The Do Over (7 page)

Macy interrupted, "I need a moment just to process this and bring down my own heat, and I wasn't even there."

As giddy as I was, I had to state the obvious. "Hey, I'm as excited as you guys are. I think maybe even more. But let's keep it real. He doesn't have my number, and it's highly unlikely that I'll ever see him again."

"Why are you so negative?" Macy asked, raising an eyebrow. "Two words:
Google stalk.
" She pulled out her laptop.

"Candace, help me here. I don't want to stalk this guy. Stop her, please," I begged. "Let's just say that I'm very happy that I met him. He's given me a sense of hope. It probably has absolutely nothing to do with him. It's more about the possibility of what's out there. He's just the catalyst to opening my eyes."

"You're so cute. Is that what you read in your books?" Macy said. She brought up the browser. "Now, tell me his full name."

"I'm not telling you anything. Let me have my moment," I said, withholding that vital piece of information and made my way to the bathroom to get ready for our night out.

Our girl talk continued as Macy pulled out her makeup bag and curling iron. The two of them went all out. I'd arrived at Macy's house in a pair of shorts, a T-shirt that hung off one shoulder, and a pair of Toms with my hair pulled up in a top bun.

When I stepped out into the living room, Candace's mouth fell to the floor. I was wearing a plum minidress with thin spaghetti straps and a low back. Showing off cleavage, it barely covered anything. From her arsenal, Candace pulled out a pair of strappy black platform sandals and a matching clutch. Macy gave me smoky eyes while Candace twirled the curling iron around my hair, leaving long brown ringlets to cascade down my back. I had a hard time describing how I felt when I looked in the mirror. It was pure magic, like Cinderella.

The three of us walked out the door as Macy texted Chris to let him know we were on our way. Leaving my Kindle behind, I climbed into the backseat of Candace's car.

I loved the feel and energy of the club scene. I never got enough of it. The grand opening of Breathe was fucking out of this world. Located right on the beach on Collins Avenue, the club appealed to the rich and famous. With floor-to-ceiling windows along the back wall, the black marble floors and sleek stainless steel accents with modern fixtures gave the place a South Beach Chic feel. It was the type of club where a person could only get in if he or she knew someone.

I knew people. I was in sales, recently promoted to Regional Director, but my connections came from my family who were well-known builders in South Florida and very active in the community. I had a few more years before I'd be forced into the family business. It didn't matter that I loved my job and that I was fucking fantastic at it. As my parents told me, I had responsibilities, and I was expected to carry on my father's legacy. Until that day came, I was riding the wave and partying hard. I had to admit that there were times when it got old, but I would quickly shake off those feelings.

The last time I was promoted, I had the sweetest girl on my arm and in my bed.
Damn
,
she was amazing.
I'd never been with someone who could drive me crazy in bed the way she did. No one came close. Her ass and tits were every man's fucking dream come true. I loved hearing her moan when I'd suck on her nipples, making them hard. With enough prepping, she would have given me just about anything I wanted. In fact, she would've begged me for it.
Damn, could she beg.
It was fucking hot. She was the perfect little package. She was a good girl on the outside, but she had a wild streak a mile wide when she was turned on.
Shit
. My dick was getting hard just thinking about her.

I hadn't seen her since that night at my apartment. There'd been a couple times when I'd wanted to call her, but something had always stopped me.
God, I hated breaking her heart.
I'd never liked messy drama, but I'd done what I'd needed to do. And that shit had been messy drama. I'd tried to give her an out, but she'd made me pull the trigger instead.

She was such a sweet girl, but she'd wanted that white-picket fence shit. I just wasn't there. I'd wanted to be. I could've had a good life with her. I could've dragged it out longer. She had already been living with me, and that was something I'd never done. I'd been with her for a fucking year. That was another no-no in my book. I hadn't gotten tired or bored with her, which had surprised me. I'd been fine with the way things were, but then I'd started getting that vibe that she wanted more.
Hell no. I was not going down that road anytime soon.

That night, she had been on cloud fucking nine. We'd just fucked, and damn, I couldn't wait to get back home to fuck her some more. She had the most delicious little pussy. At dinner, she had told me how proud she was about my promotion and how excited she was about our plans to go away for New Year's. Everything about her was just so damn perfect. It had driven me crazy and not in the way I'd wanted.

My mother had even liked her. That was nearly impossible. When we'd broken up, my mother had gone into a tirade, swinging her arms in the air. "What did you do? Get me the phone. I'm going to fix this."

The truth was that everyone had loved her, and maybe I did, too. I just couldn't let myself go there. I wasn't ready.

So, when I'd seen Ely at the club, my smile had reached ear to ear. Ely had fucked up with me when we were together, so I couldn't have given a rat's ass about that bitch. She was a liar, and she liked her occasional cocaine hit.
Disgusting.
I hadn't seen her around for the longest time, but her timing couldn't have been more perfect.

When Ely had smiled back, I'd known exactly how to piss the shit out of Daniela. Yeah, she'd put up with a lot from me, but she had her limits, and I knew how to push them.
Her and her damn little rule.
I rolled my eyes when I thought about her
advising
me of her rule, but it was the ammunition I'd needed to end this playing-house fantasy she'd had going on.

I thought back to the way those women had sized each other up. I had to admit that it had turned me on. For a minute there, I'd wondered what it would be like to have both of them at the same time.
Fuck, that would've been hot.
Daniela wouldn't have gone for that, but Ely, on the other hand, liked to experiment. She would've been game.

Daniela had looked just-fucked hot as she sat on her stool, sipping her drink. And that was when I'd made my move. Grabbing Ely's hand, I'd pulled her onto the dance floor. Ely had eaten it up like she'd won some fucking prize.
Damn.
I remembered smiling and laughing because I'd felt free. I'd just cut loose.

Seeing the look on Daniela's face when I got back, I'd known what was coming. My little spitfire had been just as passionate in the sack as she'd been the few times she'd argued. We'd barely fought. I was more a lover than a fighter, and she was this hopeless romantic with her head in her books. Lying next to her on the couch, while she read and I watched
Band of Brothers
, had actually been nice. I was a World War II junkie. Of course, I'd really liked it when she was reading one of her porn books because she would get so turned on, and I got to reap the benefits of some imaginary dude's foreplay.
Shit, that was some hot sex.

I hadn't seen her since that night. I still couldn't believe that she'd thought we would talk and work it out. I'd honestly felt bad for her when she'd put together the lie I'd wanted her to believe. Not expecting me to end her little fantasy, she'd been crushed. I'd reached out to touch her, knowing I had gone too far. She hadn't deserved that shit, but I'd panicked. Then, I'd practically kicked her out.
That was low, even for me.
She'd always been so damn good to me. No one had ever, past or present, taken such good care of me, and I'd been a selfish asshole and thrown it all away. When she'd yanked her arm from me, put all her shit in garbage bags, and stormed out the front door, I'd known we were over.

That was then, and this was now. She'd been right. This scene did get old. I'd had my fair share of women, and now, I compared all of them to her. She was one of a kind, and no one could touch her.

I leaned back against the high top table. I came here with Lise. I suppose I could say she was my girlfriend in the sense that I fucked her exclusively. She was typical South Beach model material. Lise had a hot body but nothing between her ears. There was no point in having a meaningful conversation with her. With her French accent, I didn't understand half the shit she said anyway, but she could suck my dick all night long, so I wasn't complaining.

Lise was hanging on me, and I hated it when she did that. "You're wrinkling my shirt. You need to back off," I said, shaking her off of me. I needed some personal space.

Shifting, I noticed three women, a blonde and two brunettes, strutting their stuff. I loved looking at women. I didn't have to touch them to appreciate their beauty and sensuality. At that moment, my stomach dropped. I almost fucking spilled my drink on my hundred-dollar Hugo Boss shirt.
Holy fucking shit! Speak of the fucking devil.
There she was.
Hot damn.

I couldn't believe how fucking hot she looked. Her long legs were on display in that little dress. My dick started getting hard as I thought about how good she felt. I licked my lips, wanting to taste her. I pictured bending her over the railing and sliding my hands through the back of that dress. Playing with her tits, her nipples would stand at attention, and she would start to whimper.
I love the sounds she made.
Her pussy would be soaking wet, and I'd slide my dick right into her. Her hair was curled and longer, reaching the middle of her back. I wanted to pull on it and listen to her moan while I trailed my tongue down her neck, licking her slowly.
Shit
. I was rock hard and about to explode in my pants.

Staring at her, I felt like a fucking voyeur. I'd go over to her if she wasn't surrounded by her posse. Those girls would probably cut off my dick if I got near her. If they knew I had a raging hard-on, they would castrate me with a smile.
I need to be smart about this.

I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She was so beautiful. There was something different about her though. It was her smile. I wanted her to smile for me. I had to talk to her. I couldn't stay away.

As I was about to go to her, I saw her face light up like the sun, her smile touching her eyes. Putting my drink down, I stood up to get a better view.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Who the fuck is that?

We walked into the club, and I couldn't get over how impressive the place was. I'd been to clubs before, but this one was on a whole new level. The club was state of the art, and everything was top of the line.

"This place is amazing. I've never seen so many beautiful people in one room," I told Macy.

She was texting Chris to let him know we had arrived. "Dani, you're one of those beautiful people. Relax and enjoy yourself," she responded. She moved around like she owned the place.

"How can you tell I'm not relaxed?" I asked, worried that my nagging anxiety was obvious.

"I know you. Your shoulders are a little tense right now, and you're sticking to me like a lost little puppy. No worries though. After a Cosmo, you'll be fine."

Cosmos and sex were always Macy's solution to most problems in life.

"What if
he'
s here? You know, this is his scene," I said, putting it out there.

"Are you really going to let that asshole ruin your glow and evening? Girl, we have your back. So what if he's here? He wouldn't dare come near you."

"You're right! I'm not going to let him ruin our evening," I said with conviction.

She's right.
I shook off the awkwardness and embraced the empowerment. After I let go of my fear, I felt energized.

Chris texted her with instructions to go to the VIP lounge and said he'd meet up with her soon. We made our way through the crowd and headed up to the lounge. The music was pumping, and the dance floor was packed. The last time I'd been at a club was with Rick, and it'd been the worst night of my life. Tonight, there was an entirely different energy. I couldn't help but smile. I felt alive.