Page 97 of Black Flag

“I want to get marriedon my mom’s birthday, December fourth,”

“Oh...” Emma looked down. “I wanted a weddingtonight.”

“Then you get married.”Alley suggested taking a drink out of her mini bar collection of alcohol in herpurse. At least she was prepared. “Although...”she paused squinting at the bottle from her last shot in her hand, “that mightbe a little too spontaneous for Aiden.”

“Yeah,” her face fellslightly as though she had already considered that. “Aiden would have topropose first. I don’t think that’s going to happen.” She carefully took thedress off and placed it over the chair dejectedly.

“Have you asked himwhat his intentions are?” I rubbed her tiny shoulders feeling like a motherfrom 1950 at the use of the wordintentions.

“No. He told me hewants to marry me but he hasn’t proposed yet.” Emma shrugged losing interest inthe wedding planning. “Let’s go find the boys.”

When we made it back tothe restaurant, nobody was left at our table. Scanning the room, I looked foranyone we knew.

“Ms. Sway, they’re at theFontana Bar now.” Van said from behind. I was amazed how he was able to keeptrack of everyone without leaving me. He was like some kind of CSI spy, or anex-Navy Seal.

“Oh, okay.”

I turned to walk outwhen a short blonde peppy girl stepped in front of me.

“Ohmy god!You’re Sway, like Sway Reins! Jameson Riley’s girlfriend...fiancée!” she corrected waving her armsaround “You’re his fiancée! I saw the proposal on TV.Oh my god! Can Isee the ring?” she held her hand out. “I’m Tori by the way.”

Before I could showher, the tiny girl grabbed my hand. “OH MY GOD!” she screamed bouncing to thepoint I was actually worried about her brain knocking around inside her skullthat much. “It’ssoooobeautiful!”

I couldn’t figure outif she was actually crazy or just obsessed with Jameson like everyone else.Maybe she was related to Dana?

Van stepped forwardprotectively and eventually we made it away from the crazed girl.

I was not prepared forwhat was waiting at the Fontana Bar when we arrived, not prepared at all.

Jameson was on the bar,literallyon the bar, standing, holding a bottle of Tequila up in theair over Charlie, who is lying down on the bar. I’ve never seen that side of mydad and I was actually a little concerned. It made perfect sense to me now thatAndrea took advantage of him.

My thoughts rangedfrom, “Should he really be drinking this much?” to “Isn’t it harmful in someway?” But then I just settled on the fact that he was in fact dying of brain cancer.Surely this couldn’t be doing anything worse that what’s already been done tohim.

“Swayyyy,how’s mybirthdayyyyyygirllllll?” Charlieslurred when I approached the bar.

He could barely holdhimself up; Jimi was doing the honor.

“Dad, do youreally think you should be drinking that much in your condition?”

“Have you seen my cellphone?” he shouted entirely too loud in my ear.

“No I haven’t.” Ireached out to steady him when he swayed. “Dad seriously...you should stop drinking. This can’t begood for you.”

“What the fuck do Icare what’s good for me? Nothing is good for me.” He said. “Now call my cellphone, goddamn it.”

And then he was gone.Alley stood beside me drinking from her mini bar. “Where’s Jameson?”

Now that she mentionedit, I hadn’t seen him since he was on the bar. I glanced around but didn’t seehim. When my eyes met with Van’s, he smiled tipping his head toward the dancefloor.

Aiden had returned andwas now with Jameson, Tommy and Spencer dancing.

What was even funnierthan watching six grown men dancing around like fools, was watching the womenthat were literally swarming around them. Usually it’s the other way around butevery one of those men was good looking. It wasn’t a surprise.

“Come on, let’s dance!”Alley screamed swinging me toward the dance floor. Before we could make it allthe way, the song changed toHot in Hereand I was starting to getnervous.

I really didn’t thinkbeing four months pregnant I should be shaking my ass out on the dance floorwith my little baby bump but poor Alley never got to let loose and just betwenty-five. I decided to take one for the team.

Before I could make itfar, Jameson’s hands were on my hips pulling me toward him on the dance floor.“Come show me that ass,”

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