Instead of choosing the location, gifts, and hotels over a glass of wine, Thalia decided it would beso much funto vet male strippers before hiring three.
It’s why we’re all stuck in my condo. We didn’t feel like going out tonight, and the girls are at Nico’s house, watching a dozen guys take their clothes off.
Needless to say, my older brother is barely keeping his ass seated for longer than three minutes at a time. He mostly paces the room, pumping his fists.
“Oh unclench,” Theo huffs over his shoulder from where he’s pissing off Ghost by tapping his fingers on the glass. “They’re fine. They’re atyourhouse. You’ve got cameras all over the place and panic buttons everywhere.”
Yes, he does. Installed a week after Mia moved in. She accidentally tapped the one under the piano one day while Nico was in the basement gym. The second his phone blipped its distinctive alarm, he practically teleported upstairs, barreling through the house like a fucking wrecking ball.
“We’ve got fifty invitations. Enough?” I ask, steering the topic back toward the bachelor party, but before anyone can chip in, our phones ping in unison, a message in the group chat.
Nico groans and I laugh, staring at Rose’s message. It’s a picture of a naked fireman, yellow helmet covering his dick.
“You might want to disinfect the living room,” Conor tells Nico. “And buy a new couch.”
Me: You know you’re not supposed to take pictures, sis?
Rose: No? Too little too late.
“They’re having much more fun. Why didn’t we order any strippers to check out?”
“Because we’re spending the night in Vegas and the girls won’t come all this way to dance in your condo, bro,” Shawn mutters. “Can we please get this shit organized so I can go home? It’s been a long week, boys. I’m exhausted.”
And so we do. We organize the guest list, book the hotel, flights, and VIP booths for a few clubs—strip club included. I doubt we’ll spend much time watching women grinding around poles when my brothers are so fucking whipped.
When we’re just about done, Conor clears his throat, visibly tense as he stares Logan down.“Listen, I wanted to talk to you about something. I wanted to ask Cass at the same time, but it might be better to ask you first, so if the answer isnoCass won’t need to know a thing, since, now I’m about to ask, I kind of think it’s a dick move.”
Logan runs a hand down his face, smirking at Conor. “You always did know how to start a conversation by immediately shooting yourself in the foot. What’s going on?”
“I promised Vee a year before I propose—”
He’s drowned out by a booming choir ofno ways,holy shits andfucking hells.
“You’ve been dating six months, Conor. Slow down,” Shawn says. “Why so soon?”
“What am I supposed to wait for?”
“Nothing,” Nico cuts in, glaring at Shawn. “Life’s too short to wait around.”
“Agreed. I got married six months after I met Thalia,” Theo says. “I don’t regret it, but... what does your proposal have to do with Logan and Cass?” He turns to rummage through my chilled drink cabinet, pulling out a bottle of champagne.
“He wants to propose during the wedding weekend, right?” Colt asks, leaning back in his chair. “I’m with you on this one, bro. It’s a dick move.”
Logan cocks an eyebrow. “Why is it a dick move?”
“Because it’s your day. Yours and Cassidy’s. Who do you think the attention will shift to if he goes down on one knee?” Jack chips in. “Sorry, Conor, but that’s how I see it.”
“No, it’s cool. That’s what you’re all for, a bit of fucking honesty. Alright, I’ll revert to my New Year’s Eve proposal idea.”
“Hold on a minute.” Logan yanks his cap off, running a hand through his mess of dark hair. “It’s my wedding. Don’t I get a say in this? When do you want to do it?”
“After the rehearsal dinner. The whole family will be there, so I thought it would work okay.”
What he’s not saying aloud, but we all know by now, is that Vee loves this family like her own. We all thought Mia would be Mom’s favorite with their shared passion for music, but Mom and Vee connect on a different level. It’s fascinating to watch sometimes. And because Vee’s mom died, I think Conor’s trying to include her in our family as much as possible.
What better way than letting us witness their engagement?
“I have to run it by Cassidy, but I don’t see an issue. I don’t think she will, either,” Logan finally says.
