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I forced a smile. The need to tell her my card only had one open spot and that would always belong to her son was eating at my stomach. I was regretting my drink choice now. Especially with no food in my stomach.
Oh shit, the pain pill I took. Well, this is nice. What a great combination you’ve made for yourself, Harley. Drugs and booze. This should be fun.
“Come on, I want to introduce you to a few of my friends,” Vi stated. She held her arm out for me to take it.
Paxton leaned in. “Don’t leave with Vi. And if she mentions something about JuJu, come find us.”
With a confused look, I responded, “Um, okay.”
Vi and I walked around the room. Her young date followed closely behind, looking me over with hungry eyes. Vi didn’t seem to care, though.
“I believe my acquaintance is having dirty thoughts about you, sweet Harley.”
Glancing over my shoulder, my eyes caught his. The way his tongue swept over his lips, I would have to agree with Vi.
My head turned forward quickly. “That doesn’t bother you, Vi? That he’s openly staring at me?”
She scoffed. “Why should it?”
“He’s your date?”
Vi stopped walking. “He’s my acquaintance. Like I said before,” Vi looked back. “Roger understands my needs, and I understand his. But he’s currently barking up the wrong tree.”
Roger cleared his throat. “Noted, ma’am.”
With a nod of her head, Vi guided us back to walking. I couldn’t help but chuckle. “So what exactly is an acquaintance of yours?”
“If it’s a woman, she is a friend of mine whom I see every now and then. We exchange small talk and politely move on with the knowledge that I may or may not say hello to her the next time we see one another. If he is a male, my age? The same holds true. But, if he is a male around Roger’s age….well…things are little more…”
Her eyes looked up in thought. As if she was trying to think of an elegant way to say that Roger was her fuck buddy.
“He’s your fuck buddy?”
Roger let out a choked laugh from behind us.
“Jesus Christ, Harley. Tell the whole place.”
Scanning the room, I looked at Vi. “You do know they are all thinking the same thing.”
She wore an evil little smile. “Touché.”
We walked up to an older group of people. I was positive this was Vi’s crowd.
“Well, who do you have here, Vi?” an older woman with silver hair asked. Each of the women were dressed in simple, yet elegant gowns. They were all beautiful with hints of worldly experiences on their faces. I couldn’t help but wonder if any of them had had any work done. As I looked closer, I smiled. No. These were all southern women. They owned their age and wore it like freaking rockstars.
I smiled as Vi introduced me to her group of friends. Two of the women had dates who seemed to be only a few years older than Roger. The other woman stood next to a handsome man who was her age. His salt and pepper hair made him look regal—or it could have been the overpriced tux he had on.
“Harley owns the veterinary clinic in town,” Vi stated with pride in her voice. She had always treated me like I was family. Guilt wrapped around my chest and squeezed as I thought about all the people I had hurt when I lied to Tripp. I began to feel sick to my stomach and lightheaded.
“If y’all will excuse me, I think a need a bit of fresh air.”
They smiled but Vi gave me a concerned look. I pointed to the drink. “No food today mixed with a pain pill.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Get some food, water, and fresh air. But don’t hide. You need to show off that curvy figure of yours, my dear. From the look on Roger’s face, Latino woman are highly desired.”
I laughed and rolled my eyes. “I’ll try to remember that.”
As I made my way through the room, I felt the heat of Tripp’s stare. I didn’t dare look because the moment I saw him standing next to Mallory I was sure to lose whatever was left of this morning’s pancakes.
I saw the exit at the far end of the large tent. Picking up my pace, I headed toward it. But something stopped me. With a quick glance over my shoulder, I sucked in a breath.
There he stood, in a black tuxedo, looking handsome as fuck.
Tripp Parker.
My knees weakened, and I had to fight to keep myself from dropping to the ground at the mere sight of him. He hadn’t shaved and his five o’clock shadow made him look even more dashing. No. He looked utterly fuckable. The heat between my legs was instant. The lightheadedness and the ache in my stomach were replaced by the throbbing between my thighs. My heart pounded so loudly it was drowning out the light music in the background.
