Page 22 of A Different Kind Of December
“You’re drunk,” I reply.
“Drunk, sober, or somewhere between, I still fucking love ya.”
“Yeah?”
“Abso-fuckin’-lutely, baby.”
“Does that mean I get anal tonight?”
She throws her head back and laughs. My dick twitches, and I can’t help but grind my hips against her.
“Easy, Tiger.” She licks her lips while still grinning at me. “Nice try, but no. That thing is never going to be banging my back doors in, not ever. I can think of somewhere else you can put it, though.”
She’s swaying us from side to side as she speaks, and I can’t help but smile at her drunken attempts to stay upright and focused.
“Yeah, you may be wanna put my baby sister down, King. She might be your wife, but she’s also my singing partner.”
I turn to see Marley heading towards us.
“You tell him, Rock Star!” Ash shouts from somewhere, probably two streets away with her big mouth.
I kiss Georgia’s lips and then her nose. “Sing with your brother, Kitten. Your audience is getting restless.”
“I’m not done with you yet, so don’t go far.”
She attempts to wink at me as I step away, but instead, it turns into a sort of long, drawn-out blink, and I can’t help but chuckle. I love seeing her relaxed amongst her family and friends like this, but I’ve learned from years of loving this amazing woman, that when she’s been drinking, one wrong word said, a song played, an event mentioned, anything that stirs up past painful memories and it’ll be instant tears.
I retreat far enough away to be able to take in the show and stand next to Jimmie. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pull her into my side, and kiss the top of her head.
“You all right?” I question.
Jimmie and Len have had a tough couple of weeks with their eldest daughter, and I know they’ve both been worried sick about her.
“Not bad, it’s not been the easiest of days. We’ve not heard a word from her.” I nod, but really, I have no clue how she must be feeling.
“Queenie doing all right?” Jim asks, obviously wanting to change the subject.
“For now.” I smile down at her as I speak and notice that she too can barely focus.
“What exactly the fuck did they put in that champagne?” I ask her.
She laughs and shrugs. “Dunno, but it’s fucking great.”
We both fall silent for a moment as we watch Georgia and Marley break into song. It’s Elton John and Kiki Dee’s “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” It’s been their party piece since they were kids and the reason my daughter is called Kiki.
“She’s so lucky to have you, you know that, right?”
My chest feels strange, and my throat constricts. I give a small laugh.
“I think it’s the other way around, Jim.”
“There’s no one else out there that could have saved her. No one else that could’ve put her back together the way you have. No one else that would put up with her shit the way you do.”
“You’ve been her best mate almost her entire life. You never seem to have a problem putting up with her.”
Jimmie gives me another unfocused, wonky grin and a shrug. “What can I say, I love the skinny bitch.”
I laugh. These girls love each other to the point that I’m actually jealous of how close they are, but they insult each other like they are each other’s worst enemies. Even so, God help anyone else that throws an insult in the direction of any of them, because they’ll soon unite. Georgia, Jimmie, and Ash are a force to be reckoned with individually, but when they join forces, you better get your running shoes on.
