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If I had gotten in touch the first time she posted, I could have saved my mother, maybe my father, and myself years of added grief. Then again, if anything had been different, I might not have Pixie. To hold on to the feelings I have … Well, it’s all been worth it.
“I did it.”
“Did what?” My eyes are roaming the club, looking for potential problems as we sit in a corner booth at After Midnight. We just finished up a weekly meeting with Ice in the back, and now Hammer and I are unwinding by drinking a beer before we go home to our women.
“I bought the ring,” Hammer clarifies.
Turning my attention back to him, I say, “No shit? When are you planning on popping the question?”
Hammer drums his fingers on the table top. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I have an idea, but I need your help.”
“With what?” I ask him curiously.
“Proposing to Des. I need your help.”
Baffled, I look at Hammer like he’s nuts. “Brother, this is like holding your own dick while you piss sort of shit—you’re supposed to do it yourself.”
He rolls his eyes, and then it looks like he is digging through his pockets.
To our left, movement out of the corner of my eye catches my attention, and I look over to see the new girl we just hired flirting with a customer. I know these girls know what they are doing, but since this one’s new, I watch for a while to make sure she doesn’t accidentally get too handsy with the customer and lead him on.
Suddenly, I hear Hammer say, “So, will you?”
Glancing back at Hammer, I see a diamond ring in a jewelry box on the table between us and a hopeful look on the man’s face.
That’s when I hear a woman say, “Aw, that’s so sweet! Look, y’all, he’s proposing to his partner!”
I turn to see the new stripper shouting at the rest of the club, which has suddenly gone silent as all eyes land on me, Hammer, and the fucking engagement ring between us. Talk about fucking awkward.
My eye twitches, and I think about strangling the new girl as Hammer says, “You’ve got it all wrong, honey. He could have the suction of a Hoover vacuum while going down on me and I would still say the woman I got at home is ten times better.”
The club bursts out laughing, and it sort of feels like a flashback to high school. I can’t seem to get my mouth to move, but what I do know is that now I want to strangle both the new girl and Hammer.
“This ring here is for my woman, and I’m asking my brother here to help me surprise her when I propose.”
The stripper comes over to our table with a grin. “Aw, that’s so sweet!”
Jesus. The woman just said that.
I don’t give her another chance to repeat herself again. Giving her a stern look, I catch her attention and tell her what she needs to do before I lose my temper. “Woman, go back to work.” It comes out a growl, and her eyes get as big as saucers as she realizes she’s getting on my nerves.
As she scurries back to her customer, I look at Hammer and let him have it next.
“You’re a dick.”
Hammer gives me a laughing smile. “But you love me, big guy, don’t you?”
“You’re going to get on my nerves until I agree to help you, aren’t you?”
“Pretty much, brother.”
Feeling my eye twitch again, I give in. “Fine, I’ll help, but you’re still a dick.”
Leaning forward, Hammer mock whispers, “No, me being a dick would sound something like this. Now that you got a steady woman so you don’t have to pay for sex, you must be saving a boatload of money. I say you get her a big diamond ring with all that cash and make it official.”
I flip him the bird, and he laughs.
Asshole is lucky I actually like him, or he would be getting a face full of fist right about now. That’s all right. I got better ways to get back at him now that I have Paisley. She mentioned something about a detox shake that will give you the shits. I think I will have her make one for Hammer.
Chapter Nineteen
~Hammer~
“Why the fuck did I agree to do this shit again, woman?”
Des laughs at me as I hand her the exercise ball to my left. Her back is to me as we do rotational passes, working our abdominal muscles in this exercise that you do with a partner by standing back to back and passing the exercise ball to each other.
Ever since she helped rehabilitate me from that wheelchair, I go to the gym a couple times a week to work out with her and stay in shape. I never want to be vulnerable again, if I can help it. That’s why I felt the gym would be the perfect place to do what I’m about to do.
