19
Ryder - Voicing Suspicions
I’m already sitting at a table with Becca when I see Denise and Andrew come in the doors at Rough Mix. They were only out there for a couple of minutes after I left, and if I know Denise at all, she spent the entire time giving Andrew shit. Dude deserves it too. Who crashes an engagement party to talk to his ex? That’s just over the line.
“Are you doing OK?” Becca is trying to get my attention.
“Hmmm, what?” I say, when I finally catch on, that she’s talking to me. “What did you say?”
“I asked if you are OK? How’re all the waxing sites feeling?” She’s chuckling while she asks, so I feel confident that my mission to make Alex and her laugh today was a success. But her mention of the waxing sites just reminds me of the feel of Denise’s hand on my balls when she was feeling how smooth they are, which of course brings back the erection that was just finally subsiding.
Being with Denise means I’ll be walking around with a 24/7 boner. Can’t say I’m complaining though, because I’ll also get to ask her for help in relieving them. Pretty sure I come out on top in this scenario.
Unless she’s on top, that is. Heh.
“Ryder? Are you listening?” Becca is waving her hand in front of my face. Guess I drifted away there for a second.
“Oh, yeah, sorry. Yeah, everything feels fine.” I tell her honestly. “I was sore for a bit, but I got over it quickly.”
I look around and find Andrew and Denise again. She’s walking around, mingling with everyone, and he’s just following her like a puppy. He doesn’t even say hello to anyone. I wish he would just leave, but Denise must have some sort of plan, or she would have made him go before she came in.
“Hey, man.” Aiden is pulling up a stool beside me. “Did I see you out in the parking lot with Denise not too long ago?” He wiggles his eyebrows at me, already knowing the answer to his question.
“Oh, I want nothing to do with this dude convo,” Becca says, grabbing her drink and standing up. “I’m going to go talk to Marcus and Domenic. See you guys later.”
“So?” Aiden is waiting for an answer. “What’s going on? And if somethingisgoing on, what is that shitstain Andrew doing here with her?”
I wasn’t planning on saying anything about what happened with Denise today, but before I can stop myself, I say the stupidest thing I could possibly say. “I asked her to marry me today.”
“WHAT?!?!” Aiden nearly falls off his stool, catching the beer that he knocked over in his surprise before it can roll to the floor. “What do you mean you asked her to marry you?” he adds in a whisper.
“I mean, I was standing in my underwear in her closet while she was choosing what to wear tonight, and I told her I love her and want her to marry me.”
“What the fuck, man? What did she say?”
“She said the timing isn’t right for us, and that it’s better if we’re just friends.” I sigh and run my hand over my face. “And she laughed. A lot.”
“Ouch, that hurts.”
“Yeah, that’s sort of what I said too.”
“So what did I just see in the parking lot? That didn’t look much like ‘just friends’ from where I was standing. At least, you’ve never had your tongue downmythroat or your hand onmyass quite like that, and I’d like to think we’re pretty good friends.”
Aiden laughs when I reach over and pinch his ass.
“That’s just for my very special friends.” I say, my mood lightening a little. “If you play your cards right tonight, I might just let you kiss me after the party.”
“OK, but really,” Aiden says seriously, “What is Andrew doing here with her?”
“I don’t know. She told him not to come, and he just showed up. She said she had it taken care of. She’s a grown woman, and I’m sure she has it handled. You know Denise, she’s always in control of the situation.”
“Of course she has it handled,” he says to me. “But she shouldn’t have to. He’s crossing over into creep territory now, man. And it seems to me, if you’re trying to be her man, you could take care of this for her. Or at least be there to back her up when she takes care of it. She doesn’t see Andrew the same way we do. I don’t think he’s just going to go away quietly after the party tonight.”
“Fuck,” I know he’s right. But I don’t want to step in and try to save the day when I know Denise can handle pretty much anything. And I don’t think Andrew is anything to worry about. If Andrewisdangerous, though, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I didn’t do everything I could to help her. “How do I do this? I don’t want her thinking that I don’t trust her to handle herself.”
“I don’t really know, man. You’ll figure it out, though.”
Just then, Connor’s voice comes through the speakers. “Alright assholes, and Pops, thanks for joining us here tonight. I just got word that Alex is almost here, so we’re going to turn the lights down. If you all could move along to the tables set up along the outside edges of the bar now and stay as close to the walls as possible. I don’t want her to know you’re here until after the proposal. OK, go to your seats now and this will all get started shortly.”
