“Definitely!”
I glance over at Max and he’s just smiling at me, watching this exchange happen. I think maybe he’s glad we’re hitting it off. I take another sip of my wine. This is nothing like my previous experiences in this place. I feel so safe curled up in this corner with these big, handsome men. Maybe it’s the alcohol, but I’m feeling brave.
“I think I should go use the washroom, and then we should dance.”
Max slips his arm off me and slides out of the booth, offering his hand to me. “Absolutely, gorgeous. Anything you want.”
Chapter 11
Max
Once Charlie is out of earshot, I take my seat again and look across at the guys. “So, what do you think?”
“She is delicious,” Andy says and Ben and I both groan.
“Don’t say shit like that man,” Ben drawls.
“What? Delicious?” Andy jokes. “I think it’s the perfect word to describe the tasty snack that is Charlie.”
He continues, listing off what feels like a hundred different synonyms for attractive and somehow never finding the one that explains the enigma that is Charlie.
“I guess the point I am trying to make dude is that I can’t let you keep her.” Andy concludes his list with that wholly inaccurate statement.
“For real though, I think it would be cool if we could all do things to keep her happy and distract her. I need you guys to be chill about it, but her last situation was more than a little weird. It was like some kind of secret relationship with her boss and then she walked in on him fucking his secretary. She got fired because of it and that’s why she’s really up here for the winter.”
Ben’s eyes darkened and Andy frowned. “Seriously bro?”
I nodded. “I know right? Who would keep that gorgeous creature a secret and then pull that kind of disgusting shit?”
“Maybe we should take a trip down to Van.” Ben’s words were laced with menace.
“Or we could stay up here and help her forget about it,” Andysays cautiously. He is more of a lover than a fighter, but he can throw a mean punch when he needs to.
“Yeah alright,” Ben mumbles. “For now, at least.”
It’s something thing I love about my boys. Their morals are rock solid and between the three of us we could dish up some serious justice when it was called for. This one time in the 10thgrade, Ben absolutely rocked this dude’s shit because he kept trying to pants this poor 8thgrader. He was suspended for a week but that creep never went near her again, so it was totally worth it.
Ben’s eyes darken and zero in on something behind me. Before I can even turn around to see, he is out of his seat and storming over to the darkest corner of the bar where there is a guy standing with some chick.
Oh shit, it’s not just some chick. It’s Charlie
This guy has his hands pressed against the wall by her head and is effectively trapping her in the corner. Before Andy and I can get over there, Ben grabs the guy’s shoulder and pulls him back roughly, freeing Charlie.
“Is there a problem here?”
Chapter 12
Charlie
Of all the people I could have run into from high school, my ex-boyfriend Chuck is the absolute worst. Ben had pulled him just far enough away from me and I use the opportunity to run over to Max, who envelops me in his arms. My heart races and a shiver runs through me, causing Max to squeeze me tighter.
“That’s my ex-boyfriend Chuck. Things did not end very well,” I say to the guys, muffled by the fact that half my face was squished against Max’s chest.
Chuck is backed into the same corner he trapped me in. “I didn’t even do any fucking thing! I was just trying to catch up with you!”
I turn away from Max’s chest, but he doesn’t let me go. “I’m not interested in catching up with you Chuck.” Max’s embrace and the other two impressively large men surrounding me are giving me more courage than when it was just me and Chuck in the corner.
“This is bullshit Charlie. There’s no reason we can’t catch up for a few minutes, you stuck-up bitch!”
