Stripped Bare (Stripped #1)(78)

I dropped onto a stool and leaned over the island, my face in my hands. I slid my fingers through my hair until my head had completely fallen forward, and I gripped my hair a little tighter than normal for one reason.

The sting across my scalp was sharper than the one that kept shooting through my heart.

Regardless of the pain and the fear and worry, West was right. I needed to decide what I wanted, and if what I wanted was him.

I was pretty sure it was, but committing was the thing I needed to think about.

My thoughts were cut short by the ringing of my phone. I grabbed it and slid it toward the counter for me. Allie. “Hey.”

“I need you!” she cried down the phone. “Joe's brother has disappeared with my cousin, my mom and aunt are already arguing over where to place the cake during the reception, and there's no alcohol left.”

“I'll pack my things for tonight and stop by the store on the way over.” I got up, pushing the thoughts of West to the back of my mind.

“Aren't you with West?”

“I... no. Not right now.”

“I'll—” she paused as screaming echoed in the background. It sounded awfully like her mom. “I'll meet you at the wine bar a block over from my mom's. Otherwise I won't survive until the wedding tomorrow.”



Our two-person wine date had quickly morphed into four. Apparently the fact I wasn't with West right at this second was highly worrisome to my best friend and she'd called Jaz and Lucie.

The worry line was probably bullshit, and it was more she wanted distracting, but I needed focusing, so it worked.

“You blew off the hot stripper?” Jaz got straight to the point.

“I didn't blow off the hot stripper,” I shot back at her. “I'm...” I didn't know.

“Thinking about blowing off the hot stripper?” Lucie offered helpfully.

“I think that's exactly what she's doing.” Allie took a big mouthful of wine and gulped it down. Yep, she was stressed.

“Whoa—slow down, chicken.” Jaz touched her fingertip to the rim of Allie's glass and pushed it down until the base touched the table. “You don't need to be hung-over for tomorrow.”

“Nope, but I do need to be sane. Can we get back to Mia and West now?”

“Do we have to?” I asked, groaning and leaning forward. I rested my head on her shoulder, and she reached up and patted my cheek. “He doesn't want to pursue a relationship that isn't going to be serious. He had a bad one in the past, and he's made it clear he's not willing to have another.”

“Hold on.” Lucie massaged her left temple as she stared flatly at me. “You're unwilling to have a relationship with West? That super sexy stripper you invited back to your hotel room after your biggest conversation being his dick flexing in front of your face? The same sex god you've been face-f*cking and cock-sucking and rough-sexing for the past two weeks?”

“Gee, say it a little louder,” I hissed.

“When she puts it like that, it does sound insane.” Allie patted my cheek again.

I sat up with a sigh and leaned back in my chair, gripping my glass by the stem and twisting it on the coaster. “It is, okay? It's insane. I am insane.”

“So call him,” Jaz said.

As if it was that simple. I wouldn't have let him go if it was that simple.

Maybe I shouldn't have let him go.

“I'm trying to get my head around this.” Lucie leaned forward, propping her chin up on her hands. Her elbow almost slipped on a wet patch on the table, sending her hand toward her wine glass, but Jaz's lightning-quick reflexes saved it from certain death. “Thanks,” she said to her before turning her attention back to me. “Seriously, Mia, all joking aside. If he wants a serious relationship with you, what's the problem? I know you don't exactly have... well, anything that remotely resembles even mediocre success in the dating pool, but he isn't like the guys you usually hook up with.”

“She's right,” Jaz agreed. “He's older than them. He's successful—owns a business, his house, his car. Doesn't want a casual hook up which is always a plus.”

“And lives in Las Vegas,” I pointed out. “While I live here.”

All three of my friends blinked at me. “That's the excuse you're using?” Jaz demanded before anyone else could say a word. “Seriously? All of those amazing qualities that are like right up there on the list of the perfect guy and you're worried because he lives an hour's plane ride away?”

“Well...” I squirmed in my seat.

“Course she is,” Allie said absentmindedly. “It's how she's justifying her fear of commitment and general lack of trust in the male species. He doesn't live within reasonable driving distance, so they may not see each other regularly, even if you consider the flexibility of their jobs. On from that, he owns two strip clubs, both of which in one way or another are filled with gorgeous, attractive women who would give an ovary to spend an hour with him, so why would he wait until he could see her again when he could get an itch scratched right there and then? Not to mention the fact he is older than her, so is he thinking about marriage and babies sooner than she is? Because that's a helluva big turn off if he's emotionally further in the relationship than she is. And when it gets serious? Who moves? He can't because of his business and she's got roots deeper than a hundred year old tree which, ironically, if she stopped being such a * would probably die.”