She slides the straps of her teddy off her shoulders and lets her tits bounce free.
They’re damned nice.
She wiggles them in Seb’s face before turning her attention to River.
But I’m between Seb and Riv, and I’m thinking I want another shot. What the hell? I’m kind of buzzed and I’m feeling horny. I can’t have who I want, and Jazz is pretty fine.
I grab her arm as she walks by me.
She looks down.
“You want another chance, stud?”
What the hell? I’ve already lost the only two people I’ve ever loved. Why not have a good time with a blond hottie?
I nod. “Absolutely.”