Chapter 19
Lauren
A hot, sexy twenty-something woman with long brown hair pushed a shoulder through the pulsing crowd at the club Aedyn brought me to. The music was pounding so loud I could feel the deep bass vibrating in my core. The shoulder she led with came attached to a long, slender bare arm, which held a martini glass high in the air.
She was dark-skinned, beautiful and sexy as hell, just like all the women at this Chicago nightspot. Her focus seemed to be aimed directly at Aedyn, who was standing next to me, but looking in the opposite direction. That just annoyed Miss Sexy Cat enough to make her shove harder and raise her voice louder, as she launched herself toward us through the sea of elbows and drinks. No sooner did I take a sip of my mixed drink when I saw another girl right behind her, a blonde this time. Miss Sex Kitten, I named her. I pursed my lips into crooked smile. She was one cough away from falling out of that dress and, although it was difficult to see below anyone’s waist in this tightly packed crowd, she also had legs that just wouldn’t quit.
Damn, the competition was tough around here. Not that I should even care. Aedyn wasn’t my boyfriend, we were ‘friends’. Who was I kidding? I felt a pang of jealously rip through me as I saw the look on his face when he spotted them. The two girls were friends, obviously very close ones. I could tell by the way the girls constantly touched each other, laying a delicate hand on each other’s bare shoulder or forearm. How cute; bookends. Dark chocolate and white. I snorted to myself and pulled another long draught from my cocktail, emptying my glass.
When they finally managed to part the Red Seas and anchored themselves in front of Aedyn, he stood there beaming and greeted them with a huge smile plastered across his face. The look of recognition in his eyes and the size of the smile on his face said it all. Suddenly, I felt like a ground out cigarette butt.
“Raquel!”
Ugh. He practically gushed all over her. Obviously, she’s a… friend. He had the right to date whoever he wanted. Or pay for whoever he wanted. I had no claim on him and until recently, I hadn’t even thought of him in years. There was no reason for me to be so territorial.
The other one, Miss Sex Kitten, was practically bouncing up and down with delight at seeing him. “And Lisa. Don’t forget me.” She was so soft, blonde, and effervescent. I prided myself for naming her “Kitten” and the other one “Cat.” The amusing game inside my head didn’t matter, these two were on a mission to capture Aedyn’s full attention. So far, they were doing a damn good job of it and in the process, managed to turn me invisible.
After they all said their hellos, Raquel’s eyes zoomed in on my left hand and she stopped stroking Aedyn’s arm long enough to reach for my hand. “Wow, what a beautiful ring. Engagement?” The last word landed on Aedyn as Raquel shot him a questioning glance. “Are you two engaged?” It came out too cheery, the words dripping with such sweetness, I thought I’d go into a sugar coma.
Aedyn answered flatly, “Raquel, Lisa, this is Lauren… a friend visiting from out of town.” But his eyes betrayed him as he spoke; blazing holes in Raquel’s perfectly smooth, caramel colored skin. He was clearly flustered, perhaps because Raquel gave him a ‘yeah, right’ look. I was caught off guard too. I had fought my desires, trying to mask them and pretend we really were just friends from high school.
I even bought those stupid wedding shoes, forcing myself to stay on track and keep my feelings for Aedyn at bay. But now that I saw Aedyn with other women, something was stirred up inside of me. It was as if I’d entered a competition, one I shouldn’t be involved in, and he was the prize.
“Oh, I get it. Well, guys do like a little danger.” Raquel replied. She then poked a well-manicured finger at his chest and winked. “You’re such a bad boy, Aedyn.”
No sooner had she spoken than Lisa cut in, leaning in close to whisper in his ear, her hands reaching into his pockets. He laughed and grabbed her wrists, shaking his head. She pouted, and perked up again, pleading, “Let’s dance.”
My eyes followed Raquel’s hand as she laid it on Aedyn’s shoulder and let it trail down the length of his arm, stopping to hold his wrist. God, they couldn’t keep their hands off of him. I shifted my weight and glanced away, biting my lip. I shouldn’t blame them; Aedyn was exciting, well-built and just plain gorgeous. He was every girl’s dream and these two were spiking my competitive nature. A raging jealousy was simmering under the edge of my emotions, and I knew why. I wanted Aedyn for myself.
Suddenly, the two girls were pulling on Aedyn, one on each arm, bouncing up and down to the beat of the music, begging for a dance. Lisa must have noticed me standing there, one arm folded across my chest and the other one a perch for my empty drink glass. “You too, Lauren. Come dance,” she insisted. Her plea was sincere and entirely too bubbly for words. I wanted to gag. A sandwich dance involving those two with Aedyn in the middle jumped into my mind. Not only, “No” but “Hell no.”