Stay with Me (Wait for You, #3)(100)

Damn, they were as cute as a romance book.

I opened my mouth, but then the door opened and Katie strolled in, glimmering like a fairy. The chick shimmered from the top of her blond head, all the way down to her bubble-gum pink toes that peeked through her golden platforms. Her dress was more like a shirt or like an overlong tank top. It clung to her breasts and hips but was loose around the waist and ended mid-thigh. She worked it.

And she even had wings.

Translucent pink wings—not angel wings—but fairy wings strapped to her back, and she also worked them.

Teresa opened her mouth and then snapped it shut, and a laugh bubbled up my throat at the way her eyes crossed.

Katie looked around the bar, eyes narrowing when she spotted Aimee and her friend, but then she looked our way. A wide smile broke out across her pretty face. She trotted our way.

“Girl, I’m on break. You’re on break. Obviously!” she chirped. “Our breaks were meant to be.”

“Totally,” I said, grinning. “Katie, I want you to meet—”

“Your friends from college?” She clasped her hands at her waist demurely.

I had no idea how she guessed these were my friends from college, but I didn’t want to ask, because I had a feeling she was going to say it was because she fell off the pole. So, I just let that slide. “Yep. This is Teresa and Avery.”

Avery wiggled her fingers somewhat shyly. “Hi.”

“Totes-ma-goats, you have gorgeous hair!” Katie reached out, lifting a red lock. “I tried to do red hair once and I ended up looking like a carrot.”

Totes-ma-goats? Oh my God. I drew in a sharp breath that ended in an attractive snort.

“And in my line of work, looking like a carrot doesn’t get the bills paid,” Katie went on as she stopped playing with Avery’s hair, turning to Teresa. “And OM Gee, you are stunning. Like I might be considering switching sides.”

Ha!

Teresa grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Katie cocked her head to the side. “You’d make a lot of money dancing.”

“Oh. I used to dance, actually. So did Avery.”

Oh no.

Katie’s eyes slid to Avery and then back to Teresa, who was slurping on her soda. “I busted my knee,” Teresa added. “But I danced for years.”

“I doubt you did the kind of dancing I do. Either of you,” Katie explained without an ounce of embarrassment, and I loved her for that. “I work across the street.”

Avery’s brows pinched, and I knew she was mentally seeing the outside again, and the moment understanding seeped in, her eyes widened. “You . . .”

“Take my clothes off?” Katie laughed. “I flashed my goods from time to time, but it’s more classy than your average shoving your vajaja in unsuspecting faces.”

I couldn’t help it. A laugh burst out of me, but Teresa kept a straight face. “You got to hate it when that happens.”

“Or when it’s a penis,” Katie replied.

My jaw was aching from how hard I had my lips pressed together, and Avery giggled from behind her glass.

“You know, I’ve always wanted to do that—strip—at least once,” Teresa announced thoughtfully, and my eyes almost popped out of my head. “It looks like it would be a lot of fun.”

Excitement flooded Katie’s face. “I could so help you with that!”

Um. I had a feeling Jase would so not be down for that and neither would her brother. Actually, I wanted to be around when Teresa announced that she wanted to scratch stripping off her bucket list.

Pearl was starting to run around like a madwoman and I was feeling bad about standing around talking. “Guys, I need to help out. I’m sorry, but . . .”

“It’s totally okay.” Teresa waved her hand, grinning at Katie. “Don’t worry. We’ll probably be here for a little bit.”

“Okay.” I hopped forward and kissed her cheek and then Avery’s. “Be good.”

Teresa giggled as I hugged Katie and then hurried off, hoping that when I came back Teresa wasn’t across the street warming up a pole. I skirted around the guys, but I’d made it about three feet when Jax was suddenly by my side. He dropped his arm over my shoulders and steered me down the hall toward the office and stockroom before I could blink an eye.

There, he stopped outside the door and faced me. Head bent down, he spoke in a low voice. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

His eyes narrowed. “There’s something wrong with you.”

There was a lot wrong with me right now, but I really didn’t want to get into it with Jax. “I’m fine. I’m probably going to be hanging out with everyone tomorrow since they’re going to be in town.”

A muscle in his jaw spasmed. “You’re not fine. And you’re totally bullshitting me.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “How so?”

“You were out there, talking to your friends like someone drop-kicked your puppy into oncoming traffic.”

“I did not look like someone kicked . . .” My chest rose with a deep breath and then I said screw it and prepared to unload, because what was the point in lying and stewing about it? I met his gaze. “You know what? I’m not okay. And maybe it’s because I told Teresa about you.”