My heart was beating a mile a minute. I thought for sure everyone heard it. I started to shake a little. I put my hands in my pants pockets, trying to hide the effect this woman had on me. My face was a mask I knew, but hers wasn’t. She showed intense hate and disgruntled feelings in her eyes and body language, and it was directed right at me. I raked my eyes over her body—from the t-shirt she wore showing the perfect swell of her breasts to her flat stomach, and down to her shorts that revealed those beautiful thick thighs of hers. I felt my dick actually start to wake up. It’s like he knows where he belongs, and he wanted to be home. If only she would turn around so I could see that perfectly shaped ass of hers, I know I will bust one right in my pants.
Fucking traitor. Should I keep up with the charade and pretend we don’t know each other?
“Everyone, this is Monkey, or rather, Maxine. Max, this is Abe.”
Humph. No title… Interesting.
“And this is Marie. Next to her is her husband, Marcus and his brother, Mason. And that’s his fiancée, Diane.”
Seeing the slight reaction on her face told me I definitely need not announce I know her. Marc looked over at me expectantly, but I didn’t move.
“It’s nice to see you again, Maxine,” Marc replied, reaching out to shake her hand.
Marie, of course, looked at her husband. But then she seemed to decide to not go there. So she smiled and shook Max’s hand too. I couldn’t move, and she didn’t seem to care either way. Diane was too far from her, so she just fake-smiled at her. Tiffany looked lost at first but didn’t say anything else.
“Alright, babe. I put everything in the room.”
A brown-skinned male came up behind Max and wrapped his arms around her waist. I frowned. What the fuck?
“And this is my cousin, Cory. Cory…”
Tiffany started the introductions, and I methodically shook his hand and mumbled a hello, trying to rein in my anger. I can’t believe this shit is happening. I haven’t seen her in two fucking years, and I’m fucking pissed that someone is touching her? We all sat down, and as the waiter came, I ordered a double Scotch.
“Don’t you think you had enough?” Diane whispered to me.
I gave her a look that made her turn quickly from me. I was enraged, and I didn’t know how I was going to calm down. Just watching his hands around her beautiful shoulders. Where my hands used to be. Where my tongue and lips used to caress.
‘Fuck, I need to calm down.’
“So how do you two know each other?” AB asked Marc.
Marc looked at me, and so did Max.
I said with as much avoidance of any emotion as I could muster, “He knows her from me.”
AB looked over at me, and so did Diane, Tiffany, Cory, and Marie.
“Really? From where?” Diane asked as I knew she would.
I haven’t mentioned Maxine or my time in Philly. It’s off limits to her, and she knows that. But since I’m the one bringing it up, I should at least give her a little bit of my past.
“When I stayed in Philly a few years back,” I said simply.
The waiter came back with my drink and asked the table if anyone wanted anything. I sipped on my drink and kept my eyes glued on Maxine.
“Oh, did she work for you or something when you were there?” Diane was trying to get an answer out of me that I wasn’t willing to give.
But I didn’t have to because AB whispered, “Oh shit.”
He looked over at Maxine.
Then Tiffany said to her best friend, “This is Mason James?”
Her eyes went wild, and she looked me over. Maxine didn’t say anything, but the look on her face told it all. Cory looked over at me quizzically, but he didn’t say a word.
The table was uncomfortably quiet, so I put everyone out of their misery. I stood and took the rest of my drink.
“Well, everyone, it’s been a fucking pleasure. Looking forward to golf in the morning, gentlemen.” And I left the table.
I mean, what was I supposed to do exactly? That table was the most uncomfortable scene since… Hell, I don’t know.
I made my way to the beach to try and get my shit in order. For the next few days, Max and I will be around each other. I need to get a handle on my jealousy first and foremost. I’m getting married, for fuck sake. I shouldn’t be pissed that she moved on. I mean she’s entitled, right?
And, hell, Diane is a catch. I mean she’s is a nice golden color with long black hair that is silky smooth. Her green eyes are beautiful, and she has a great body. She can take what I dish out, both verbally and sexually… Well, somewhat, anyway.
I’m a lucky guy, right?
So, I should be able to handle this. So what if she moved on? So what if she’s fucking someone else only a few rooms from me?