Chapter 25: Patrick
Natalie and I sipped on our drinks as we watched the dance floor fill.
“Fuck,” she swore.
“You rarely curse. Am I that bad?”
“No. I just noticed my ex is here.” She held her drink in front of her face, as if the small glass would hide her.
My body heated with a combination of rage and jealousy. I might not be able to keep my identity a secret if I met him. I’d want to deck the guy for telling her she wasn’t adventurous enough. But I should also thank him, because Natalie was the best thing to happen to me.
“Which one is he?”
“The guy to your left, with the light brown hair. 5’11”ish. He’s talking to two older guys.”
It wasn’t like he was an ugly guy. He was actually very good looking, which made me angrier.
“He just looked at you, Natalie. He knows you’re here. Give me a quick synopsis.”
“Why?”
“Trust me.”
“Um, okay. His name is Nathan Flanagan. We dated for almost two years but broke up about five months ago. He’s a partner at Wilson & Flanagan law firm.” She finished her drink and set it on the bar.
Not only was he handsome, but he was rich too. I knew my jealousy was irrational. Based on Natalie’s conversations with Major, it was obvious she was over him.
“He’s walking towards us.” Natalie’s hands began to fidget.
“It’ll be fine.” I brushed a tendril of hair behind her ear. Hopefully her idiot ex-boyfriend thought it was a romantic gesture rather than a friendly one.
“It’s nice to see you, Natalie. How have you been?” Nathan asked.
Natalie had managed to compose herself. “I’m doing well, thank you. Yourself?”
They addressed each other so formally. I wondered if it was because of their break up, or the way they always spoke. Maybe a bit of both.
Natalie was oblivious how Nathan was staring at her. Desire burned in his eyes, and I had to restrain myself from punching him. He had broken her heart, and now he was staring at her like she was the only thing he wanted.
“Who’s your friend?” he asked.
I didn’t give Natalie a chance to introduce me. “Date, actually. Patrick Reinhardt.”
The corner of his mouth turned down at the word date. If he was so displeased about it, he shouldn’t have dumped her.
“Patrick. Nice to meet you. Natalie and I have known each other for a while.”
I clapped my hand on his shoulder, feigning friendliness. “I know who you are, Nathan. I should thank you, if anything. Natalie is the best thing to have come into my life.” I touched the side of her face for emphasis, and she turned bright red.
“Oh really?” Nathan didn’t bother hiding his dislike for me. He turned the conversation to Natalie. “I saw you bidding. You never did that when we came to galas before.”
I tried to not look surprised. Natalie had been gone awhile, but I assumed she had gotten caught up in a conversation. I would have never guessed she was bidding on art. Her salary wasn’t enough to pay for a single piece.
“There was nothing I liked,” she said simply.
I interrupted Nathan before he could further dig his claws in. “If you’ll excuse us, we’re going to dance. Nice to meet you, man.” I grabbed Natalie by the waist and led her to the dance floor.
“Thank you.” Her voice was a whisper as she leaned her head into my chest.
“Any time.” I wrapped my arms around her and we began to sway with the music. A live band covered “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis.
“That was so embarrassing.”
“I can’t believe you dated him. He’s still looking at you from the sidelines.”
“Ugh.” She snuggled her head into my chest. I pulled her closer, wanting to look as romantic as possible. That asshole better think we’re dating so he’ll leave her alone. We were sort of together. A glory hole relationship wasn’t exactly official.
One thing still ate at me. “If you don’t mind me asking, why were you bidding on paintings? Those things are hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
I regretted asking as she stiffened in my arms. “I had a family member die, and they left me a large sum of money. I’ve never really used it, but then I saw that painting and I wanted it. It was weird, I’m never that impulsive.”
Natalie must have been talking about her aunt. She told me—well, Major—she was a well-respected historian, but I didn’t know she was that good. I wanted to ask more questions, but I might blow my cover.
“Hey, you got to live a little, right?”
“Or drink less,” she muttered.
“But we always have so much fun when we drink together.”
“I’m glad one of us is having fun.”
It took me a moment to realize she was being facetious.
“Why you! I think I’m rubbing off on you.”
I tilted Natalie’s chin up to pretend glare at her, and she scowled in response. Even with the frown on her face, she looked so damn beautiful. She wore an eyeshadow that emphasized how wide her eyes were.
I had to restrain myself from closing the gap between us and kissing her. We still had to catch up on the kisses we had lost while wearing the masks. I brought my hand to her jaw and ran my thumb over her bottom lip, enjoying the silkiness against my calloused skin.
“What are you doing?” Her eyes widened in fear at my touch.
“Calm down. Your ex-lover is still watching, and I want to give him a show.”
“Don’t kiss me, Patrick.”
I wanted to laugh and tell her we’d gone far beyond kissing. “No thank you. But I do enjoy making the two of you squirm.”
If I told her I was Major, I wouldn’t have to worry. I could kiss her on this dance floor as long as I liked. Well, as long as security would let me.
Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be her reaction. If she found out I was Major, she’d be heartbroken. Natalie would be so disappointed that I was behind the mask. She’d also be pissed that I was hiding it from her. Both our glory hole relationship and friendship would end. It had to stay the way it was—Natalie being kept in the dark.
The two of us said nothing as we swayed to the beat of the music. We silently communicated by hitting each beat of the music.
I pulled away after a few songs. “C’mon. Let’s give ourselves alcohol poisoning then track down Scotty and Jacques. God knows where they have been all night.”
“I suppose we should take advantage of the open bar.”
Natalie and I spent some time at the bar before looking for Scotty and Jacques. We each took a drink to go and sipped them as we walked down the hall.
“Are we trashy for getting drunk at a charity event?” Natalie’s words were a bit slurred. “I’ve never done that before.”
“You paid $500,000 for a painting. I say you can do whatever the hell you want.” I grabbed her free hand with mine and swung it back and forth.
Surprisingly, Natalie didn’t yank her hand away. She kept her fingers interlaced with mine as we continued down the hallway. “Yeah. It’s not like it was a ton of money, either.”
She must have been extremely drunk to let that slip. I wondered just how much her aunt left her if $500,000 wasn’t a lot.
“There they are!” Natalie pointed at Scotty and Jacques, who were being very friendly with one another.
“Ay, lovebirds!” I called out to them.
“Could say the same to you.” Scotty’s eyes drifted towards our hands, which were still intertwined. “How was your night?”
“I paid $500,000 for a painting.” Natalie was thoroughly drunk.
Scotty and Jacques thought she was joking at first. When her expression didn’t change, they realized she was serious.
“Ooh, what piece was it?” Jacques said in his heavy accent.
Natalie and Jacques talked about the painting while Scotty and I regrouped. “Well, it seems like you two had fun. What were you doing before this?” Scotty raised his eyebrows in an attempt to drag more information out of me.
“Dancing.”
“Just dancing?” He made sure we were out of earshot of Natalie. “You fuck every cute girl that moves, but not Natalie. Why, Pat? Why!”
“I told you, it’s not like that between us.”
“For now.” The look on Scotty’s face told me he was going to do something devious.
I narrowed my eyes and was about to press him for more information but was interrupted by Jacques. “It’s about time to head out. My place is just around the block.”
The four of us stumbled down Jackson Street towards Jacques’ apartment. Natalie didn’t do well in heels when she was drunk. She almost fell at least four times, and I would end up catching her. She leaned against me in the elevator of Jacques’ apartment building.
“Maybe we shouldn’t have drank that much,” she murmured into my chest.
“Maybe, maybe not.” I absentmindedly pulled her closer. I was so drunk that I was acting more like Major than Patrick. Scotty smirked at me from his corner of the elevator, which I ignored.
I was awestruck when we reached Jacques’ apartment. My apartment was large for the Bay Area, but his was absolutely massive. Large pieces of art hung in his living room, and it resembled a showroom more than a space to relax.
“Where am I sleeping?” Natalie rubbed her eyelids, which were heavy from a combination of being tired and drunk.
“You two are sleeping in the guest bedroom,” Scotty said.
So, this was what he was up to. Scotty thought if he forced the two of us in a bed together that something would happen. Natalie interrupted before I could scold him. “I don’t have anything to wear.”
“Oh, I guess we forgot about that.” Scotty batted his eyes innocently. “Goodnight, you two!” Jacques also bid us a goodnight as they walked down the hall with their arms linked.
“I’ll sleep on the sofa.” I cringed looking at it. It was a Victorian style that was strictly for show. Its thin padding wouldn’t give me any comfort for sleeping.
“Sleep in the bed. Those sofas look like rocks.” She was drunk, but she still managed an Ice Queen glare. “Just stay on your side.”
“Obviously.” I unbuttoned my dress shirt and threw it at her. “I don’t want to see you naked.” That was the biggest lie I’d ever told. I always wanted to see Natalie naked, writhing under me.
“I don’t want you to see me naked.” Her words slurred together. I was worried she might fall over when she left to change, so I listened closely for thumping noises.
I had trouble containing myself when she emerged. My shirt fell slightly below her ass, and when she stretched I could see the creases of it. She hadn’t been wearing a bra with her dress, and her nipples poked through the light fabric.
She had been naked in front of me many times before, but somehow this was more erotic. Something about seeing her in my clothes had me as hard as granite. It took all of my self-control to not scream “I’m Major!” and fuck her brains out.
I might have been able to keep a handle on my self-control, but my body couldn’t disguise itself. My erection strained against my boxer briefs, begging to be let out. Fortunately, Natalie was face down on the bed and saw none of this.
“Goodnight.”
“Night.” The words were muffled into her pillow.
I slept dreamlessly for a few hours, until the amount I drank caught up with me. I woke up in the middle of the night with my bladder about to burst. Natalie had encroached on my side of the bed and was sleeping soundly on top of my chest.
“Shit.”
I wanted nothing more than to sit there and enjoy her sleeping body on mine, but I needed to relieve my bladder immediately. As gently as possible, I moved her off of me and ran to the bathroom. Natalie stirred as I slid back under the warmth of the covers.
“Major?” In her half-asleep state, she had confused me for him.
“Go back to bed, Nat.”
“Okay.” She leaned forward and kissed me, and I ran my hand through her hair.
My heart pounded as she snuggled into my chest. I should have stopped her instead of reciprocating. What would happen if she remembered that kiss in the morning? I started to form a believable lie but was quickly distracted by Natalie’s light breathing on my chest.
She looked so damn cute in my dress shirt. Actually, she always looked so damn cute. I ran my hands up and down her spine, the same way I did when I was Major. If only we could stay like this forever.