Chapter Thirty-Two
Ava
Holy crap.
I dearly hope Sebastian trusts me, because Pippa’s friend brings us to a strip club. I keep hoping it might be a regular pub with a very shady name, but when we step inside, there are scantily dressed men everywhere. To my left, to my right. Dressed in overalls, thongs, or in nothing at all. Wait, no, that guy I took for naked actually does have a thong. But it’s nude. And another guy wears a thong with a penis painted on it!
“Why would he wear a thong with a penis on it?” I ask Pippa, bewildered.
“Look at that one,” Caroline points out. “His thong is transparent.”
“Dear God, I need some alcohol,” Alice announces. “There’s too much testosterone around.”
We attract stares, because we’re all wearing long, elegant dresses, but I have to admit, it’s kind of fun. We make our way to the bar and find some empty seats.
“Bartender, bring on the tequila,” Caroline says. “We’d like a shot each.”
He places glasses in front of us almost immediately. Arming ourselves with lime slices and salt, we clink our glasses, and down the tequila. I grimace, feeling it burn my throat.
The bartender looks at us carefully. “Are you girls on a bachelorette party? I can ask the boys to give you a special round of. . .dancing.”
“Well, no one’s getting married,” Caroline says.
“That we know of.” Pippa gives me a doubtful look. Oh, Pippa. I wish this were my bachelorette party. Nadine’s been dreaming about organizing it ever since I told her about Sebastian turning Simone down. She’s convinced he’s the perfect man. So am I.
“You can totally ask your guys to give us something special,” Caroline concludes.
“Actually, I don’t feel comfortable with that idea,” Pippa says. Next to her, Alice nods. “Let’s watch from afar.”
“This is no fun.” Caroline pouts. “I have another idea. Let’s play truth or dare.”
“Are we in high school?” Alice asks. I study Pippa for a beat. Behind her apparent exuberance, there’s sadness in her eyes.
“Don’t be a prude,” Caroline says.
“Fine,” Alice says. “Who’s the best lay you’ve ever had?” she asks Caroline.
Caroline rolls her eyes. “Let’s have another round of tequila before we start.”
“Aha,” I remark. “Who’s a prude now?”
We down another round, and Caroline rests her palms under her chin, a dreamy expression on her face. “My best guy was in senior year at college. Sad, I know, but it’s true. That man gave me the most amazing orgasms.”
“Oh, my God,” Pippa says. “I just realized you’re talking about my brother.”
“Which brother?” I ask at the same time Alice says, “You’re still hung up on him?”
“She means Daniel,” Pippa informs me.
“Oh.” I smile, wishing I could dig a hole in the ground and disappear in it. It’s ridiculous how relieved I feel.
“I’m not hung up on him.” Caroline says not so loudly that several people turn to look at us, snickering. Okay, no more tequila for her. “But he did give me fond memories. If only he hadn’t broken my heart. The bastard.”
Alice puts an arm gently around Caroline’s shoulders. “If it’s any consolation, he does ask about you from time to time.”
Caroline frowns, as if considering her words. “Nope, it’s no consolation.”
“Right.” Pippa claps her hands hard. “Forget about truth or dare. No more talking about past guys. This can’t turn into a sob night. We’re here to have some fun.”
“You two were the ones who shot down the offer of private lap dances.” Caroline glares at Pippa and Alice.
“Well, I don’t feel comfortable with a stranger grinding his ass against me,” Alice says.
“But we have no problem looking at them, do we?” Pippa wiggles her eyebrows. “I spotted a ten.”
“We’re giving grades?” I ask.
“If not here, where?” Pippa replies.
“Amen to that,” Caroline says.
“Okay, show me, which one is supposed to be a ten?” I ask.
Pippa points to the left of the stage. There’s a man there, all right. And his butt is. . . double. Right, if I see double ass, I should really ease up on the tequila. Narrowing my eyes, I concentrate until I only see one ass. “Nah, that’s a nine, max. Sebastian is a ten though.”
“Oh. My. God,” Pippa exclaims. Alice shakes her head, laughing. “I need friends who haven’t had sex with my brothers. This is weird. I don’t want to know about my brother’s ass.” As Caroline opens her mouth, Pippa lifts a finger at her. “Or my other brother’s skills in bed.”
“Let’s get back to giving grades,” Alice says. She places her forearms on the counter, leaning on them, narrowing her eyes at something across the room. She reminds me of a cat preparing to jump on unsuspecting prey. “I saw one I’d definitely let give me a lap dance.”
“Ohhh, you’re starting to have a fun side, Alice. Let’s get you some more tequila.” Caroline raises her arm, gesturing to the bartender to bring another round, but I shake my head at him.
“Let’s have a break,” I tell Caroline. “We already had two rounds.”
Caroline snickers. “Aww, you’re adorable. Why have we never met until now?”
“Because you missed my parents’ anniversary.” Pippa gives her the evil eye.
“You know I don’t like to be around if Daniel’s there.” Caroline sighs.
“You’re not an adopted Bennett?” I ask in surprise. “I thought you’d qualify, since you’re Pippa’s friend.”
“Nope. You lose the right when you bang one of the brothers,” Caroline says in a dead-serious tone.
“Oh,” I reply sadly. “I’ll have that tequila now.”
Two hours and countless shots later, I am slurring my words and miss Sebastian terribly. I excuse myself from the table and walk outside, in dear need of fresh air. Thank God for speed dial, because I couldn’t find Sebastian in my phone book if my life depended on it.
“Hello, handsome.”
“You’re drunk,” Sebastian says.
Well, he catches on fast. “No,” I reply vehemently, giggling. “Maybe. A little.”
“Where are you? I can take you home.”
I lean on the wall next to the entrance.
“You don’t want to know where we are.” I giggle again, imagining the frown he must have right now.
“Now I want to know more.”
“Well, remember my joke about the strip club last time?”
Sebastian lets out a sound between a growl and a snicker. “My sister brought you to a strip club?”
“No, her friend Caroline did.”
“Oh, that explains it. So how drunk is everyone?”
“I’d say we’re seeing double butts, and that’s butt overload because there are enough butts as it is.”
Sebastian laughs into the phone. “I only got the word butt. Let’s leave it at that, I don’t want more details.”
“Where are you?”
“Home. I left the after-party about half an hour ago.”
“Were there no naked butts around there?” My voice is playful, but despite the drunken state, my heart grows heavy.
“Should I come pick you up?”
“Yeah. The girls need a lift too.” I realize he hasn’t answered my question. I give him our address and go back inside to tell the girls they have to prepare to leave.
***
“This is fancy. We’re having a private driver,” Caroline giggles while Sebastian helps the four of us in the car. Or tries to, because we’re not making this easy on him. He holds his sisters by the waists, and they are each kissing one of his cheeks, muttering something about best brother in the world.
“More like babysitter,” Sebastian says.
“I want shotgun,” I announce, elbowing him.
He indulges me and helps the three girls climb in the back.
“This was fun,” Caroline says as Sebastian hits the gas pedal. “Ava, we should go out again.”
Pippa answers before I even get to open my mouth. “She can’t. She’s going on a short holiday with my dear brother, and then returns to New York, or wherever her job sends her next. ”
“Oh, but aren’t you doing her, Sebastian?” In the rearview mirror, I see her frowning, looking from Sebastian to me.
“Really smooth, Caroline,” Alice remarks.
“I’m drunk. I can get away with this.” She shoos Alice away good-naturedly. “Don’t break her heart, like your brother did with mine.”
“Thanks for the advice.” Sebastian’s tone is clipped, but he places his hand over mine, and I melt in my seat.
We drop the girls one by one: Caroline, Pippa, and Alice.