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“My point is made. Let me give you a rocking outfit. Bad-girl style. For Landon.”
I scrunch my nose in rejection. “Landon likes me this way. In spite of all his tattooed, reformed bad boy ways, he says he loves me the way I am.”
“I’m sure the reformed bad boy in him does. But once a bad boy, always one. I’m sure he would like a little black lace and leather.” She winks at me. “Trust me—you don’t interact with a person for four years without getting a sense of these things. He’s friends with Trigg, and you know I’m all about the Trigger. Boom, boom!”
“Are you still messing with him? He’s cheated on you like how many times?”
“I know. I can’t help it. When that boom hits, I’m a goner. I knew what I was getting into when I messed with him.”
“Mom can’t stand him. He doesn’t even try. At least Landon makes an effort to cover his tats and stuff. And he doesn’t leer at mom to make her uncomfortable.”
For the life of me, I don’t know why Trigg likes to get under her skin the way he does. You’d think he would want to get in good with the mother of the girl—well, I don’t know what he and my sister really are, to tell the truth.
She grins. “Yes, ma’am, I know how to pick ‘em.” She spins, looking at her ass in her tight, black leather dress.
My sister is hilarious and totally her own person. It’s like she lives to irritate our mom, in a non-malicious way.
* * *
I’m having a mind-blowing time.I’m hyped, laughing and dancing; I don’t care if anyone is watching. Landon clinks beer bottles with Trigg. They do some crazy, stupid hand thing, acting like fools while Shay and I dance with some of their friends from college. We weren’t expecting to see them, but I guess that was bound to happen. Bounce is an unofficial college bar hangout. Landon works here. They didn’t give him a hard time for bringing his underage girlfriend, and no one asked for ID when I ordered a drink.
“Hey, baby, you having a good time?” he says in my ear.
I’m giddy and excited, looking at his thick head of black hair that’s never really combed but somehow works on him, along with a pair of dark, almost black eyes that twinkle. At least to me they do, especially when he’s in an insanely good mood like tonight.
I shake my head, dancing to the music, and say, “No I’m having an amazingly good time with the best boyfriend in the world.” I throw my arms around his neck, and he kisses me on the lips. I go in for a better, longer kiss, and he pulls my arms from around his neck, startling me a bit. What the heck?
“If you think it’s amazing already then wait until you see the surprise I have for you.” He pulls me by the hand behind him, and I follow through the crowd of lively, alcohol-lubricated college kids. What else are you going to do when your amazing boyfriend tells you he has a surprise for you? He stops abruptly, twirling me in front of him, and covers my eyes with his hand at almost the exact moment the music stops.
What the—? I giggle when he presses up against my back, tickling the edge of my ear with the tip of his tongue. “What are you up to? And why is it so quiet all of a sudden, Landon?”
“Keep quiet, beautiful. Walk on, you’ll see. Trust me.”
“Always.”
“All right, Lacey baby, open your eyes.”
He moves his hand, and I almost have a heart attack when a group of people I hardly know scream, “Happy birthday, Lacey baby!”
I cover my heart, in total shock. The table at the booth we were at has a gigantic pink cake with white and black piping that looks like lace going around it. The table has a black lace tablecloth, tiny sparkling rhinestones attached to it. My lips are trembling, and I’m about to cry when he rests his chin on my shoulder.
“You like it, baby?”
“Do you need to ask? I freaking love it.” I spin around, tilting him off balance, throwing my arms around him and kissing him for everything he’s worth.
The crowd and the two other people I mainly know erupt in whoops and hollers. “Way to take him down, Lacey baby! Woo! Get it!” I can feel my face getting uncontrollably warm.
Touching my face, he turns me back to the table with a great big smile. He helps me into the booth, placing a crystal-handled knife in my hand. “Happy birthday, baby.” He lifts my chin, pressing his lips to mine. “Blow out your candles, but make a wish first.” I close my eyes, make my wish, and blow out all eighteen black candles. He says, “I hope it comes through.”
I look at him, a little embarrassed, as if he could know what my wish is, and agree with him. I hope it does, too. I wished we would be together forever and a day.
The cake is taken away to be sliced up and served to anyone who wants a piece of triple chocolate heaven. Hopped up on sugar and a tiny bit tipsy, I go to the bathroom when the guys and Shay go to the back to play pool. When I come out I dance my way over to the bar to get for a glass of water. I turn around with my drink and collide into a solid chest.
Water splashes on both of us. I apologize profusely and hope he’s nice about this minor accident. “Oh my God, I’m sorry!” I brush his polo shirt off with my hand, looking up at him. First thing I notice is a perfect smile and the deepest pair of brown eyes I’ve ever seen, framed by a fabulous head of perfectly black hair. No other word comes to mind but perfect. Too perfect. He smiles down at me warmly and holds my hand against his chest. I give a nervous laugh and apologize again. “I’m so sorry for being so clumsy. It’s my birthday, and I’m a little tipsy. I’m sorry.”
“Lacey baby, is that your name?”
“No, Lacey. Just Lacey.”
