Antonio checked us into the hotel while we played our practice round today. Mindy only got better as the day went on, and it was fucking beautiful to see her confidence grow stroke after stroke.
Speaking of strokes, I’m going to have to take care of this throb that’s been threatening inside my pants all day. I’ve managed to control it enough to not embarrass myself, but if she wears another one of those goddamn skirts tomorrow, my putter won’t be the only club the cameras get a shot of.
“So, you and Mindy, huh?” Cesar asks. I turn to look at my friend, wondering if he can somehow read my mind. We’re sitting at the bardownstairs in the Avancé Hotel having a drink since Mindy went gaga over the soaking tub in her room and announced she was taking a bath.
And there was no damn way I could sit in the room next to hers, hearing that bathwater running and imagining what her wet, naked body looked like with her hair piled on top of her head and…
Shit. This line of thinking is not helping.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, looking away and taking a long sip of my scotch, letting the liquor burn through the lie.
“Uh-huh. I saw the way you looked at her all day.” His dark eyebrows bob twice. “And the way she kept staring at you in that backward cap. Brilliant move, by the way. Chicks love the backward cap.”
“It wasn’t a move,” I insist. Not initially anyway. I’d simply turned my hat around, but after I caught her reaction, I didn’t go out of my way to turn it back around.
“All right, if that’s how you want to play it. I think I might suggest Chandler ask for her phone number. You know, to keep in touch.”
When I whip my head around, his gaze is as smug as his tone. “Fine,” I sigh before launching into the entire story, from our first meeting to me fighting my feelings for her.
“Jesus, why don’t you two just fuck and get it over with? You’re both single, and there’s obvious attraction there based on the way you two were eye-licking each other.”
“Eye-licking?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.
“Yeah, you looked at her like she was a cherry popsicle, and she did the same to you. Eye-licking.”
“I’ll take it under advisement,” I say dryly before changing the subject. “How’s the hunt for a wife?”
Cesar shrugs. “I found one. We’ll be sending out invitations soon.”
“Whoa, that was quick,” I remark in surprise. “Someone you’ve known for a while?”
He shakes his head and casually sips his bourbon. “Nah, met her recently. She was engaged to some other prick, but I took care of that.”
I’d just taken a drink and had to cover my mouth to contain the spew. Grabbing a cocktail napkin, I dab at my chin. “Youtook care of that?Like you…” I lower my voice. “Whacked the dude?”
Cesar smirks and shakes his head. “No one says whacked anymore. This isn’t the 1930s. And no, I didn’t, but it’s not off the table.”
I blink rapidly. “So you stole this man’s fiancée and now you’re going to…” I wave my hand around, not willing to say the words aloud.
My friend glares at me. “I saw what I wanted, and I went for it. If he gives me trouble, I’ll handle it.”
Staring at him, I say, “You realized that’s completely fucked up, right?”
Cesar shrugs and sips, the picture of nonchalance. “She’ll be better off with me.”
I tilt my head back and forth, measuring his words. “Okay, though it’s hard to believe she just agreed to marry you after only meeting you once.”
“You doubt my charm, Remington,” he purrs.
“Well, you do have firm nipples. I’m sure that played into her saying yes.”
My buddy rolls the tip of his tongue inside his cheek, hiding a smile. “She didn’t exactly say yes. There were some… let’s call thembehind the scenes negotiations.”
“Dude.” It’s about all I can come up with.
He swirls the drink in his glass, looking down into the contents before lifting his hard eyes to mine. “Look, he treated her like shit, all right? That piss stain acted like she was less than human.” A muscle tics in his jaw. “What else was I supposed to do?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Give the poor woman a choice?”
