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“I know.”
He lowers his voice and clears his throat before going on in an unnaturally chatty moment. “You got a second chance, man. Nobody ever really gets a second chance. I’d give anything to go back and redo what I had with Poppy, and I can’t.” Logan tosses his cards on the table, folding from the hand.
“I don’t know how I got so lucky. Honestly, I really don’t.” I look down at the cards in my hand and decide to match the bet.
“I’ll tell you how,” Brian interrupts gleefully. “Maya engineered the whole thing. That woman could sell snow to a polar bear, and there’s no way in hell Margot stood a chance when it came down to it. Maya wanted her friend home. So that’s what she got.” There’s a massive amount of pride in Brian’s voice. I might have responded, but my phone starts going off just then.
Pulling it from my pocket, I see that it is the landline at Lucy’s. Margot’s probably calling to have me come give her a ride home. Scooting out from the table, I push the answer button and press the phone to my ear.
“Hello?”
“Jake, is that you?” a slurred voice breaks through the music in the background. Margot is definitely drunk. “We need you to come get us.”
“Sure thing, peach. We’re pretty much done here. You sit tight. I’m sure the guys will follow me over.”
“That’s—that’s a good thing. We’re a little drunk.” She must have set down the phone.
I can still hear the background noise, but it’s muffled like the phone is pressed against the table. Rather than listen to her talk about the size of my dick and the drunk sex she wants to have, I hang up.
“Well, you might as well come on. Brian, your woman wants you to pick her up, I’m sure. Margot’s drunk as shit, which means the rest of them are just as bad or worse.” I run a hand through my hair and dig my truck keys out of my pocket.
“Is Poppy one of them?” Logan hops up from his seat and straightens his shirt. “I’ll come too.” He grabs the jacket off the back of his chair.
“Well, shit, looks like the party is moving to the bar. You coming?” Travis looks at Aaron, and I realize that the other man has been relatively quiet all night.
“Yeah, Aaron. You should come with us,” I tell him. “It’ll be a fuckin’ riot as we spend an hour gathering up a group of drunk women and trying to drag them home without getting barfed on.” I laugh, slapping Brian on his back.
“Actually, I gotta get going.” Aaron offers a shrug and a small smile. “I told Nikki I’d be there in case she needed something when she woke up.” He gets up from the table and after saying goodbye, he heads out through the kitchen.
I look at Aaron’s retreating back and can’t help feeling that there is more going on than he’s letting on. I’ll have to remember to go check on Nikki soon and make sure she’s holding up through everything.
Right now, I need to go get my woman.
* * *
Margot
Somewhere after my sixth shot of honey whiskey, I start to forget all my problems. I want to dance on a table with my girls and not think about any of the craptastic things that have been happening. Poppy matches me shot for shot and is right there next to me, trying to climb up onto the bar. It isn’t until the bartender threatens to cut us off for the night that we give up on it and move to the makeshift dance floor we have created.
I forget about the dark thoughts that have been creeping in, making me feel like things with Jake aren’t going to work. The thoughts that if I was better at my job, there wouldn’t be as many people hurt or dead from the arsonist. I let all of the negativity slip away into the warmth of the tequila that burns my throat as it slides into my stomach. As I hold Poppy’s hand and dance until there is sweat pouring down my body, I only have room for happiness.
When I finally go to call Jake to come and get me, I can’t find my phone. Knowing it will turn up, I go to the bar and use the landline to call him. Once he’s on his way, I put the phone away and go back to dancing. The warmth is flowing through my body, and I lose track of the time that has passed since I called him before the door swings open and in walks an unforgettable group of men.
“Babe!” I call, throwing my hands in the air. “You came for me!” I stumble across the bar and throw myself at Jake.
Somewhere behind me, I hear Poppy’s unmistakable groan. “What the hell ishedoing here?”
“Bri!” Maya calls from where she is still dancing alone in the middle of the dance floor. “Come dance with me, babe!”
“Get your ass over here. I wanna get you home while we have the house to ourselves, woman.” He strides over to her. When she swats at him, Brian picks Maya up, throwing her over his shoulder. “We’ll see you guys later,” he calls out as he walks back through the door.
“Well, that’s true love,” I say over Jake’s shoulder. “I want someone to love me like that one day,” I mumble. “Oh.” I look away momentarily and see my phone sitting on a table. “That’s my phone. Grab it.”
“Oh, you have no idea how much you’re loved, do you?” Jake sweeps me up into his arms, and I have to close my eyes because I feel like I’ll vomit if I don’t.
He must have picked up my phone, too, because Jake would never let me down. The next thing I know, the front door is slamming shut and he’s carrying me into the house.
“You always do that, Jake. You carry me. Even when I’d rather fall.” I’m not slurring anymore, but I still feel the tequila coursing through my veins. “Why don’t you ever let me fall?”
