Chapter 6

Brooke

Today was the day.

It seemed stupid that I was as excited for tonight as I was. But I couldn’t help it—Karly was right. I didn’t have one crush—I had two. That whole work day, as both Mark and Jake bantered, teased and complimented me, I tried to decide. I really did.

At lunch, Jake and I had a stirring discourse about art. Then I made my decision. Later that day, Mark grasped my hand while getting an instrument. I made my decision again.

Now, I was in the bathroom getting ready. My little black dress was on and tight to perfection. My makeup was all done too—smoky eyes and creamy little pink lips. All there was left to do was make my decision—who was my choice? My reflection in the mirror didn’t seem to have it figured out any better than I did. So, sighing with frustration, I heaved my stuff into my oversize purse and strode out of the room.

Mark and Jake were waiting in the hallway, having swapped their surgeon’s garb for nice cashmere sweaters. Their casual chitchat stopped dead at the sight of me.

“Wow,” Jake said, “You look—”

“Hot as fuck,” Mark said, grinning.

“Mark,” Jake said.

“What? We’re off work, I can swear if I fucking want to.”

Jake paused, sighed, then said, “Fucking right you are.”

We all laughed at that one.

Outside, the boys each took one arm and we set off down the street. We got some looks as we passed, but I didn’t care. One sexy doctor on each arm felt damn nice.

Even though it was early, Gebraldine was already packed. Under the neon green lights, Mark leaned across the mirrored countertop and talked to a gorgeous blonde.

“Pretty, eh?” Jake said.

“Yeah,” I said, watching them chat easily as she slid three drinks his way, “Seeing a girl like that. It makes you wonder—”

“Why Mark wouldn’t be satisfied?” Jake asked.

I nodded. He shrugged.

“Who knows? Mark has never been one for settling down, or really connecting with a lot of people. Although I can’t say I’m much better.”

Now his face had a certain hollowness to it, as if all the air had been taken out and it was on the verge of collapse.

“What do you mean?”

Already, Mark was eagerly gesturing us over. Jake just shook his curly head.

“Forget it.”

“One for you, one for you, and one for me,” Mark said, as he handed out the fuchsia liquid.

I eyed it warily.

“Do I want to know what’s in this?”

Mark cracked a grin.

“Nope. Let’s just say that it’s three parts alcohol, one part juice and still delicious.”

With that, he downed the drink in one gulp. Jake and I exchanged a look, shrugged, clinked our glasses and did the same. The minute I finished, I could feel the alcohol buzzing in my brain.

“Yep, that was strong,” I admitted.

Already, Mark had his back to us and was ordering several more.

“You better brace yourself then,” he said over his shoulder, “because we’re just getting started.”

For some reason, instead of being worried, his statement brought a hot flush of excitement right through me.

Two drinks later, we were striding onto the dance floor which replicated the sparkling colors of a disco ball. The music was a loud thrum of hip-shaking beat. It only made sense to join in. Back and forth I swayed, moving my arms along. I let the rhythm take over and move my body however it would. As I moved, I could feel their eyes on me, trained on every bump and thump of my gyrating body.

“You guys aren’t dancing,” I teased.

Frowning, Jake tried his hand at some fist-pumping, while Mark started moving his legs in something resembling dancing. It didn’t matter; the music had taken completely over by now. It pulled me further onto the dance floor, to the middle. The alcohol and the beat had fused to make my body an actual canvas of the music; every hip-shake, foot-step and head-bop becoming another stroke on the page.

By now, there were more people. A group of girls who were pretending not to ogle Mark and Jake, and a tall man who only had eyes for me. He was sexy, and looked Spanish. He brushed a strand of shoulder-length chestnut hair out of his face as he approached.

“Beautiful,” was all he said as he stopped in front of me, with a smile.

I returned his smile, and did a bopping sort of 360.

“That all you got?” I challenged him.

His dark bushy brows raised in competition. He did his own 360, a kind of two-step, hand undulating turn.

Once he was facing me again, he took my hand.

“Brooke?”

It was Jake, looking none-too-pleased.

“Yeah?” I asked.

“Do you want another drink? Mark’s buying again.”

I nodded, but instead of going to Mark to tell him, he lingered right beside me.

“What is it?” I asked.

He and the Spanish guy were eyeing each other, like bulls sizing each other up.

“So do you want a drink or not?” Mark said, now on my other side.

“I told Jake yes,” I said, a little annoyed.

“Good. You can come with us then,” he said, linking his arm through mine.

Jake did the same on my other side. As we made our way to the bar, the necks of dance floor girls craned imperceptibly to follow our path.

“Does it matter if I’d rather wait on the dance floor?” I asked.

“No,” they chorused.

I sighed.

“Don’t make that face at me,” Mark said, once we’d stopped, “We were saving you.”

“From what?” I challenged him, “Being fucked by someone other than you?”

For a beat, both of their mouths dropped open, then I burst out laughing.

“Oh God, you should’ve seen your faces!”

As they stood there, still gaping at me, I nudged Mark.

“Come on, I thought you said you could take it.”

His jaw was working furiously, as if there was a reply he wanted to say, but wasn’t sure if he should.

“I’ll be right back,” I told them before bee-lining my way to the bathroom.

Inside was just as marble and impressive as the rest of the restaurant. The counters were marble, while the walls were entirely mirrors. After I went to the bathroom, and washed my hands, I gazed at my reflection. There was a bit of lipstick on my teeth I wiped off, but really, I hadn’t completed the most important part. Which one would I choose: Mark or Jake?

Already this night was veering from fun to dangerous. If it ended how I secretly wanted it to, I could wind up in the bed of hot doc—and out of a job.

And yet, when I was around the two sexy charmers, I couldn’t help it. It always felt like we were on the same plane of understanding, a level most people did not occupy. I felt as though I could be entirely myself, more than myself. Mostly, it just felt right.

My reflection grinned back at me and I raised my brows. Yes, what I was doing now may have been dangerous, but it was also exciting. Just because I was attracted to both Jake and Mark didn’t mean that I had to act on it, nor did it mean I couldn’t have a bit of fun with it. There was no harm in teasing.

One step out of the bathroom and my hand was seized.

“We never finished our dance.”

It was the Spanish guy who, judging from his accent, was definitely Spanish.

“Sorry, she has to finish her drink,” Jake said, seizing my other hand.

I stood there for a few seconds, looking from one determined, fiery-eyed man to the other.

“Don’t I get to choose for myself?” I joked.

A glance over to Jake’s face found it falling. Through the pleasant blur of drunkenness, guilt panged at me, and I caved.

Gently, I extricated my hand from the grasp of the Spaniard.

“Sorry,” I told him, “I’d love to, but tonight’s a special night for us.”

When I gestured to Mark, who was waiting a few feet away, the man’s eyes bugged out. Only as he strode off did I realize the mistaken impression he must have gotten from my statement.

As Jake escorted me over to Mark, I giggled.

“His face—he thought that you, me and Mark were—all of us—together.”

Jake and Mark laughed at that too, although there was something hard and forced about it.

“Let’s make tonight as special as you claimed it was,” Mark said.

Now it was my turn to gape at him, wondering if he meant what I thought he meant. But I didn’t have time to find out, because the next thing I knew, a drink was being lifted to my lips, and I was being pulled back onto the dance floor.

This time Jake and Mark didn’t let me out of their grasp. One of their hands clasping one of mine, we grooved our bodies together. Close enough to be close but not touching. Until Mark had me do a turn under his arm. Once the turn was done, I paused, face to face with Mark. His gaze flicked to my lips. My hand was taken again, I was twirled under a different arm. It was Jake, and there was a frantic look on his face.

But this was too fun, too funny. I was laughing and I was dancing, and they were too. We were moving between people the whole time; the dance floor was one crowded pulsing throb now. Red, blue and yellow circles of light, converged and separated, peppering Mark and Jake’s handsome faces. Women were watching and men were staring. They were so sexy, Mark and Jake; I had to choose and yet, there was simply no choosing.

One minute we were dancing and the next I was being led outside into the cool air. The stars were out, strangely clear and twinkling, but we weren’t here for them. Jake was ordering a taxi, which we all clambered into.

The cab arrived quickly, but the ride was long. I was wedged between the two of them, each of us pretending that the touching of our legs was casual. The beat from the dance floor seemed to have followed us into the taxi, with more of a head-bopping, limb-slapping sort of groove. So, I did it, I slapped my bare thighs, then Mark and Jake’s legs along to the beat. We all laughed, and thankfully, finally arrived.

My apartment was all dark and closed-up for the night. No matter, I had my keys. Jake got out so I could exit the taxi, although that didn’t stop our arms from brushing as I passed.

I walked slowly to my door. Truth be told, I didn’t want the night to end, and I don’t think they did either. They made the taxi linger there, and watched as I dropped my keys. Just as slowly, I leaned over to pick up the cat key chain, just to spice things up. Slow enough that they could see the slightest lacy hint of what was underneath my dress. No harm in some innocent teasing.

Then I was in the building and on the elevator, still dancing, laughing with happiness, and excitement. For what had happened today, and what would happen tomorrow.