Fight Me(60)

“I promise you, Avery. You are going to love this part,” the stripper says as he goes over to start the stereo again.

Once Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” starts up and Avery is sitting like a statue in the middle of the room, our stripper starts to walk towards Avery when the door opens. The door swings opens and in walks Maddox.





Chapter Fifteen


Jake

It’s almost show time. I’m pretty sure Maddox passed up drunk a little while ago and is well on his way to feeling like death for at least two days after this party. I’m also pretty sure that he has no clue that Avery is in the room next door. When Gabe opens the door and gives me the head nod - our sign to gather the troops for the next phase of fun - I walk over to Maddox and pull him aside.

“Having a good time?” I ask.

“The best,” he slurs. “You’re the greatest freeend ever!”

“Well, I have a little surprise for you, my friend. Avery’s next door with the girls.”

“She is?” His whole face lights up at the prospect of seeing his fiancée.

“She is, and I’m going to level with you. There’s a stripper over there.” I see Maddox’s jaw get tense and tighten. “But here’s the deal. Right now she’s blindfolded and thinks she’s about to strip down the stripper. We want you to go over there and let her strip you. She won’t know it’s you until she removes the blindfold.”

“I’ll be damned if my girl is gonna strip a stripper. I’m in.” We head towards the door and I grab Nate to help gather all of the other guys in the group to come over and watch the show. “Wait. What if she actually strips me down? I don’t exactly want my mom and future mother-in-law to see my junk.”

“Dude, do you really think she’s gonna strip you? You know how embarrassed she gets. That’s the point. Let’s go embarrass her a little and have some fun. She has no clue it’s going to be you. You could even play along and egg her on a little,” I respond with a smile.

When we get to the other door, Gabe opens it and signals for Maddox to walks in first. I’m right on his heels as we walk into the room and take in all of the very shocked faces of the girls in the room. My eyes crash into Erin’s and I’d say she’s definitely shocked, but also afraid. Afraid of Maddox busting in on the bachelorette party when the stripper is performing, I assume. Some Beyonce song about puttin’ a ring on it is blaring through the speakers.

Maddox actually strolls up to where Avery is sitting in the chair and grabs her hands, helping her to stand up. The stripper walks up behind him and over Maddox’s shoulder says, “Okay, I’m ready. Strip me.” Then he pats Maddox on the back, grabs his bag and heads out the way we all just came in.

Avery just stands there so all the girls start encouraging her a little more. I quietly walk over to the side where Erin is standing and slide up behind her. I wrap my arms around her middle, leaning down and resting my chin on her shoulder, and inhale the tropical scent of her shampoo that I love.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” she says with a smile on her face.

“Having fun?”

“Yes. You?”

“Considering I can’t drink, I actually am. I’m making sure he’s having a great time,” I say as I shake my head in Maddox’s direction.

I look on as Maddox grabs a hold of Avery’s hands and places them on his chest. He’s smiling like the cat that ate the canary. I see Avery lean in slightly and her fingers flex over Maddox’s chest.

Then all of a sudden, like someone flips the switch, Avery starts to slide up against Maddox. She rubs her hands up and down his chest, pawing and grabbing at him like a woman who was just given free rein to rub all over the man in front of her. She actually seems to be enjoying herself.

“She knows,” Erin whispers over her shoulder into my ear.

“No way. How would she know?”

“Did you see her lean forward? She knows. That’s why she’s so into it all of a sudden. She knows it’s Maddox!”

I turn back to my sister as she rips Maddox’s black t-shirt forcefully out of the front his pants. She slides her hands under his shirt, up his bare chest. Maddox looks shocked and a little alarmed, but I can see him shiver at the contact. I don’t think he can believe she’s actually doing it. But I give the guy a lot of credit, he remains perfectly still.

Avery pushes Maddox’s shirt up and quickly pulls it over his head. She takes the shirt in one hand and spins it over her head before throwing it to the side. The girls are screaming their encouragements at her and the guys are all wide-eyed and quietly laughing with their beers along the surrounding walls of the little room.