Jack: Having fun?

Me: I was.

Jack: What happened?

Me: We’re at a club…in Martinsville. And I don’t drink. Except for those tequila shots

Jack: Club? Hah. You did shots??

Me: I did one. I want to go home.

Me: Now two. Shit. I want to go home more now. :-(

“Nora!” Veronica grabs my arm. “Come dance with me!” She’s been drunk since the sex toy party and has been going strong ever since. I jam my phone into my wristlet and get off the barstool I’ve ‘guarded’ for the last few minutes. It’s funny when I think back to my teen years when Becca and I would fantasize about getting into the hottest L.A. clubs. Once we were finally old enough, we took a long weekend trip to her parents’ just to hit the clubs.

Becca enjoyed it, but the fun sizzled out fast for me. If I drank, I’d probably enjoy it more, but feeling like I’m not in control freaks me out too much. It’s weird, I know, to have a fear of doing something stupid if I get too drunk, like all my judgment will go out the window.

Like get behind the wheel and run into a family of three, leaving a young child orphaned.

Tonight, I have no car. I could still do something irrevocably stupid, but I’m trying to relax. And if I’m going to survive a few more hours with Alice, I need alcohol. I follow Veronica onto the dance floor, dancing for as long as my legs can handle it in heels. It’s hot and crowded in here, and the two shots of tequila hit me harder than I thought. I tell Veronica ‘yes’ when she asks if I want a drink, thinking she’d bring back water.

Instead, she hands me a cranberry and vodka. I’m so thirsty I take a few gulps. It tastes pretty watered down, so I assume there’s not much alcohol in it anyway. I was wrong, and now I’m drunk. I wobble as I walk away from the dance floor, finding Amber, one of Alice’s sisters, getting cozy with some guy she picked up at the bar. They’re sitting on the same bench in a booth, and I sit opposite them, resting my head on the plastic backing.

“Is she your friend?” the guy asks Amber.

Amber starts to nod, then shakes her head. “She’s my sister’s friend. The bride.”

“You should be her friend.”

Amber giggles. “Why?”

“You both are fucking hot.”

She touches his arm and laughs again. I tip my head, not wanting to get involved in whatever this is, but curious to get a better look at this guy. Dammit. I accidentally made eye contact.

“What’s your name, beautiful?”

Beautiful? Is that supposed to charm me? I narrow my eyes. “Charlie.”

“Nice to meet you, Charlie. Damn girl. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor.”

I make a face of disgust. He’s sitting there with his arm around Amber and he’s hitting on me?

“Are you from around here, sexy?”

“I told you my name was Charlie, not sexy. Not beautiful. And not baby, because you’re probably headed there next.”

“Whoa, whoa. You’d think you’d like a compliment. Most girls say ‘thank you’ when I tell them they’re sexy.”

I roll my eyes. “Sorry I’m not flattered by being degraded by your generic use of pet names.”

Amber sighs. “We’re from the next town over. What about you, sexy?”

I feel my phone vibrating, and it takes me a few tries to get the wristlet off my arm.

Jack Still want to go home?

Me: OMG yes. They want to close this place down so I have at least three and a half more hours.

Jack: No, you don’t

Me: ??

Jack: Come outside

Me: Now?

Jack: yes

I zip my clutch up and weave my way through the crowd. A handful of people are standing around the doors smoking, ignoring the signs saying to stay back from the entrance to smoke.

Jack is outside, leaning against the Jeep. A big smile springs to my face when I see him, and I hurry over.

“What are you doing?”

He hugs me. “You said you wanted to go home.”

“But you came all this way.”

He shrugs. “I’d go anywhere for you. And Martinsville isn’t that far.”

Charlie sticks his head out of the open window of the Jeep, whimpering with excitement. Still wrapped in Jack’s arms, I pet him.

“Jimmy’s is on the way home.” Jack’s hands go to my ass. “Want to pick something up?”

“So much yes. I’ll tell Veronica I’m leaving with you. I’ll be right back.”

“All right.”

I break away from Jack and hurry back into the bar. I use the bathroom and then look through the crowd. My eyes don’t want to seem to adjust in the dark and have to go back to the dance floor before I find her and Nancy dancing.

“I’m going home,” I say loudly over the music.

“How?” Veronica asks.

“Jack is here.”

“You and Jack are back together?” Nancy leans in, putting her hand on my shoulder.

“Yeah.”

“Ohhh, you want to go fuck him. I saw you buy stuff at the sex toy party!”

Veronica holds up a hand. “Gross. Is Jack really here? Like you’re sure it’s him?”

I laugh. “Who else would it be?”

“An imposter.”

Nancy shakes her head and takes the drink for Veronica’s hands. “You’ve had enough, doll face. Have fun, Nora. And by fun, I mean fuck his brains out.”

“I plan to.”

Veronica hugs me goodbye, and I have to push through the crowd to get back to the doors. The guy who was sitting with Amber is on his way out, holding a pack of cigarettes.

“Hey, sexy.” He wiggles his eyebrows, thinking he’s hilarious.

“Still not interested.”

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing. Leave me alone.” I push open the door. He follows.

“Look, I’m just teasing. You’re a hot chick and I’m a good-looking guy. Let’s get a drink and laugh about this.”

“No.” I step off the sidewalk and into the parking lot.

“Come on now, sexy.” He keeps following me.

“No.”

“Talk to me. That’s all I’m asking.”

“No,” I say louder.

Jack rushes over. “What part of no don’t you understand? She’s not interested.”

“And you think you have a chance?”

“He’s my boyfriend, loser,” I retort.

Asshole’s initial reaction is shock, but then he decides to turn the alpha on. “You let your girl out of the house like that? It’s like she’s begging for someone other than you to fuck her tight ass.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“What are you gonna do about it?”

“I’ll split your head fucking open right here on this sidewalk.” Jack’s eyes are wide, filled with the same distance and rage I saw in them the night of the break-in. I wrap my fingers around Jack’s arm.

“Jack,” I say, wobbling on my heels. “Let’s go. Please.”

He stares at Asshole for another few seconds. His muscles are tense, hands balled into fists, and nostrils flared. He wants to fight him. He wants him to say something else so he has a reason to pummel him. I go around the Jeep and get in the passenger seat.

“Jack.”

He shakes himself, breaking free from whatever dark hold was on him. He starts the engine and speeds out of the parking lot. My stomach flip-flops, and I’m not sure it’s from the alcohol or from the shock of nerves seeing the rage back in Jack’s eyes caused. Maybe Jack was right. Maybe there is darkness inside of him.

* * *

I’m alone in Jack’s bed when I wake the next morning. Bright sunlight streams through the open balcony doors. I stretch, not wanting to get up, but I feel like I’m dying of thirst. And I need to pee. Bad.

There’s a bottle of water on the nightstand next to the bed. I twist off the cap and take a drink, then hurry to the bathroom. I fell asleep without taking off my makeup or brushing the curls from my hair and I look frightening. I wash my face and brush my teeth, using the spare toothbrush I used the other night.

Wearing one of Jack’s T-shirts and my panties, I pad downstairs, finding fresh coffee in the pot and Jack on the patio, working on the chuppah. He’s not wearing a shirt and looks so fucking hot right now.

I pour myself a cup and go out back. Jack’s back is to me, and I admire the muscles flexing between his shoulders.

“Morning,” I say, and Jack turns.

“Morning. How are you feeling?”

“Better after some sleep. And now coffee.”

He sets his tools down and comes to me.

“Don’t mind me. I was enjoying watching you work.”

Jack smiles. “I’m done, finally. I need to put one more coat of sealer on and then Alice’s dad’s coming to pick it up.”

We go inside together, and Jack pours himself a cup of coffee. Charlie trots in, taking a bone into the living room.

“Do you want me to make you breakfast?” Jack asks.

“I’m not quite hungry yet. But I do need someone to help wash me in the shower.”

“It doesn’t sound fun at all, but I’ll take one for the team.”

I take a sip of coffee. “Thank you for your sacrifice, kind sir. And really, Jack, thank you for coming to get me last night.”

“You don’t have to thank me. You’re my girlfriend, and I love you. It’s second nature to protect you.”

I remember the rage in his eyes, the readiness in him to start a fight. The way it looked like Jack had checked out and someone else took over entirely. Was he protecting me then too? “I love you, too.”

“If you feel up to it later, want to go hiking? We can take an easy tail.”

“I’d love to, but you’ll be shocked to know I left my hiking gear at home.”

“Because you own so much of it.”

“Exactly. The only pair of boots I brought wouldn’t last a mile on the rough terrain.”

“I know.” He pulls something from a shopping bag. “That’s why I got you these. Stephanie told me the sizes.” He hands me a shoebox. “It’s not ideal to hike in brand-new shoes, but it’s better than the alternative.”

“Jack,” I start, unable to keep from smiling at his thoughtfulness. “Thank you.”

“You can thank me later.” He smirks.

I set the shoes and my coffee down, and go to Jack, running my hands up and down his bare chest. “I will thank you, and I have something to use to show just how thankful I am.”

“What is it?”

“A vibrating cock ring.”

He’s not quite sure how to respond. “Why—where did you—did you bring it from home?”

“No,” I laugh. “I won it last night. There was a sex toy party before the bar but after the stripper.”

“How did you win a vibrating cock ring?”

Now it’s my turn to smirk. “I was the best at deep-throating a cucumber.”

Jack’s eyebrows push together, and then he laughs. “God, I love you, Nora.”