I’m already casting a shadow as it is with my worryand anxiety.
So far, we’ve been lucky, and not one detail has been leaked. All our vendors have willingly signed NDA’s and cleared their schedule to accommodate us. No one, but our immediate family knows where we are getting married or where the reception is being held. So, I felt it’s only fair we do this quickly in return as to avoid any possible conflicts or fallout for them. There’s less time for mistakes; everything about this day has to be perfect.
“Shots!” Farrah yells.
We each take a glass and Britt stands. “May all your ups and down be between the sheets!”
That gets a cheer from those around us, including the DJ who begins the opening beats to Ginuwine’s ‘Pony’, which results in louder cheers and me being dragged onto the dancefloor.
We’re dancing and laughing, and the room is spinning but I haven’t had this much fun in forever. Looking back on my life, when I left for college, I had big plans of staying in the city after graduation and making a name for myself. I wanted to start over, own something for myself, have my work be something I achieved on my own and not because of my last name or who I knew. But nothing says you have to do life alone, and it’s far more fun traveled with family and friends.
Being with Nick left me feeling more alone than ever and even being surrounded by people doesn’t necessarily mean they fulfill you. Being on my own, in a big city felt forced and being home feels right.
Moving back to Christmas was the best decision I ever made. Allowing my family to catch me when I fell led me straight to Jackson. It didn’t show defeat, it didn’t show I wasn’t good at something, as I first thought it did. I gained more by coming home and finding my family again.
Finding Jackson.
All six foot three of him, all his muscles and dirty mouth that I can’t get enough of. The way he wraps me in his arms and holds me, it’s the safety I grew up with and now it’s the safety I find in my husband.
Husband! I’m going to be a wife!
The song changes again to ‘Blurred Lines’ by Robin Thicke and Pharell and we all go crazy. I laugh because this is exactly what Jackson and I did. We blurred our lines until we got one thick bold line that bound us together.
I am bumped from behind and before I can protest, I’m immediately wrapped in strong arms that pull me back up against a hard chest.
“I can’t believe you think it’s ok to wear this out in public.”
Jackson.
He leans down and takes hold of the barely-there strap of my tank with his teeth and licks my shoulder. I wrap my arms around his, letting my head fall back onto his chest. We sway for a moment, just enjoying being near each other.
Spinning in his arms, “You’re not supposed to be here, Coach Gage.”
His eyes flare at the use of his official name and he tilts his hips into mine. And my oh my, Jackson is drunk. I’m just about feeling no pain and even I can tell he is way over his limit.
“You’re my girl, where else am I supposed to be?”
“Celebrating with your boys,” I reply.
His body is loose and we’re dancing around the floor like we are the only two here. Jackson doesn’t usually get like this, he’s well in control of himself especially when he is out. He’s learned a hard lesson from the press throughout the years.
But tonight, he’s with his family and friends, and his future wife; he’s safe. Let the press write what they want. All the people who matter are right heresurrounding him.
“We did celebrate. But I couldn’t be away from you any longer.” He takes my mouth, biting my lip then soothes it with his tongue. His eyes are on fire. “You know what you did by calling me Coach Gage in that text,” he growls out, “after that, I couldn’t think of anything else but getting to you as fast as I could. And then getting you home to have my way with you.” He’s pressed up against me, I can feel all of him and feel just how badly he needs to take me home.
“Hey Casanova, get back to the booth.” Billy interrupts us. “You too, Francesca.” He gives a smug grin, smacking Jackson on his ass and clearing the way for us to follow off the dancefloor.
We all fall into the booth and Britt pours out more shots as the boys toss the penis straws aside with looks of disgust.
“In another three weeks, you’re going to have one less Casanova, Billy.” Jackson pulls me onto his lap. “I can’t wait for you to have my name,” he says as he nuzzles my neck.
“She’ll always be a Casanova,” Adam spits out and looks pointedly at Jackson. “Fuck it up and there will be one less Gage.”
We all laugh, not expecting anything less from Adam and his controlling Alpha attitude. We’ve all come to accept that Adam takes his role as the oldest big brother extremely serious, and I think we’ve all found some common ground between his need to be in control and our need to not let it bother us.
“Settle down Knight, you know better than to have to question me by now.” Jackson teases my brother with one of the nicknames we use when we want to call out Adam on his self-imposed reign but keep him in the dark about it. Bobby Knight was a college basketball coach, and he was best known for his, shall we say, non-constructive criticism. He was a take charge, take no shit guy. Just like Adam.
He’s aware of the names now, it wasn’t nice of us to do, but we had to have something to hold over him back then; our little rebellion against the system, if you will.
