Fulfillment(104)

I did what any half-cut 36 year old woman would do. I waved then pivoted back around and continued acting like a zombie with my friends.

As the music started to fade out, Bryce, Will, Derek, and Matt entered the room, amused grins on their faces. Derek smiled at me then moved his sight toward Carly, who was still twitching her shoulders like a zombie not having noticed his arrival. When she did look up her face was stark with mortification. She gave him a sheepish grin and spun around, allowing him a view of the back of her head. I thought it extremely funny knowing Derek would think the same.

Picking up the pool cue while eye-fucking Bryce, I ordered Tash to get our game underway. “Trashy Tashy, break those balls,” I commanded

“Consider them broken, Sexy Lexi,” she fired back.

He stalked toward me and slid his hands around my back, settling them on my arse. “Sexy Lexi, I like it,” he said, with a charmed expression.

“I like you,” I said with a stupid smile and snort outburst to match. Oh fuck! I just snorted like a pig. Was that me? Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was Tash. I looked at Tash. Yes, it was her. I looked at Bryce, who was on the brink of uncontrollable laughter. Shit! No, it was definitely me.

“I like you too, especially when you make animal noises,” he grinned before pulling me to his mouth.

I could have given him a cluck, or a bleat, or even a donkey eeyore, but I held myself together and just kissed him back. You will thank yourself for that decision in the morning, Alexis.

***

The rest of the evening went well, with unskilled games of pool, more crazy dance moves, a couple of impromptu jam sessions and Derek and Carly hitting it off. I even spotted some playful flirting and light bodily touching, which surprised me, because Carly was not normally shy or bashful when it came to letting a guy know she was interested. I sensed she really liked Derek—really liked him.

Bryce had arranged hotel rooms for all my friends. I loved living in a hotel—with the hotel owner. It was really convenient.

As all the girls were leaving I pulled Carls aside. “So, Carly Josephine Henkley, is your fiery hole about to be put out?”

“Lex, he is so putting a scorching heat in between my legs, it is not funny.”

“Well, need I remind you that he is a firefighter...let the guy put it out, apparently that’s what he’s good at.”

“I’m terrified,” she whispered.

I whispered back. “What the fuck? Carly does not get terrified. Why is Carly terrified?”

She continued the whispered conversation, now referring to herself in the third person, “Because Carly really fucking likes Derek.”

I dropped my hand to hold hers by our sides conspicuously. “Oh Carls, that’s great. Do you want to know a secret?”

“What?”

“He likes you too,” I whispered with an impish grin.

“How the...,” she blurted out, then looked around sheepishly and continued in a more quieter tone “... fuck do you know?”

I kissed her forehead, “Because he told me.” I then turned her shoulders around and playfully smacked her on the butt, ushering her out the door.





CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

I’ve always considered myself a quietly confident type of person. Not cocky or arrogant, but grounded and self-reliant. My parents had brought me up to be assertive in all that I did, instilling me with the mindset that you should always attempt what is attemptable. If you succeed in your attempts, you will have experienced something profound, but if you fail, try again. And if you fail once more, learn from your failure, but appreciate why you failed in the first place.

I think it was that piece of advice that gave me the confidence to agree to do a lot of things in life. It was either that or my lack of willpower against peer pressure that had me doing things I would not normally do, like performing at a local pub in front of...let’s say...an easy one hundred or so people.

This day was a perfect example of that, being the day where I was to perform “The Only Exception” for Bryce at an inner city bar. I’d been learning the basics of guitar for the past couple of months with the intention to surprise Bryce and give something personal back to him after our devastating loss. I’d told myself that I wasn’t doing it because I felt responsible for that loss, but I guess if I was going to be completely honest with myself, there was a small part of me that was doing it for that reason. I also wanted to give him something back; something only I could give him.

Derek had been wonderful, not only with his instructions but with our last minute secret get togethers in order to practice behind Bryce’s back. I think he also enjoyed the one on one time so that he could get information out of me about Carly. They had been on two dates already and I assumed were taking things slowly as Carly had not yet mentioned anything about his physique or stamina or his cock’s look, feel, taste and ability—things she often filled me in on right away.