I chuckle. “Yeah, she can hold her weight. No doubt ’bout that.”
“Alright, let’s get out of their way before we get accused of fucking up their bachelorette plans.” Shadow chuckles.
“Wait,” I clear my throat, “Rose… Um, she made a cake for you guys.”
“Look at you playing husband and all, eating cakes like a fucking civilised guy.”
I shake my head. “Just eat the fucking cake.”
He chuckles as he exits. “If Ares was here-”
“What? I heard Mia and him are getting along just fine.”
“Just fine? More like gasoline and fire, but yeah, they’re alright.” We stop our banter and find the girls. Erin is sitting on the stool talking to Rose about nail stuff, and my girl listens quietly with a knife in hand, ready to cut the cake she spent an hour making this morning. Can’t lie, I love seeing her like that. All womanly and all mine, doing wifey stuff with her long blond hair bouncing on her shoulders, begging me to twist it in my fist. My imagination darkens and I stop myself from gawking at her.
“Who wants a slice?” she signs.
Shadow answers awkwardly but still signs back, “Me, please,” and I grin because watching my girl evolve in my world makes my chest sit high, and my heart squeeze tighter. Don’t know if it was his way of apologizing, but Ares told everyone to get their shit together and put in the work to learn a few signs so Rose would never feel left out. He even learned enough to make small talk with her, which is huge, ’cause first, Ares learning anything for a woman who isn’t his is monumental, and second, because the man loathes small talk.
“So, how’s life in Seattle?” Erin asks me. I give her a clipped nod, making my way to my girl and resting a hand on the small of her back, Shadow and Erin facing us from the other side of the island.
“Pretty great. The club is expanding fast here and Rose is finding her footing, alright.”
“A job and a degree all at once, that’s a hell of a move,” Shadow says to Rose.
“And a cat,” she signs with a smile, the orange, chubby thing making its way to us, surely smelling the chocolate cake.
“Speaking of the devil,” I say, motioning my chin to the fluff ball.
“I want one so bad,” Erin admits.
Shadow huffs. “Over my dead body.”
“Why? He won’t bother you and I’ll have someone to keep me company when you’re away.”
“Nah, I don’t like those things.”
“I didn’t want it either,” I add.
“But Rose got you all twisted around her finger, so…” Erin grins. She isn’t wrong. Rose saw it wandering alone in the backyard, all scruffy and thin, and decided to adopt it a few months ago. Now the thing is as fat as a stick of butter and sleeps until noon. But as long as it puts a smile on Rose’s sweet face, yeah, it can stay.
“Rose likes it so…yeah, we kept it,” I groan, and Rose giggles.
“What have you guys planned tonight?” Shadow asks Erin. “Strippers with shots of vodka on their belly button?” He grins, and she stares at him with a challenging look.
“Maybe,” she baits, and he falls right into the trap.
“Like hell.”
“Um, what do you think, Rose? I wouldn’t mind a tall, oily stripper on me. It also happens that I have lots of singles to get rid of in my wallet, so…” Rose turns red, and I flex my hand because even if the lie is as big as a truck, I can’t help but feel protective over my girl. Her innocence belongs in my hands only, where it’s cherished and taken care of the right way.
“Erin…” Shadow taunts, and she breaks into laughter.
“Ice cream, making our nails, and watching a romantic movie, that’s the plan. Don’t you worry, if a stripper comes by, we’ll give him a scoop of ice cream, and he’ll do his nails with us.” Shadow shakes his head, looking at me with a wide smile.
“See what I have to put up with?” We all laugh, eating Rose’s cake.
“Delicious, babe,” I tell her, kissing her hair. “We’re gonna go. You okay?” I search her eyes for any warning sign.
