Chapter 53
Calida
Macy and Mitch were waiting in the parking lot at Midtown Tavern when we arrived. She smiled and waved at us. Malcolm wasn’t overly thrilled about the karaoke night, and that made Macy even more excited about it. I had to admit, the idea of karaoke wasn’t my favorite either, not if I had to sing, but watching other people get drunk and sing badly would make for a fun night of entertainment.
“This place is packed. Think we’re gonna get a table?” I asked, pulling her into a hug.
“I think so.”
“Hey, Mitch.”
“Hey, Lee, how are you?” he asked, giving me a quick squeeze.
Malcolm gave his sister a warm embrace before giving Mitch a bro hug.
“Let’s go in and get a spot while we can.” Mitch took Macy’s hand and headed off toward the entrance.
Mal placed his hand on the small of my back as we followed behind. “I meant what I said in the truck. I’m not singing.”
I smiled up at him. “Aww, come on. I think you’d be great singing a little J. Lo or maybe some Lady Gaga.”
Mal’s face contorted into the funniest look of total appall. I nearly choked on laughter.
Macy gave an inquisitive glance back. “You okay?”
I nodded. “Mal was just telling me he can’t wait to perform ‘Hips Don’t Lie.’” I could barely get the words out before I erupted into more giggles.
“You’re not funny,” he said, frowning at me.
“I kinda am, though.”
Macy pressed her lips together to hide a smile. “Wow, Malcolm, we’ll have to get a table up front so I can record that.”
“Why don’t ya’ll pick on Mitch?”
“Don’t drag me into this. They’d plot to force us into a duet of ‘I Got You Babe’ or something.”
“Oh, that’s perfect.” I said.
“Man, don’t give them ideas.”
“Too late,” Macy stated.
Mal groaned, shaking his head, but I saw the smile tugging at his full lips. Music and multiple excited conversations filled the bar. It was busy, but luckily not too packed. We weaved through the crowd. Malcolm held my hand, leading me through. As we passed two women, I looked back when I heard one make some snarky comment about being with a white woman. My eyes made brief contact with one of them before the gap filled with people as we continued on. We managed to find a four-seater, high-top table near the back. I glanced back in the direction of the bar but couldn’t see the women.
“You okay?”
I turned my attention to Malcolm and nodded. “Yeah, just checking out the crowd.”
Macy and I got settled, and the guys headed to the bar after getting our drink orders. I watched Mal’s retreating back until he disappeared from sight. That nagging self-doubt part of me wondered if those women were still there. Wondered if they’d say something to him. I shook off the idea. I couldn’t let negative thoughts take over. For all I knew, they could’ve been talking about someone else, but then that look the one gave me made me believe the comment was about us.
“Done checking out his ass?”
I turned back to Macy, wide-eyed. “I wasn’t.”
“Uh-huh, sure. I saw you watching him mighty hard.”
“Well, if I was, I’m more than allowed to,” I replied, and stuck my tongue out at her.
She scrunched up her face, which made me laugh. “Anyway, you’re looking good. Is that new?”
Macy smiled and looked down at her outfit. The cute light pink, off-shoulder, peasant shirt matched well with the dark wash skinny jeans. “Yep. First night out in months, and I’m feeling a shit ton better, that was a cause for retail celebration.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “I even made it to the salon.”
I ran my hands through my own hair. “I need to do the same.”
She reached over, letting some of the strands run through her fingers. “I like that you’re growing it out.”
“You sound like your brother. And here I thought my cut was cute.”
“It was. Really. Not everyone can pull off a pixie cut, and you did it beautifully.” She sat back in her chair and frowned. “What did Mal say?”
“Nothing. He’d just asked me a while back if I was ever going to grow it out.”
Malcolm and Mitch returned to the table before she could say anything.
“Here you go, baby, one virgin daiquiri,” Mitch said, handing Macy her drink. “And your chili cheese fries should be out shortly.” She gave him a quick peck on the lips.
Malcolm slid onto the stool beside me, pushing a glass in my direction. “Got you this red wine the bartender suggested since you didn’t know what you wanted.”
“Thank you.”
He stretched his arm out along the back of my chair. His thumb moved in gentle strokes across the top of my back, and I leaned back into his touch. I slipped my hand under the table, placing it on his thigh. He looked over at me and smiled before taking a drink of his beer.
“Ugh. I can’t with you two,” Macy groaned.
Mitch laughed. “Baby, all he did was smile at her.”
“But I know what that smile means.”
“What? It’s a smile. Why are you adding meaning where there is none?” Mal asked.
She waved him off as she took a sip of her drink. “All I’m sayin’ is with the way Lee here can’t keep her eyes off your ass, and you looking at her like that.” She stopped and frowned over at me. “And where is your other hand?”
“It’s busy,” Mal answered for me. “I think motherhood is turning you into a prude.” He said before taking another drink of his beer.
“No, it’s just you,” Macy replied, scrunching up her nose at him.
“Lee, next time we should go out and leave them to bicker at home.”
“I agree.” I reached across the table to clink my glass against Mitch's beer bottle. “In fact, let’s leave them now. I wanna dance.”
Mitch looked momentarily surprised but he took another drink, and then kissed Macy on the cheek before climbing off the stool to join me. We didn’t go too deep onto the dancefloor and still had a clear view of the table. Mal moved over to my vacated seat, and the two of them watched us.
“Any other woman and Macy would kick my ass for this,” Mitch laughed.
I nodded in agreement. We settled into an easy rhythm, having fun and laughing each time we looked back to see the siblings no doubt talking crap about us.
“Hey, Mitch, have you ever done tattoo removal?”
“Not many, but I can. Why?”
“And scars?”
“Not usually, but every case is different.”
“No, I meant scar removal, if that’s an option.”
He stopped dancing. “Not impossible, but it can be tricky. Why all the questions?”
I looked over my shoulder at Macy, and he followed my line of sight.
“Okay, if it’s something you don’t want me to tell her, then you need to make an appointment. Doctor confidentiality and all that’ll help me feel as though I’m not hiding stuff from her. You know how she is, especially when it comes to you.”
I nodded then turned and linked my arm with his as we headed back to the table. “I wouldn’t put you in that position. She knows about the tattoo.”
“But not the scar.” I shook my head. “Okay, well come by to see me if you want, and we can discuss.”
I smiled at him. “Do I get the friends and family discount?”
He gave a hearty laugh and nodded his head. “Sure, sure. The rich folk always want the discounts.”
“Discounts on what?” Macy asked when we got back to the table.
Mitch reached for one of Macy’s fries and shot me a look. I settled back into my seat. Mal slipped his hand around my waist, resting it on my hip.
“What are you two cooking up?”
“Nothing.” I grabbed my glass and took a drink. “Just thinking about getting some work done.”
Macy choked on the fry she’d just put in her mouth. “What?”
“What? What? Why is that so shocking?”
“Because it is. You aren’t that kind of person.”
“What kind of person?”
“The kind so wrapped up in her looks that she’d go under the knife.”
“For once, Macy and I agree on something,” Mal chimed in.
Macy turned to her husband. “You told her no, right?”
He picked up his bottled, and guzzled the remaining contents. “I’m gonna get another.”
Macy grabbed his arm. “Oh no you don’t, mister.”
I laughed and shot a quick side glance at Mal. “Nothing major, geez. Just maybe one of those Brazilian butt lifts.”
“I like your ass as it is, and any work you get on it means time I can’t grab it.”
Reaching up, I cupped his cheek with one hand, and pulled him toward me. “You say the sweetest things,” I said before giving him a quick kiss.
Macy pretended to gag and Mitch took the opportunity to make an escape, “You want another?” he asked, pointing at me and Mal. We nodded.
Macy turned her attention to me after he’d walked off. “So, what’s the deal, Lee?”
I reached for Mal’s hand, shifting my gaze between the two of them. “I asked him about tattoo removal.” I smiled at Mal. “Happy? My ass won’t be out of commission.”
He laughed and nodded. “Very.” He gave my hand a light squeeze, then leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of my shoulder. “I love you,” he whispered.
Reaching up, I stroked the side of his face. “Love you more.”
“Doubt it.”
“Ugh. Where’s my man?”
Right on cue, Mitch appeared through the crowd with three drinks in his hand. Once he’d distributed them, Macy threw her arms around his neck in dramatic fashion.
“Save me, babe. These two are drowning me in a sea of mushiness.”
“Aww, is my poor wife feeling left out?”
She pouted with a nod. Mitch put his hands on either side of her face and gave her a long kiss. This time it was Mal who pretended to gag. She got up and sat in Mitch’s lap. He placed his hand on her belly and whispered something in her ear. The smile that broke out on her face gave me a clue as to the nature of their secret.
More people piled into the place, and we had to damn near yell to talk to each other over the volume of the music. A song I liked came on. Easing off my chair, I moved to stand in front of Mal to dance. His hands were on my waist, pulling me back between his legs. They moved over my hips, down to the hem of my dress, and then slowly made their way beneath it. Turning, I mouthed at him to stop before swatting his hand away. He’d been dying to know which panties I wore tonight.
“I have to pee,” Macy announced. She grabbed my arm, pulling me along with her. She groaned at the sight of the long line. “Why can’t we use the men’s? If you’ve seen one dick, you’ve seen them all, so what’s the big deal?”
I said nothing as I tugged her away from the men’s and took our place at the end of the line. We started dancing to the next song that came on. As we inched forward, a small wave of women walked out of the bathroom. Two of them were the ones who had made the comment about me being with Mal. The one I’d made eye contact with when we’d arrived stopped and looked me up and down with her lips stuck out in a twisted pout. I had no idea what her problem was, but I gave her the same stare down. She wasn’t bad looking—thick and curvy, wearing a pair of jeans that could have been painted on. If the bright red color of her shirt didn’t catch your eye, the deep V certainly would.
“What the hell you lookin’ at?” Macy asked.
Some of the other women in line turned to look. The woman’s friend pulled her away before she could respond.
“What the hell was that? You know her?”
I looked back and shook my head. “Maybe she likes my dress.”
Whatever her problem was, it wasn’t mine, and I wouldn’t dwell on it.
Macy linked her arm with mine as we headed back to the table. “So, I thought it’d be weird, but it’s not as bad as I thought.”
“What?”
“You and Mal. Seeing the two of you together, it’s good. You’re good. You’re happy. I can tell.”
I smiled and squeezed her arm. “I’m trying to…” My words died off when we made it through the crowd, and I saw that same woman standing near our table.
She wasn’t just standing there, she and Mal appeared to be having a conversation. The look on his face made it clear it wasn’t friendly. Mal looked at Mitch, who shook his head as he drank his beer. The woman’s friend had her attention on the stage, since the first karaoke performer had started.
“What the ever-lovin’ fuck? Is that the same skank from the bathroom?” Macy started to charge off, but I held her back. She looked at me as if I had grown a second head.
“Can you not go over there guns blazin’?”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because I’m a big girl.”
She smiled. “All right then, Sally Badass.”
I wished I felt as confident as I sounded. My heart rate increased, and my stomach filled with anxious flutters. Not just over the idea of dealing with that woman, but also the questions in regards to Malcolm. He was talking to her. Did he know her? Had they hooked up at some point? Why hadn’t he sent her away?
The woman’s friend hit her arm when she spotted us. Macy walked over to Mitch. He wrapped his arm around her waist when she stood between his legs. The woman turned and had a smirk on her face. I walked around the table, avoiding going past her. The house music started up again while they waited on the next karaoke participant.
Mal slid over as I approached so that I would take the seat between him and the woman. He gave me a look that was either relief or a plea for help.
I turned to look her directly in the eye when I spoke, and hoped that the nerves wouldn’t be revealed in my voice. “Not sure what your issue is, and I don’t really care. I’m out trying to have a good time with my man and my friends. I suggest you take your thirsty ass elsewhere, because you won’t be getting a drink here.”
Macy choked on her laugh. “You said ‘thirsty.’ I am rubbing off on you.”
Mitch tried but failed to contain his own laughter. “He told you to go on ‘bout your business.”
I felt better hearing that Malcolm had told the woman to leave. Why was she so persistent in trying to pursue a man that was clearly taken?
“Sasha, girl, let it go,” her friend said, trying to pull her away. “It’s his loss, anyway.”
The woman, Sasha, gave me the same glare she’d given me at the bathroom. “You right. He ain’t nothing but a punk, anyway.”
Mitch tightened his hold on Macy. He knew as well as I did, she was ready to rip Sasha a new one. Malcolm shook his head laughing, but didn’t say anything about her comment.
“Ready to dance?”
He nodded. Then he took my hand and led me away from the table, leaving the woman and her friend behind like an afterthought.
The song was some fast club remix, but Mal wrapped his arms around my waist and held me close as if we were having a slow dance. My hands rested against his chest. As a barrier or as preparation to escape? I didn’t want to think the worst, but old habits were hard to break, and the what-ifs on why that woman had been so pushy ran rampant through my head.
“How much trouble am I in?” Mal asked.
“Do you have a reason to think you’re in trouble?”
His arms tightened around me. “I told her I was with someone.”
“Have you slept with her?”
“For real? As hard as I worked to get to this point, you think I’d do that?”
“I meant before. Before me. Us.”
“No. She kept insisting she knew me, but I didn’t remember her at first. Remember when G came to town?”
I nodded.
“I played wingman for him, ‘cuz he was after her friend. The three of them did whatever at my old spot. I crashed at Macy’s.”
I recalled the night. Macy’d complained about him showing up the day we’d gone to the zoo.
According to Mitch, Mal had tried to send Sasha on her way, but for some reason, she wouldn’t let it go. I wanted to believe he’d not slept with her, but what woman in her right mind would boldly attempt to go after a man who was clearly out with someone else? That, coupled with the adrenaline spike still coursing through my veins, made me unable to let it go. Even though part of me was screaming to do just that.
“That was months ago. You must have made one hell of an impression on her.”
“What can I say? I’m a memorable guy.” The smile on his face faded when I didn’t. “Come on, are you really going to let some overly forward chick ruin our night? I didn’t even remember her name. She was forgotten the moment I dipped and went to Macy’s place.” He stopped and gave me another smile. “Actually, if you want to go defend my honor, you can. She was extremely pushy that night too, touching all up on me and shit.”
I tried not to laugh, but he looked like a hurt puppy when he said that.
“Oh, you think that’s funny?”
I shook my head and tried to look serious. “No, of course not.”
“Whateva. You don’t really care about me being treated like a piece of meat.”
I moved my arms up so they circled his neck. “I’m sorry.” I stretched up to give him a quick kiss. He was right; I shouldn’t let that woman get to me. Malcolm hadn’t given me any reason to not trust him, so I needed to stop the guilty-until-proven-innocent behavior. “And I do care that she made you feel like a piece of meat. That’s my job.”
His head fell back, and laughed so hard that some of the others around us looked our way. “Does that mean you’re gonna use and abuse me tonight?”
“If you’re lucky. And if you sing.”
“What? Come on now? How is that a condition?”
I said two words. “Lacey, boyshorts.”
“Where do I sign up?”