Mikey giggles, pulling her phone from a little clutch. She turns it towards me, and I scroll through the handful of pictures of her in various poses, teasing me with glimpses of her body without being entirely explicit. When I reach the end, I hand it back to her and press my forehead to hers.
“Here’s the plan. We’re going to go out there and dance. I’ll finish up my matchmaking duties, and in no more than two hours from now, I’m going to take you home, peel you out of this dress, and fuck you as long as we have the energy. Sound good to you?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Fuck, don’t say that to me right now, or I’ll be too tempted to fuck you in this closet.”
“That wouldn't be so bad, would it?” Mikey’s hand trails down my stomach, but I stop her before she can reach my cock.
“I’m not fucking you for the first time surrounded by cleaning supplies. When I finally have you, it’ll be on my bed where I can spread you out properly and no one else can hear.”
“Okay, Daddy.”
With a groan, I kiss her again. I love the way the word sounds coming from her. I love how easily it slips out.
I love that she trusts me to take care of her.
I love her.
As insane as it sounds, I love her. But I won’t say it out loud, not yet.
As soon as the door opens and we step out in the hall, Mikey and I run into a scowling Ruby and triumphant looking Slater in a heated argument.
Slater stops mid-sentence, his face transforming into a teasing grin when he realizes where we just came from.
“Well, what do we have here? I can see the headline now: ‘Cupid Shoots More Than His Arrow in Guest Visiting for Valentine Festivities.’ What will the city council say, Saint?” Slater teases.
“Shut up, Slater. Nothing salacious happened in that closet,” I grunt, wrapping my arm around Mikey. Her eyes are glued to the floor, and I could punch Slater in his handsome face for embarrassing my girl.
“Riiiiiight,” he says. “Don’t worry, S, it wouldn’t be the first time the bleach bottles have seen someone’s?—”
“Slater, shut up!” Ruby hisses. “No one wants to hear about your conquests.”
Slater clicks his tongue, “Come on now, precious, don’t lie. I know you need something to think about when you’re alone in bed at night.”
Ruby’s nostrils flare. “I would rather become a nun thaneverthink about you.”
Mikey and I share a look. One we both seem to understand aswhat the fuck is happening here?
I clear my throat. “Why don’t you go find a tourist to take home, Slate? Ruby, I can try to match you with?—”
“No!” Ruby interrupts. “I don’t want a match tonight. I want to hang out with Stella and have a fun time. Maybe next year.”
“Are you sure? Just yesterday you were saying?—”
“I know. I know. I’m sure. Go have fun with your girl.”
Not wanting to push her, I agree. I interlace Mikey’s fingers with mine and drag her back to the dance floor, leaving Slater and Ruby alone.
“That was weird, right?” I whisper when we’re out of ear shot.
“I guess? I don’t know much about how they act towards each other, so I'm not the best judge.”
“Slater and I have been best friends for twenty years, and he’s always treated Ruby as a little sister. They argue more than she and I do. I think as much as they don’t want to admit it, it’s because they’re so similar. Stubborn, driven, and independent, but they’ll drop everything for the people they care about. They’ve been weird towards each other since November though. Fighting more. He keeps calling her ‘precious,’ which seems to piss her off.”
Mikey’s eyes widen. “Weird. I hope they figure out their issues soon.”
“Me too.” I glance around the room, and my eyes land on my next matchmaking target. “Want to come watch me work my magic again?”
