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“Really?” She said with a sniff.
“Really, really.”
She nodded, satisfied. “Good, now get dressed.” And that was that. She flounced out of the room without a backwards glance, leaving us to get changed.
Ten minutes later I was officially braless at a four year old’s birthday party. It was a new personal low. I glanced down at my boobs. Granted, they weren’t much—more than an A cup, not quite a B—but they suited me just fine. As comfortable as I was with them, however, I’d rather not have them and my nipples on full display in glittering red spandex.
Remarkably, the costume fit well. It wasn’t riding up in the crotch and the tights were surprisingly warm. But when I needed to go to the bathroom I was going to have to get completely naked—such was the curse of the leotard and the jumpsuit.
Time to head downstairs.
Mack was nowhere to be seen on the landing as I opened Savanna's bedroom door. I growled.Thanks for that, friend. I calmed my nerves with the reminder that, if things were too awkward, I could always hit the bar. Because, although this was technically a children's party, Pip and Tim saw no reason for the adults to have a shit time. Every party I had ever attended at their home had involved a stocked bar and epic catering. Naturally, their baby girl’s fourth birthday was no exception.
The kitchen was buzzing with chatter as I walked in and spotted Mack with Savanna. She was opening her present, the one that she had all but ignored in her single minded need to get us both dressed. Her squeal of excitement filled the room as she tore open the Barbie camper, complete with hot tub and mobile dance floor.
Then there was Mack. He looked ridiculous. His tights would putDirrty-era Christina Aguilera to shame. Those things were riding low. Obscenely low. And, as expected, his waistcoat was more of a crop top, making his already long torso look comical. I refused to let my eyes linger on the muscular lines of his abs and they definitely did not stray to the trail of hair that extended down from his belly button. Nope, I was not looking at that hair, didn’t even notice it was the exact same dirty blond shade as the hair on his head.
Savanna was on the floor at his feet, mesmerized by the enormous pink plastic contraption in front of her. Or I thought she was anyway. Instead she proved to be a fine multi-tasker because at a lull in conversation she yelled, “Uncle Mack I can see your penis in those pants, it’s bigger than my Daddy’s!”
Wow. Kids just really did not give a fuck.
Everyone in the general vicinity had stopped whatever they were doing and, whether they wanted to admit it or not, they were staring at Mack’s junk. The only person who wasn’t was Tim who had gone bright red and was attempting to shepherd his child outside.
“He’s not married to Aunty Cheese,” Savanna added as she was shoved out the door.
I was gnawing on my lip in an effort not to laugh as Mack snagged my hand and dragged me in front of him.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to keep what little dignity I have left!” he whisper-hissed in my ear, closer than I was expecting. Hot breath tickled my neck.
Pip chose that moment to walk inside. Her sharp, blue eyes took in the scene of me plastered against Mack and the corner of her lips twitched ever so slightly.
“Your child is a demon,” Mack said, one hand planted on my hip to stop me from fleeing.
“So I hear.” She was barely containing her laughter. “How about we get you a little cover up, huh?”
I couldn’t stop my snort as she disappeared. Mack pinched me.
“Ow! It’s a compliment, if you think about it …” Not that I was. I was not thinking about it.
He glowered as his sister returned with a red tutu. “What the fu—dge is that?”
“Your cover up.” She grinned. They had the same smile in vastly different faces. Mack was the image of his mother with his high cheekbones and dimpled chin, whereas Pip took after their father with her dominating brow and chestnut hair. Even still, that smile marked them as siblings.
“I thought you were going to get a pair of Tim’s shorts.”
It would have been the more obvious choice.
“And compromise your ensemble? I think not.” She tossed the bundle of tulle at him and, because it was either walk around in a tutu or have people staring at his dick for the rest of the day, he put it on.
For the next couple of hours I watched as pretty much every woman, and a number of the men, ogled my best friend. Ordinarily, this would not bother me. On the whole, he was a pretty oglable individual, so I got it. But today, today it was like some kind of creature had taken up residence under my rib cage. Every time another one of Pip’s Stepford Wife friends looked at him like he was a piece of meat, the creature flexed its claws and I wanted to put them to use on eyeballs. Plaster myself to his side, maybe growl a little. It was ridiculous. Not to mention unsettling.
I was just feeling protective, that was all. It was normal, to feel protective of your best friend. The fact that, in all our years of friendship, I had never felt quite this territorial was of some concern. But it was only a week after the kiss, and he’d gone and brought it up in the car, so the memories were closer to the surface. Tender like a fresh bruise. And this display was like a constantpoke, poke, poke.
Not that it mattered. I’d made my decision and I would stand by it. He was too important to me to risk it on something that was destined to fail. I wouldn’t do it.
Time for a drink.
