Page 24 of Next in Line
“Listen,” she says, biting her lip and tucking her hair behind her ear. “Thanks again for not saying anything to Miles.”
I lift my palms and shrug. “There’s nothing really to say. I mean…nothing happened, and I know nothing.”
“Right,” Maggie says, nodding curiously as she stares over at me. “Are you drunk, Sam?”
“No,” I scoff and buzz my lips like a moron.
She giggles and brings her hands up to finger the necklace at her chest.And now I’m staring at her tits. Way to fucking go, Sammy.
“You seem drunk, which kind of surprises me. I would have pegged you for a guy who’s always in control.” She narrows her stunning eyes at me, and my brows lift.
“Wellllll,” I sing out in a weird, high-pitched voice, screwing my face up as I attempt to find the best words to convey my message. “When you realize the girl you went ice fishing with who has exquisite tits is the younger sister of your best buddy, alcohol just seems like the only thing to make that all less horrifying.”
She blinks at me, clearly taken off guard by my honest response. “Did you just say my tits are exquisite?”
“So not the point, sparky!” I groan, pinching the bridge of my nose and throwing my head back on the wall behind me in frustration. “Maybe just keep a ten-foot radius from me for the rest of the night. It’s my birthday, and I can’t be trusted.”
She smiles, seemingly flattered by this ridiculous request. She takes a step down toward that bathroom and then looks over her shoulder. “I guess at least I now know why you seem so familiar to me. You and Miles are a lot alike.”
I nod and exhale heavily, feeling weird that she just told me I’m like her brother. “Yeah, he’s good people.”
“I completely agree,” she confirms, and then pauses for a moment, eyeing me like she wants to say something more, but then she gives up and turns on her heel to make her way down to the restrooms.
And like a fucking pervert, I stand there and check out her sexy legs in those tights for her entire walk down.
It’s midnight before everyone clears out, and I’m a little drunker than I should be. Miles throws his arm around me and walks me through the bar, going on about how much he loves me, and how he can’t wait until we’re running Tire Depot together, side by side. Kate and Maggie are just ahead of us, talking quietly like old friends, and I pray to fuck Miles doesn’t notice me checking out his sister’s ass.
“So Sam, are you going to call your fishing goddess?” Miles slurs, touching my ear with his lips and making me cringe.
“Huh?” I mumble, unabashedly pushing his face away from me. God, this fucker is a close talker when he’s drunk.
“Your fishing buddy. The one you’re going to break all your rules for.” He leans in close and whispers loudly. “Water balloon tits.”
“What’s that?” Kate asks, looking over her shoulder with wide, curious eyes.
“Nothing!” I exclaim and slam my palm over Miles’s loud fucking mouth just as Maggie looks back. I avoid eye contact, and add, “Nothing at all.”
They both turn away, and when I release Miles’s mouth, he gasps for air. “Jesus man, you were plugging my nose too!”
I wind back my elbow and jab him in the ribs. “Well, shut the fuck up then!”
“What?” he slurs, rubbing his ribs halfheartedly, clearly too drunk to feel any pain. “Kate won’t judge. She loves this shit. It’s all book material for her.”
“Your sister is right there,” I grind out into his ear as we step outside onto the sidewalk. “Just shut up, man. I’m serious.”
“Meg doesn’t care either. Meg is going to marry a quarterback who plays for the Broncos, and then we can get tickets to all the games we want!” Miles throws his hands up into a touchdown formation, and I begin to wonder how we ever became friends. “I only met him once, and I think he could be douchey, but I’m trying to stop being overprotective of my baby sister because apparently I’m ‘ruining her life.’” Miles imitates Maggie’s voice at the end, and I have to bite back a laugh because it’s so uncanny, it’s freaking me out.
“Okay, big guy…let’s get you in the car,” Kate says, tucking herself under Miles’s giant arm to take over. She ushers him to the curb while I peer over at Maggie through the corner of my eye. Kate grabs the keys out of Miles’s pocket and winks at him while opening his truck door. “I’m driving.”
He bops her on the nose. “Yes, you are, my future wifey.”
“Come again?” Kate asks, quirking a curious brow.
“I called you my future wifey because—” Miles’s next words have me clumsily barreling over to step between them. If my best friend proposes to his girlfriend while drunk, he will never forgive himself.
“He calls people who take care of him when he’s drunk wifey. It’s a thing he does.” My words are slurred, but they seem really solid. “He’s called me wifey more times than I can count.” I laugh a little too hard and turn on my heel to shove Miles into the truck with a severe look before he says something even stupider. “In you go, hubby,” I add through clenched teeth.
“Aww, thanks, wifey.” Miles giggles, then reaches out and slowly drags all five of his fingertips from my forehead to my chin. It’s a weird, affectionate embrace that I’m embarrassed to admit felt really nice.
