Page 20 of Use Me
I sighed. “I’m not having sex anymore. Or getting married for that matter.”
“I’m sure Rhys Cole would be up for sex. He told you to use him, so fucking use him.” Jaime slid her shot to me.
“He didn’t mean for me to use him like that,” I lied. “He meant he’d be my fake boyfriend if I needed rescuing from some guy again.”
Kylie poured me another shot and handed it to me. I noticed I was the only one to take a shot, and now I was the only one getting another. “Fine. So tonight you find a guy to go home with and have hot sex. It won’t kill you to have a little fun. Just remember we get to go home to snoring and farting, but you can go home and have hot stranger sex.”
“Hot stranger sex?”
Colleen sighed. “Sex where you give up control and just feel. You don’t need to worry about how your boobs look while you lie on your back, or if your belly is sticking out some. You just go have sweaty sex and be done with it.”
Maybe the girls were on to something. And maybe Rhys was right. Maybe I needed to get under someone to forget about Corey. It was worth a try. “I’m not getting any by having you three grill me. Let’s get this show on the road.”
Two more shots later, chips and salsa in our bellies, we were out the door and walking to Judy’s. I was still two shots ahead of them, and I was feeling it. Corey who? Why shouldn’t I try to meet someone else? I could have stayed home, eaten an entire gallon of ice cream and drunk an entire bottle of wine, but I wouldn’t have been happy, so I chose to go out with my friends and seriously consider this stranger sex thing.
“Hi,” I greeted the bartender as my girls and I maneuvered between people. It was the same guy from a week ago.
“What will it be?”
“Four red wines. House is fine.” Girl’s night wasn’t about drinking for taste.
“No,” Jaime cut it. “Four shots of Patrón and …” she thought for a moment. “Four seven and sevens.” I smiled, remembering that was what Rhys was drinking the other night. It wasn’t a drink I’d normally order, but tasting it on Rhys’s lips wasn’t bad. Jaime turned to me after the bartender moved away to make our drinks. “No wine tonight. You don’t have to work tomorrow, you have no boyfriend tying you down, and the girls and I are Ubering home. You can let loose. The looser you are—”
“Are you done?” I laughed. “I wasn’t going to object,Mom.” We were already doing tequila shots. One more, and a seven and seven, was going to put me over the edge and Iwasgoing to let loose. I knew it. I also knew I needed that to actually go through with stranger sex.
“Good. Now down your shot and let’s grab a table.” Jamie handed her credit card to the bartender and told him to keep it open. The four of us clinked our glasses together and then downed the agave goodness.
We made it to a high top table diagonal from the bar. If we had been ten or fifteen minutes longer, the bar would have been packed. After eleven was when things really heated up. I knew that much about going to the bars. In fact, I wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol flowing through my veins or what, but the music seemed to get louder even though there were more bodies in the small space.
The song switched toStrip That Downby Liam Payne, and it was as though my hips had a mind of their own. I slid off the stool and started swaying to the beat next to the table. Kylie joined me, and before I knew it, all of us were singing and laughing as the music continued to play from the speakers above. I was letting loose, not caring if anyone was watching or if anyone knew or recognized me. It wasn’t as though I was a huge celebrity in this town, but sometimes I was recognized by older people who watched the news before bed. That was part of the gig.
Colleen nudged her head, indicating for me to look behind me. My heart stopped as I saw the man I’d met a week ago. Rhys was leaning against the bar, a pint of beer in his hand and a huge you’re-making-me-hard-by-dancing-like-that grin on his face. I smiled back and then turned back to my friends as the song switched. I could no longer focus on the words that were being sung or even the beat because my thoughts were solely on the man behind me. Was he going to come dance with me? Was he hard like I assumed he was? Did he get back together with his girlfriend? Did he come here a lot or just on Saturdays? Would sex with him be considered stranger sex?
It didn’t take long for me to get at least one of my answers.
Make that two.
Before I knew it, a hard—and I meanhard—body was pressed against my backside. All of my friend’s eyes widened, and I smiled, feeling busted. I didn’t know why. Rhys and I weren’t a thing, but it felt as though I was keeping a secret from them. Of course, the only secret was the three kisses that had meant nothing.
Rhys stepped around me and stuck out his hand, introducing himself to the girls. Then he turned back around and whispered into my ear, “We should take this back to my place.”
I was lucky that alcohol made me red because I was certain I was blushing. Rhys, in such a short amount of time, seemed to have a way of making my heart smile even when I was sad and lonely. Maybe he was the key to making my heart whole again? Even if we were just fake boyfriend and girlfriend. His words were like a drug that had an instant effect on my body, and laughing with this man seemed to be a way for me to heal.
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. I mean, I wanted to say yes, but I was with my friends. Then my gaze darted past Rhys, and I saw three other guys walking toward us.
“Ladies,” one of the guys said with a nod.
Rhys remembered my friend’s names as he introduced them and myself to Kenny, Jett, and Clark. I recognized Jett as Rhys’s co-anchor, but the others weren’t sports broadcasters. Rhys mentioned they were journalists for his station, so I assumed they helped get stats and other sports-related things.
“Another round?” Rhys asked twirling his finger around to all of us.
“Are you buying?” Kylie asked.
Rhys smiled as the ladies and I returned to our seats. “Of course.”
“I’m okay,” I stated. “If I have another, you’ll have to carry me home.”
“Not like I’m not going that way, Cupcake.” Rhys winked and then left to the bar. His friends followed.
