“Come on,” Savannah implores. “We’re all in committed relationships… we’ve forgotten what it’s like to be in the game.”
“Speak for yourself,” Casey scoffs.
“Except for Casey,” Savannah acknowledges. “She swears she’s never falling in love. But come on… tell us something.”
“Yeah… just one tiny hint,” Gabby begs with hopeful eyes.
I look around at their expectant faces… silly, buzzed grins shining at me. I’ve known them for going on about three hours, and yet… they all seem trustworthy… nonjudgmental.
Sneaking a glance back at Wyatt, I see he’s not watching me and seems immersed in something that Gavin’s saying. But still… I can’t be shouting this stuff over the music.
I lean in to the girls conspiratorially. They lean in toward me eagerly. “Let’s all go to the bathroom. This requires a quieter atmosphere.”
They all grin and nod, then we are pushing our way through the crowd to head back into the bar.
When we get to the ladies’ restroom, there is only one woman in there washing her hands. Everyone waits patiently for her to finish and once she’s gone, Gabby locks the door behind her.
Turning toward me, she says, “Okay… dish.”
“Well, you already know I met him on our undercover operation,” I say with a silly grin. “What you don’t know is that I was posing as a stripper in the club where Wyatt was working as the General Manager.”
Four sets of jaws drop open… four sets of eyes blink at me in astonishment.
For a brief moment, I think maybe I made a mistake in revealing that. Maybe this wasn’t something I should have shared. Maybe they are all four looking down at me right now, silently digesting that Wyatt’s new flame knows how to work a stripper pole.
My mind whirls, trying to figure a way to sugarcoat this, when Alyssa slaps her hand on her thigh and says, “That is so freaking cool.”
Casey gives a dreamy sigh. “I’d love to know how to strip… you know, do it right for a man. Get him all hot and bothered.”
“Best story ever,” Savannah exclaims.
I look over at Gabby, and she has a knowing smile on her face.
She knew already!
Which means Wyatt must have told Hunter, and as I’ve figured out… he shares everything with Gabby. But apparently, that little gem didn’t go any further as the other girls were clearly not privy to this.
Placing her hands on my shoulders, Gabby says, “Whether you stripped or not… I don’t think Wyatt ever stood a chance with you.”
Tilting my head to the side, I give a slight nod of appreciation over her words before Casey is pulling me away from Gabby. “Okay… I want more details. Like specifics… did you just strip on stage, or was there a pole? Because there’s this place over on the mainland that offers stripping lessons, but maybe you could teach me instead.”
Before I can respond, someone starts banging on the door.
“Come on,” Savannah says as she heads toward the door to unlock it. “People need to get in here. We’ll get details later.”
Casey gives a long-suffering look but heads out with Alyssa and Gabby trailing.
I, on the other hand, actually have to pee so I call out, “I’ll catch up with you.”
I hurriedly take an open stall as women pour into the restroom once Savannah opens the door. I do my business, wash my hands, and take stock of myself in the mirror. My face is flushed but even though I’m a bit buzzed, my eyes are still clear. I want to make sure I don’t get too drunk tonight, because I really, really can’t wait to get back to Wyatt’s place.
Moving away from the sink, I finish drying my hands and head out of the bathroom. As soon as I open the door, I see him standing there.
Six plus feet of male glory.
Wyatt leans back against the wall of the short hallway that houses the bathrooms. His arms are folded across his chest, and it’s clear he was waiting for me.
I walk right up to him. His arms unfold, his legs part, and I press in close. He pulls me tight and nuzzles my neck. “Everything okay?”
I nod against him, my fingers digging into the muscles at his back. Pulling back slightly, I look up at him. “Your friends are a blast. And so nice.”
He smiles down at me. “They’re pretty cool, I guess. So I take it you’re having fun?”
Winding my arms up around his neck, I lean in and kiss him briefly. It feels so natural… these little signs of affection… attraction. There’s no hesitation in giving on my part, and Wyatt likes to receive judging by the look on his face. “I’m having a great time.”
“Good,” he says, gently pushing me back. Grabbing my hand, he pulls me back toward the bar. “Let’s have one more drink and then we’ll head out. I’m dying to get you alone.”
Hmmmm… I sigh internally. Me too.
Chapter 19
Wyatt
The girls are all back on the makeshift dance floor again, making the most out of their limited time left with Andrea, as I advised the group we were leaving soon. I bought Andrea another beer, although it’s sitting here beside me on the deck railing as she was pulled out by the girls to dance in front of the band as soon as we got back.
I sip at my bottled water, which I had started drinking about an hour ago, and just watch Andrea. She said she’s have a great time, but I didn’t need those words. I can see it… she’s bonding fast with my group of peeps, which is a little surprising. Andrea had told me last night that she really didn’t have any friends, which I found to be sad. She didn’t think so, though. She was pretty matter of fact… she didn’t have much of a life outside of her job and the rest of the time was spent with her ex-fiancé.