Page 129 of Not Your Average Vixen
“We’ll go and help with the kids, too. Come on, Scott,” Grace said, taking her shocked husband by the hand and heading to the room.
“I don’t know why you’re so upset, mister,” the dancer in red said with a pout as she sauntered up to Tom. “This is your bachelor party.”
Tom took a step back from the woman. “I’m upset because my fiancée and I asked you and your friend not to come back. And now you’re here with two more people.”
The woman released an annoyed groan before grabbing a bag off the floor and pulling out a cell phone. “I know you told us not to come back, and we were going to leave this little town yesterday, but then, we got this text two nights ago from a Soren Traeger Rudolph.”
Bridget’s stomach twisted into a knot.
“He’s the guy paying us so much. We talked to his secretary. She’s the one who set everything up for him. Not a super nice lady—real testy on the phone. But the money went through, and that’s all that matters,” the woman finished with a flick of her hair.
“You got a text from Soren two nights ago?” Tom repeated, his face awash in shock.
Two nights ago, Soren and Tom had the bro-fest night on the town. An image of the worst best man passed out on the sleeper sofa with his phone clutched in his hand flashed through her mind.
He wouldn’t. This had to be a mistake.
“See, I’ve got the text right here. It says, SOS! Send reinforcements. Bring as many entertainers. By the way, I love that you call us entertainers. Stripper is so 2002,” the woman crooned, oblivious to the firestorm she and herentertainerfriends’ presence had caused. “Anyway, SOS! Send reinforcements. I need extra ladies because the groom requires an over-the-top bachelor party. He was railroaded into this wedding by his pregnant girlfriend, and now he has to marry her. Spare no expense! Bring extra body glitter.” She held out her phone. “And then there are about fifty vomit face emojis.”
“I don’t remember sending that,” Soren said, shaking his head.
Now, the quartet of strippers was no longer the biggest surprise of the night.
She went to her sister. “You’re pregnant? Why didn’t you say something?”
Lori took her hand. “I was going to. We were going to tell everyone. We only found out the night we got here. I was a few days late and decided to pick up a test at the drug store in town. That’s when we found out.”
“The night you got here?” Soren interrupted, his voice a hoarse crack. “You didn’t tell me you just found out about this,” he said, turning to his best friend.
Tom glared at Soren, then went to Lori. “Babe, I’m sorry. I shared the news with Scooter because I was excited—because I’ve shared everything with him since I was a kid. I thought he’d be happy for me—for us. I thought it would help him with all the changes. I should have talked to you first. But I never in a million years thought he’d do anything as cruel and selfish as this.”
Lori stared at Soren. “How could you?”
Soren paced the length of the room. “I don’t remember texting these women.”
Tom put out his hand. “Give me your phone.”
Soren stilled. “What?”
“Give me your phone, Scooter,” Tom bit out, and Soren handed it over.
Tom’s cheeks bloomed crimson as he scrolled through Soren’s messages. “You bastard! I wondered what the hell you were doing on your phone.”
“What? I’ve barely looked at the thing,” Soren said, swiping the phone from Tom.
“You texted Janine and asked for the strippers’ contact information. Then you texted the strippers. The evidence is right there. Thank God you went into business. You would have made a shit lawyer.”
“Not stripper—dancers or entertainers,” the head dancer chimed.
Tom turned to Dan. “Could you drive thesedancersdown to the village and help them find their way home. I’ll pick up the cost of whatever it takes to get them out of here.”
Tanner perked up. “I can take them down. It’s no problem.”
“Let me cover the cost, Tom. It’s the least I can do,” Soren offered.
Tom barked out a laugh. “No, you’ve done enough.”
Soren took a step toward his friend. “Tommy, I didn’t know what I was doing. I’d had way too much to drink that night.”
