Tug (5 page)

T
ori is sitting on a bar stool at the kitchen island, and I can’t look at her. On the drive over, I resolved to try to be nice to her, but now that I’m close to her, I can’t. It hurts. She gets up and hugs Drew. I glance down at her belly, which is just starting to show signs of her pregnancy, and then quickly look away. The bigger she gets, the harder it’s going to be for me to come around. That bump is a reminder of what I missed out on.

“Did you have fun?” she asks Drew.

“It was awesome. We ate junk food and watched action movies, and I never brushed my teeth.”

“Oh, nice. Tell Uncle Tug thank you, and go put your things away. Then you can brush your teeth.”

He thanks me and gives me a long hug. When he leaves the room, I know I’m going to get an earful from Tori about responsibility.

“Well, it sounds like he had a great time,” she says without a trace of anger in her voice. “Thanks for taking him. He loves hanging out with you.”

Damn her. Damn her for being nice.

“He’s a good kid. Sorry about the junk food and movie choice.”

“Don’t be.” She shrugs. “That’s what uncles are for.”

Damn her again. I don’t want her to be understanding and nice. I want her to be a bitch. I want a valid reason to keep hating her.

“Yeah … um … I’d better get going.”

“I was just about to make breakfast if you’re hungry.”

I resist the urge to twist my lip and mock her. Instead, I smile and shake my head. “No, thanks. I’ve gotta head out.”

“Okay. Well, thanks again. You’re welcome to take him anytime.”

With a nod, I open the door and walk out of the house. On my way to the border, I drive downtown and stop at the cigar shop, not because I need cigars, but because I’m hoping to see a certain brown-eyed cutie. She’s not there, and I walk the strip, looking for her. She’s nowhere to be found. I don’t know why that bothers me, but it does. There’s chemistry when we’re together. I feel it, like she’s the one who can make me forget Tori. That’s a fucked-up way to view her, but it’s the truth, and I crave the sick feeling in my stomach when I’m near her.

T
he work week turns into a shit show, and by Friday, I barely have my sanity. As I drive to Tijuana for Brady’s bachelor party, I’m seething mad. The board didn’t ax me, but they want to. Instead, I’ve been put on probation. I haven’t had a drink all week, which means I’ve barely slept, and tonight, I plan to get drunk. I want to be knocked into the sort of insensibility where I don’t have to think about how, in a little more than three years, my life went from perfect to a complete wreck. Truthfully, I have no one to blame but myself, but I’ll never point the finger where it belongs. Being pissed erases the blame, points the finger elsewhere, and alleviates the guilt that tries to choke me every time I look in the mirror.

I arrive at Brady’s, and Harrison meets me out front. I’m greeted with the
I’m the responsible one
face. He’s been annoying me lately, like at some point he reverted to the arrogant self-righteous prick he was before Liv. I think what happened with my mother changed him, but I’m not convinced
new
Harrison plans on sticking around permanently. As long as he’s good to Liv, I’ll ignore my feelings and refrain from punching him in the mouth.

“What?” I ask indignantly.

“I want to remind you that this is Brady’s night. No bullshit.”

“Fuck you!” I seem to be saying that a lot lately.

He reaches for me as though he’s going to grab my arm. The look I give him stops him, and he says, “I mean it. And I haven’t told him where we’re taking him yet.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t think he’ll go.”

“Oh … because, like you, he’s pussy-whipped?”

He crosses his arms over his chest. I hope he doesn’t think the look he’s giving me is intimidating.

“Whatever … just keep your mouth shut. I told him we were going to the strip to drink.”

Brady comes out and nods his chin just as Jesse races up the driveway. Jesse is Second Chances drummer and he and Brady have been best friends since first grade. I’m elated he’s here. Jesse’s always up for a good time, and doesn’t have a woman to weigh down his fun.

Jesse and his cousin, Chad, who also happens to be Second Chances bassist, get out of the truck, and Jesse throws his hands up in the air. “What’s up? Are we ready to get this party started?”

“Hell, yeah,” I say, and bump knuckles with Jesse and Chad.

“I’m ready,” Brady answers. “Let me grab the rest of the guys.”

He goes inside and comes out moments later with Gabe, the bands guitarist, along with his friend, Davey, who was tossed out of the band before they hit it big. Rodrigo trails behind them. He runs the Center and is a good friend to both me and Brady.

I draw the short straw and get Davey, Rodrigo, and Harrison in my car. Rodrigo is cool, but I don’t like being around Davey. Everyone one pretends Davey isn’t responsible for Tori losing Mona, but I blame him. His showing up at the house belligerent and berating Tori is what led her to fall down those stairs. If he’d never come back into Brady’s life, that incident would have never occurred, and I wouldn’t be who I am now. Brady and Tori would have their baby girl. They wouldn’t have split up. She most definitely wouldn’t have slept with me. I wouldn’t be ruined and jaded.

Rodrigo and Davey are in the back seat, and quiet. Harrison, on the other hand, won’t shut up, and nags me the entire car ride about keeping my attitude in check tonight. More than once, I consider reaching across the seat and punching him square in the jaw, but somehow I manage to survive the trip.

I get out of the car and glance up at the glowing sign for La Luna Azul, which means “the blue moon.” What’s with that name, anyway? I travel all over the globe, and I can name at least ten places with a Blue Moon of some sort.

Brady hops out of Jesse’s truck and glares at Harrison. “The Blue Moon. Come on, really? Strip clubs aren’t me anymore.”

“Bullshit!” Jesse roars, roping his arm around Brady. He grips him in a headlock and gives him a noogie before letting him go. “You’re still a man. Besides, I’ve had a shit week, and I want to see titties.”

Brady turns his head toward Jesse, his lips screwed up, but trying not to smile. “You, my friend, are a dog.”

Jesse lifts his recently shaved head and howls into the night sky.

“Well, I’m with Jesse,” I say, “so let’s go in. I booked the VIP section for the night.”

“Fine,” Brady grumbles. “But no stupidity, and we aren’t staying out all night. I don’t want to be trashed when I marry my girl.”

My girl
, I think, and fight the urge to bail out on the night.

“Correction, dude,” Jesse says. “
Because
you’re getting married tomorrow is why you should get trashed.”

Brady shakes his head and bumps his shoulder into Jesse.

We walk, and Brady shoves Harrison in the arm. “My sister is going to kill you for this.”

“No, man. She’s cool with it.”

“How’d you manage that?” Brady asks, surprised.

“I didn’t. Tori did. That is one cool chick you have.”

“Yes, she is,” Brady boasts. “I’m a lucky man.”

I didn’t want Brady’s words to sting, but damn if they don’t burn right through my chest. He’s a lucky bastard, all right. Wanting Brady to screw up tonight and do something so deplorable Tori calls off the wedding makes me the worst kind of person and a shit brother. But the desire is there, giving me the faintest of hope.

We go inside, and I lead the guys through the thick plume of smoke to the VIP section. The place smells like sweat, booze, and sex. The pounding bass vibrates my skin. Strobe lights play tricks on my eyes, and they take a while to adjust. Everyone has a seat except for Brady. He looks around nervously, as though he’s expecting someone.

“You looking for someone, bro?”

He jumps. “What? Uh … no.”

Something is off, but I ignore it. “Sit down and enjoy your night. I promise not to let you do anything stupid,” I say, although admittedly, I wouldn’t be disappointed if he did. Then I’d have a chance to get Tori back. There’s that hope that won’t go away.

He makes a face and sits next to Jesse with his back to the stage. Clearly, this isn’t where he wants to be.

I, on the other hand, don’t mind the location a bit, and sit next to Harrison as close to the stage as I can manage.

“What got into him?” I ask, tipping my head at Brady.

Harrison doesn’t answer, as his eyes are glued to the big boobs belonging to the bleached blonde on stage. I smack him on the back of the head. He snaps out of his trance and turns to look at me. “What?”

“Brady? Something’s wrong.”

“He’s fine.” Harrison brings his eyes back around to the blonde.

She smiles when I look up, but it does nothing for me. After Tori, I am done with blondes. They don’t compare, and this one is kind of a skank.

Gabe pours shots for everyone from the giant bottle of tequila on the table. We toast to Brady’s happiness, and the alcohol isn’t responsible for the pain in my chest. His happiness should be mine. Gabe pours Brady another shot. He downs it and appears to be more relaxed than he was when we first walked into the club.

The music stops briefly as the announcers says, “Let’s give it up for Del, everyone.” The blonde shuffles off stage, waving at the crowd.

Jesse and I force Brady to do one more shot with the group. After, he leans back in his chair and waves with his hand, signaling that he’s had enough.

“Not even close, buddy,” Jesse teases him. “This is your last night of freedom, and you aren’t leaving here until your drunk ass has to crawl out.”

A hard rhythm pumps from the speakers as an electronic version of “Purple Rain” by Prince starts to play. The lighting above the girl on stage reflects off the red tinsel threaded in her hair. Her back is to me. My eyes move lower, traveling down her spine to her tight ass, and over fishnet stockings, landing on red patent leather fuck-me heels. My dick reacts immediately. The announcer introduces Monica as water pours from the ceiling, soaking her, and I’m a fucking goner.

Jesse talks in my ear, and I reluctantly turn to face him. He wants to buy Brady a lap dance. As I begin to tell him to go for it, my gaze moves over his shoulder to Brady. He’s tense. His eyes are wide, staring at the stage. I start to answer Jesse again, and feel something sharp penetrate my chest. I turn to a shiny red heel pressed into my sternum. My eyes roam up her leg, which is glistening between the fishnet diamonds with beads of water and sweat. The dancer’s head rests on her knee, her wet dark brown waves cascading down her leg. She slowly lifts her head, and wide brown eyes look at me. Familiar eyes. Her gaze shifts behind me, and I turn to see the scared look on Brady’s face.

Monica, or Maria, jumps to her feet and moves to the other side of the stage. She finishes the dance, and damned if I can pull my eyes off her perfect ass. Her wet hair whips around, and I have visions of her in the shower, naked and slippery.

The song ends, and she runs off stage down a set of stairs on the side. A muscled arm reaches out and grabs her. She fights to free herself, but the man yanks her onto his lap. My blood boils, and I move toward her. The thick air sticks to my skin and smells of body odor. Shoulders bump me, and my foot is stepped on numerous times, but I keep maneuvering through the sweaty crowd until I reach her. I put a hand on the guy’s shoulder. He shoves Maria from his lap and stands. Fuck, he’s big. At six-three, I don’t look up to many people.

“Hey, easy there with the lady,” I say calmly.

“She was leaving without paying up.”

“What?” My eyes move between the giant and, fuck, whatever-her-name-is.

“I paid for the whore.” He grips Maria’s arm and steps close to me, dragging her with him. “She isn’t going anywhere.”

My eyes stare at his broad chest. I step back and ask, “How much?”

“Four hundred.”

I pull a wad of bills from my pocket and strip out eight hundreds. I hand the money to him. “Consider this a refund, now take your fucking hands off her.”

He gives me a hard look, but releases her arm, and I grab it, hauling her away to a corner of the club. Water drips from her hair onto my hand, reminding me of how sexy she looked on stage. She spins around, and my eyes focus on her breasts, bare and perfection. Drops of water sparkle on her skin like diamonds.