Say You Love Me(7)

“I know how hard it is, Sally.” Mila gave me a sympathetic smile and stared at me for a few seconds. “It’s such a mentally exhausting position to be in. I’ve been there.”

“Yeah, but now you’re engaged to Mr. Wonderful and I’m just here still wondering what I’m doing wrong with my life.” I sighed before taking a large gulp of water, wishing it were wine. “Am I wasting my time waiting around for Cody?”

“Is that what you’re doing?” Mila asked me softly. “Waiting around?” She looked at me hesitantly, her eyes soft as she looked into mine. She looked beautiful, but I always found that the glow of love gave you something makeup never could.

“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “It sounds stupid to say I’m waiting around on someone who might never love me. Might never want me. It sounds pitiful.”

“You’re not pitiful.” Mila grabbed my hands and squeezed them together. “You’re the man.”

“Only, I’m not a man.” I made a rueful smile at her and laughed. “I’m a woman. A woman desperately in love with a man who doesn’t even know I exist.”

“He knows you exist.” Mila laughed, but she stopped laughing within seconds as she surveyed my face. “Are you okay? And before you answer, let’s go to the bar and grab the bottle of wine that the bartender just gave the guys.”

“I’m fine.” I sighed a long, deep, dark sigh. “I’ll be fine,” I said and followed her back to the bar, trying to still the excitement in my heart as we neared Cody.

“We can always come up with a plan,” Mila said thoughtfully, her eyes sparkling as we walked. “I can’t say it will work, but maybe.”

“A plan?” I asked her curiously. “What sort of plan?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” She grinned at me and then lowered her voice. “Hold on, I’ll tell you more when we get back to the table.” She winked at me and we stopped next to the guys. “Hey, we’ll take the bottle now, thank you.” She grinned at TJ, who looked at her lovingly and I just stood there, avoiding eye contact with Cody.

“You girls don’t want to wait here at the bar with us?” Cody said teasingly and I looked over at him. His eyes were on me and I shook my head and smiled. He winked at me then, a slow teasing wink and I couldn’t stop my heart from fluttering. Why was he such a flirt?

“I think we’ll wait at the table for you guys,” I said finally. “We’d rather sit than stand, thank you very much.”

“You can sit on my lap if you want,” Cody said and winked again, and my mind went to all sorts of naughty places. “There’s a barstool.” He nodded at it and grinned at me.

“I think I could just sit on the stool directly as opposed to your lap,” I retorted, and he laughed.

“What fun would that be?” he said, and my face flushed as he continued to stare at me.

“I’m not sure either way would be fun,” I said, and he nodded with a sly smile.

“Touché.” He handed me two wine glasses and I looked over at Mila, who was staring at us curiously.

“You ready?” I asked her before she could tell Cody to stop playing with me.

“Yeah.” She nodded and I watched as TJ leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She smiled up at him happily and then started walking towards our booth. I followed behind her and we stood next to the booth. I handed her the wine glasses as we stood there.

“Let’s sit down.” She grinned at me as she poured me a large glass of red wine. “You’re going to need to be sitting down for this.”

“So what’s this brilliant plan that you have, then?” I asked Mila, my mind wondering if she actually had a good solution, a way for me to get Cody without feeling like a fool. I was slightly hopeful that she’d have a good idea. I mean, she had gotten TJ, after all.

“Well, I don’t know that I would call it brilliant. It’s not like I’m the queen of love, or cupid, but I think it’s a good idea,” she said as she filled her glass as well.

“How good?” I asked her curiously, my mind wondering. She wasn’t going to tell me to go back up to the bar to give Cody a lap dance or something, was she? I grinned to myself as I imagined the look of shock on Cody’s face if I were to do such a thing. I wondered if he would enjoy it. If he’d get excited. If I’d get excited. I took a quick sip of wine to stop myself from thinking such crazy thoughts. There was no way in hell that I was going to go to the bar to give Cody a lap dance.

“Well, let me get it out and I’ll tell you. Come, let’s sit down.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me into the booth next to her.

“Why do I have to be sitting down? It’s not completely crazy, is it?” I sat back into the comfy couch and took another sip, looking back at the bar and staring at Cody’s ass. His jeans looked so snug and tight on his athletic legs. He was just so sexy. “You don’t want me to give him a lap dance, do you? Because that would be absolutely crazy.”

“Don’t be silly, Sally. When have I ever suggested you do something crazy?” Mila laughed slightly after she spoke.

“Plenty of times.” I shook my head. “Just as I’ve suggested plenty of crazy ideas to you. Ideas that you’ve actually done.”