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I pulled out the flask and then discreetly filled two glasses for us. I didn’t sputter so much when I did the shot this time. Maybe I was already too drunk. Maybe I just enjoyed Lacey’s over-the-top reaction to the shot too much to focus on myself. She sputtered and coughed and then fanned herself as she wiped tears from her eyes.
My head was definitely spinning now. The room started to close in around me. Between the flashing lights and the repetitive beat that I was continuously counting in my head, I couldn’t think straight.
I grabbed her hand and stood. “Let’s go someplace quieter.”
She stood, and I took that as agreement. I pulled her out of the club and then kept walking with our hands interlocked.
“Do you want to go check out the Strip?”
She stopped us and lifted up her foot, pointing to her high-heeled shoe. “Does it look like I want to go walking anywhere? My feet are killing me.”
“Jesus, Lacey, those shoes are worth it. They make your legs look sexy as fuck. Along with the rest of you.” Apparently, there wasn’t a filter on my words anymore.
She stared at me for a few seconds. “Let’s go back to the cocktail bar. It won’t be as crowded or loud.”
I adjusted my stride to match her pace and walked, keeping hold of her hand until we got to the bar. We ordered some drinks that we didn’t need and then sat next to each other on a banquet seat in a dark corner of the room.
We talked. And talked.
She told me about some upcoming bands she was looking into signing for her company. We talked about touring in general and she gave me some suggestions on what Ghost Parker should do as a band as next steps. She was so smart on the business end of things.
I admitted that I wasn’t totally sure about my future with Ghost Parker. She reminded me that the band loved me and that they were all starting families now and that having Kody didn’t mean I had to give up my passion for music.
Then I told her about my idea to start a boutique record label. I hadn’t even confided that to Sid yet. My idea was to produce a solo album for Ghost so he could create the music he wanted to make without the corporate handcuffs. I wanted to move away from purely making money to creating stuff.
The wheels were turning in her head. The music business was her wheelhouse, so I was listening to everything she said. The problem was that I was kind of mesmerized by her beauty. And I’d put her feet on my lap, took off her sexy shoes, and was massaging her feet. And my fingers kept climbing up the silky smooth skin of her calf. I couldn’t help it.
We did another shot of absinthe. I don’t know who suggested it, but it was a dumb idea. But I’d do anything to keep her with me longer.
That’s why I wanted to bite off my tongue when some jealous bitterness slipped out. “Is it weird for you that you had sex with your best friend’s husband?”
She froze for a second. “Is it weird that you had sex with your sister’s husband?”
“Fuck!” I slumped down a few inches in the seat. “I never had sex with Sid. I just had sex while he was there. Big difference.”
She pulled her legs off my lap. “If I recall, you were there too, so now you’re going to judge me?” She was pissed, and I didn’t blame her. Fuck, I was an asshole.
“I’m talking about after. You had sex with him again.” Without me, I’d almost accused.
“That was way before he was with Kaylie. And if she’s okay with everything, what the hell do you care?”
“I don’t care about Kaylie. Truthfully, Lacey, I was jealous! That you chose him instead of me.”
My words hung in the air between us.
She looked stunned. “What are you saying?
“I don’t know. Just forget it. I’m drunk.”
I pulled out the flask and added a splash of absinthe to our glasses. We quickly threw back the contents.
She wiped her mouth and then leaned forward. “I didn’t think you wanted to be chosen.”
We stared at each other. Fuck, my head was spinning.
Lacey peered at her empty glass. “This stuff is like truth serum.”
I slid closer to her. “You’re very beautiful. And intelligent.”
