ChapterThree
SAVE THE LAST DANCE FOR ME
Charlye
“Another vodka tonic?”
I smiled at the bartender. “Yes, please.”
The beautiful wedding went off without a hitch. The heartfelt vows exchanged brought many to tears. I cried more than I ever thought I would. Justus and Isis were officially married. And I was so happy for them. Really. Yet, after countless pictures, a full dinner, the fifteenth “You’re getting up there. Don’t you think it’s time to settle down?”,and the fiftieth “You’re next…” I was tired—and a lot irritated.
The petite and perky bartender slid a fresh drink over to me. She leaned in and whispered, “I added a little more vodka and a little less tonic in this one.”
I chuckled. “It’s that obvious.”
The woman grinned. “Very. But you look beautiful.”
I considered myself a lot of things—talented, intelligent, funny, kind—but beautiful had never been one of them. My normal response to a compliment would be to downplay it, but instead I said, “Thanks.” Because Ifeltgorgeous. The makeup artist had done her thang, without using a ton of foundation and extra stuff. My hair was styled to perfection, thick curls flowing down my back. The emerald green satin dress hugged my curves in the right way and the lack of sleeves didn’t make me feel self-conscious. And my feet didn’t hurt in these impossibly high heels. “I may turn into a pumpkin before midnight, though,” I added with a laugh.
The bartender laughed too. “Well, make sure you at least hook up with one of those fine groomsmen. That’s what wedding parties are for, right?”
I thought about what she’d said a moment. It might be nice to have meaningless sex, to get my itch scratched, but I wasn’t the type of person who asked for it. Or even insinuated I wanted it. I preferred relationships to flings, even though my track record had been less than stellar. After the debacle with Kelvin this morning, though, I wondered if I should reconsider. Maybe it was time to adapt to the shitty ways of men.
“Char!” Duke Young slid in beside me and smirked. “Ready to get it in?”
I blinked, then panicked. “Why? Did I say something out loud?”
Duke placed his hand atop mine and squeezed gently. “No.” He eyed the glass in front of me. “I was referring to your drink.”
I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath. “Right. I…” I shrugged. “I guess.”
He ordered two drinks, then turned to me. “You okay?”
I took a healthy sip of my vodka. “Long day.”
“I can’t tell. You’re stunning, almost glowing.”
A blush worked its way up my neck, and I ducked my head. “Thanks,” I said. “I’m exhausted.”
Duke smirked. “It’s the music.” Isis had hired both a band and a DJ for the evening. Currently, the older people were waltzing across the floor and enjoying the smooth jazz. Soon, it would be time to switch it up. “The good thing about exhaustion? It goes away as soon as it’s time to back that ass up on the dance floor.”
I laughed through a yawn. “You’re definitely right. I could fall asleep right now.”
“Shit, I already went to sleep. Dallas smacked the shit out of me.” He sipped his drink. “Bossy ass.”
I glanced at him. It was amazing how different, yet similar Dex and Duke were. While they had different approaches to life, they were both hot, intelligent, and caring men. “You’ve changed.”
Duke eyed me skeptically. “Can’t stay the same forever. Situations, careers, people…” He looked off ahead as if in deep thought. Which was surprising because Duke never really showed his pensive side. Clearing his throat, he grumbled, “Life has a way of changing you.”
I tilted my head. “Areyouokay?”
He shrugged. “I’m good. Getting ready to drink this liquor and figure out who I’m taking back to my room tonight.”
“I take what I said back.” I shoved him. “You’re still a dog.”
Duke wrapped his arm around me. “Char, men only do what women let them do.” He met my gaze. “Remember that.”
It was just like Duke to drop wisdom in ways that seemed organic. It felt like he was talking to me. I wondered if Dex had shared something with him. “Did Dex…?”
