“What?” Charlotte asks breathlessly.

  “You’re Parker’s girl! I should have never kissed you!” I say, dropping my hands to look at her.

  Charlotte smirks naughtily and slips her hand under my shirt, her fingers burning my already heated skin. “Parker who?” she teases.

  “Jesus, you’re so drunk that you’re not even thinking straight,” I snap and yank her hand out of my shirt. “If you haven’t realized it yet, you just cheated on your boyfriend and I just stabbed him in the back,” I inform her. Plus, I don’t fucking share!

  Charlotte blinks at me, not seeming to comprehend the severity of what just happened. I need to get out of here before I give in to the temptation that she presents and kiss the fucking shit out of her again.

  “I gotta go,” I mutter and quickly make my way to the door.

  Charlotte doesn’t say a word and she doesn’t follow me, either, thank god. I make sure that at least the knob is locked before I leave. Shit, what kind of man am I that I just kissed and dry humped one of my best friend’s girlfriends? How will Parker react when I tell him? I mean, I have to tell him, right? My head is a mess the whole drive home. I pray that I don’t lose my friend over this. Fuck, I’m such an idiot!

  Chapter Four

  Charlotte

  It’s been a week since we kissed and I haven’t heard a peep from Calvin. No texts, no phone calls, and no emails. He hasn’t even sent any messages to me through Nick or Delilah. Who am I kidding? He probably hasn’t told anyone. I am just another in the gaggle of women throwing themselves at him. Ugh! I am never drinking tequila again! I can’t believe I came onto him like that while he believes that I have a boyfriend. He probably thinks that I’m a cheater and a bitch!

  I have been dragging my ass to work every day as though nothing is bothering me, but inside I am melting down. How can a kiss turn my life into such a tizzy? It was one hell of a kiss, though. Damn! Even as drunk as I was, I still remember every second of it. I felt things stirring in me that I haven’t felt in years. That man is dangerous to my libido.

  My boss, Eddie, is still out of the office – on location at some big time movie set. I love the freedom it allows me, but damn, it leaves me way too much time to think and dwell. There is only one person that can get me out of this funk, so I pick up my cell and shoot off a text.

  Charlie: Hey, LaLa! Wanna go out later?

  I immediately receive a text back from my girl.

  LaLa: Hell yeah! Nick’s at poker night tonight and there is a new wine bar I’ve been wanting to try!

  Charlie: Oh yeah? What’s it called?

  LaLa: Wine O’clock! Hahahaha!

  I laugh out loud, not so much at the name, but at the fact that Delilah thinks it’s so funny.

  Charlie: Ok, sounds good, pick u up at 7

  LaLa: Yay! See u then!

  I smile, excited to get some much needed girl time. I finish up my work so that I can go home and get ready. I figure that if I am out of the office by five, it will give me plenty of time to go home, change, fix my hair and make-up, and get Delilah.

  I scour through my closet to try to find something to wear. I don’t want to be too dressed up, but I don’t want to look like a slouch either. I settle on a pair of black skinny jeans and a cream sequined top with a coral colored blazer over it. I wear my cute nude peep-toe pumps to complete my outfit. I check myself out in the mirror. My long blonde hair is down and curled. I refresh my make-up and put on some lip-gloss. I have to admit, I am looking mighty sophisticated. Pleased with what I see, I grab my little gold clutch purse and head out the door.

  After picking up Delilah, we head over to Wine O’clock. I park in the lot that is around back then Delilah and I make our way around the building toward the front door. There are some people milling around out front, talking and laughing. We bypass them and walk into the foyer of the bar. The place has a nice atmosphere, very calming and quiet, almost like a coffee shop. I hear Delilah gasp beside me and glance over to see what’s wrong.

  “What is it?” I ask.

  Delilah’s eyes are alight with amusement and she is biting her bottom lip. “It’s speed dating night,” she says and points to the chalkboard sign set up just inside the door.

  “Oh, hell no!” I scoff and take a step back.

  Delilah grabs my wrist. “No, come on, it’ll be fun. I’ll do it, too,” she promises.

  “LaLa,” I whine.

  “Charlie, it’s not like you are sleeping with these guys, but you never know, you might meet someone you like,” Delilah coaxes.

  “But you’re engaged,” I point out.

  “They don’t need to know that,” she smiles naughtily.

  “What if Nick finds out?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at her.

  She snorts. “Oh, please. I’m going to tell Nick all about it, so don’t worry about that.”

  I see no way out of this. Delilah is not going to let me leave. I’m starting to think that she knew it was going to be a speed dating night. I glare at her suspiciously for a moment.

  “Did you know about this?”

  Delilah shakes her head and tries to be serious but fails miserably. “No, I swear!” She laughs.

  “I don’t believe you,” I mutter, as the hostess signs us up.

  We both get a nametag with our name and a number. Sound familiar? We also get a score sheet booklet to help us keep track of the guys. Once it’s over, you have the option to hand in the score sheets of the guys who you are interested in and your contact information will be forwarded to them. I already know that no one is getting my contact information. No. One.

  The hostess seats us at separate tables. Before the men are brought in, the women are all served a glass of wine of their choice. The rules are then explained to both the men and the women. Each “date” is six minutes long. Kill me now! What the hell do I talk about? I don’t want to share anything personal with these guys. I’m going to kill Delilah for this!

  The men are all let into the room and told where to sit. I wait for someone to sit down across from me. I pray that it is someone who is at least cute and hopefully even interesting.

  I almost choke on my wine when the first guy sits down in front of me. It’s the younger and creepier version of Ron Jeremy, complete with an 80s porn star mustache. I have to slap a hand over my mouth to keep from spewing my Merlot all over his face. He gives me a knowing smirk and a small nod.

  “Hey there, sweetheart. I’m Jack, Jack Mehoff. What’s your name?”

  Oh no he didn’t! Jack Mehoff? Really? Does he think I’m stupid? Jesus Christ! I’m going to KILL Delilah for this! I give him my best non-disgusted smile and point to my nametag.

  “Katniss Everdeen.”

  Yeah, that’s right, these jerkoffs are not getting my real name. So I picked a different name. I like the Hunger Games; Katniss is badass, so who better than her? Delilah decided to change her name to Hermione Granger. She thinks it will be funny to see if any of the guys can pronounce it.

  “Katniss, huh? That’s different,” Jack muses.

  I give a noncommittal shrug and sip my wine.

  Jack leans forward and places one of his sleazy elbows on the table. He licks his pinky then smoothes it over his eyebrow. It takes everything I have not to gag. His mouth kicks up in an arrogant grin.

  “You know, a lot of people think I look like Ron Jeremy. Do you know who that is?” he asks.

  I nod and he continues.

  “So you know he’s hung, right?”

  What the fuck? I give him a tight smile and a nod. Why am I even acknowledging this shithead? I really don’t want to know what he’s going to say next because I already have a pretty good idea.

  “Add three inches to that, baby. Ron Jeremy ain’t got nothin’ on me,” Jack says confidently and winks at me.

  I can’t hold back the gag this time. I quickly slap a hand over my mouth. Jack frowns at me.

  “You okay?” he asks.

  “I just threw up a little in my mouth. I’m fine,” I answer, fanning my flushed face.

  Jack frowns even harder and actually has the balls to look disgruntled. Luckily, I’m saved by the bell and he removes himself from my sight. Please, oh please, don’t let the next guy be that bad. I will get up and walk the fuck out. I glance over at Delilah. She is covering her mouth with the back of her hand to cover her laugh. Bitch. I am so getting her back for this.

  Turning back around, I am met with my next date. I sigh and hang my head in defeat. I’m not going to win tonight. This guy can’t be serious. His hair is jet black, parted in the middle and longer than mine is. He has on black wrap around sunglasses and is covered from head to toe in black leather. He creaks with every move he makes.

  “Hey, what’s up,” I say, also giving him a nod.

  He smiles and I have to do a double take. “I’m sorry, do you have fangs?” I ask, incredulously.

  He smiles wider. “I do,” he replies, touching one of the fangs with his tongue. “They’re veneers. Cool, huh?”

  I nod slowly. “Yeah, cool. What made you get them?”

  He shrugs. “I believe I was a vampire in a previous life. It just feels right and normal to have them.”

  “Oookay,” I drawl. Where the hell did they find these guys?

  I don’t know what else to say to the guy, but he starts talking about how he used to be a vampire, so I try to be polite and pretend to listen. The bell sounds again and Count Dracula heads onto the next table. I’m ready to get the hell out of here. I really don’t think I can suffer through much more of these nutjobs. I’m resting my chin in my hand, staring off into space when the next guy sits down. I don’t even bother looking his way. I’m sure he’s another whack job.

  “You look like you’re having a ball.” He chuckles.

  “Oh, yeah? Let me tell you… the last guy said he was a vampire, the guy before him told me he’s got a bigger cock than Ron Jeremy. I can’t imagine what you’ve got in store for me,” I mutter.

  He barks out a laugh. “Oh god, you poor thing. My name is Reed and I promise I’m not crazy.”

  I take a chance and glance across the table. I’m pleasantly surprised when I see a normal, good-looking guy sitting across from me. I know I should be attracted to him. What girl in her right mind wouldn’t be? But the first thing that comes to mind is Calvin, and that Reed is the total opposite of him. His hair is dark blonde, he has gray eyes with blue flecks in them, and the only facial hair that he has is the little patch just under his bottom lip - pretty sure it’s called a soul patch.

  He’s cute, really cute, but I come to the realization that no one is going to beat Calvin in my book. I give Reed a small polite smile. I’m such an idiot. What the hell am I doing? I need to stop avoiding Calvin and start owning up to my feelings for him. Reed gives me a knowing smile, catching me off guard.

  “So who’s the lucky guy?” he asks.

  I gape at him. “How do you know there’s another guy?”

  He smirks. “I’m not stupid, sweetheart. I can tell when a woman is pining after someone else.”

  “I’m not pining,” I scoff.

  “Yeah, right.” Reed snorts.

  I scowl at him. “Whatever.”

  He chuckles. “Does this guy know you like him?”

  I purse me lips, thinking. “I’m not sure,” I answer honestly.

  “Let me give you a little advice on guys, just be honest and open. We are not mind readers and rarely ever pick up on the subtle clues you women give out. If you like the guy, tell him, because he most likely doesn’t know,” Reed says.

  I blink at him for a moment. “Wow, thanks,” I say sincerely.

  He nods. “No problem. If you really like him, you should tell him as soon as possible. Most guys won’t wait around for a woman who they think doesn’t like them.”

  I nod. “Okay, I will.”

  The bell rings and Reed stands. “Good luck,” he says, holding out his hand. “I never did get your name.”

  I shake his hand. “Charlie.” He’s too nice to lie to.

  “It was nice to meet you, Charlie.”

  “You, too, Reed.”

  He smiles and saunters off to the next table.

  After dealing with a couple more losers, Delilah and I head out. I’ve had enough for one night and just want to go home. Once I get there, I think over everything that Reed said. He really hit the nail on the head. I’m going to have to give Calvin a call and admit to him that I lied about having a boyfriend. It’s going to be painful, but it needs to be done. He deserves better than how I’ve been treating him. Maybe I’ll even break the stereotype and ask him out on a date. I smile to myself. Won’t that shock the shit out of him? I think that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Mind made up, I crawl into bed and try not to dream of Ron Jeremy and vampires.

  Calvin

  “Full house, Aces over Kings, suckas!” I shout, tossing my hand on the table, rubbing it in their faces. I stand up and lean across the table collecting the chips, adding them to the rest of my winnings.

  “Shit!”

  “Motherfucker!”

  “Nice hand,” Nick offers, probably because he folded before the flop, so he didn’t lose anything but the ante.

  “Glad I was able to teach you something, son,” my dad adds with a proud smile.

  “Like taking candy from a baby,” I say with a shit-eating grin.

  Everyone laughs and takes swigs of their beers.

  Tonight is our monthly boys’ only poker night, and it is my turn to host. Since I couldn’t get out of work, I just booked a VIP room at Club M for us to use. Actually, it’s Nick’s old room that was retired once he and Delilah decided to have a go at it. There’s eight of us here tonight. The usual suspects – me, Nick, Parker, Anthony (Nick’s dad), Rick (Delilah’s dad), and my dad –and then there are these two other dudes that I have never met before. Supposedly, they are friends of Parker’s from his agency, but like I said, I have never met them before. I believe one is a former Disney star, and the other a comedian on the BET channel. I haven’t decided what I think of them yet, but so far, they are both tools. Until they prove to me otherwise, they’re not going to be invited back. Unless of course they keep losing like this. Then maybe I will keep them around. Normally, I avoid surrounding myself with douchebags, but if they so willingly give me their money, then maybe they do serve a better purpose. As long as the ends justify the means, I can deal with the jack holes.

  “I gotta hit the head,” Nick blurts out, “This beer…” He doesn’t finish his sentence. He just stands up and leaves to take a piss, shaking his head.

  “Why don’t we all take a ten minute break?” Anthony asks, as he stands and stretches his arms overhead.

  Everyone nods and mumbles their assent, and we all push back from the table to take a breather.

  “Parker, man, you think I can talk to you for a minute?” I ask, tipping my head to the side toward the door so he understands that I mean privately.

  Holy shit he reeks of booze. No wonder he is losing every hand. We slide on our masks and step outside of the room into the hallway so none of the nosy gossiping yentas can hear our conversation.

  “Sure, man. Of course. Everything all right?”

  “Yeah… I, uh… I did something really stupid, bro. I am so sorry.”

  “Dude, you are starting to scare me. What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “I…hmm…I…” I clear my throat unable to say the words. I fucking broke the bro code.

  “Dickhead, fucking spit it out before I beat it out of you.”

  Fucking god dammed woman. She’s got me so tied up in knots that I can’t even form a coherent sentence.

  “Dammit! I kissed Charlotte! I am so sorry, man. So very sorry.” I bowed my head, shaking it side to side.

  I am so pissed at myself for succumbing to the temptation, but god damn did she feel unbelievable in my arms. And her lips. Those fucking pouty lips tasted like peaches. I could have kissed her all night long and died happy. I wonder if her pussy tastes like peaches, too. Shit! Focus. You are supposed to be apologizing, not mentally fucking her. I take in a deep breath and meet Parker’s eyes. He is about five inches shorter than I am at six feet nothing, but I don’t see anger. Or pain. I am not sure what emotion that is… confusion?

  “What the hell are you talking about Calvin? Who is Charlotte and why would you think I would be angry about you kissing a chick that I don’t even know?”

  I fucking knew it! That little, devious, conniving, deceitful, cunning, beautiful, intelligent, tempting, sexy – what the fuck, King! Get your shit together – liar.

  “Charlie?” My eyebrow raises in question.

  “What about Charlie?” he asks, and his ignorance is starting to grate on me.

  “Charlie is Charlotte,” I say slowly. He is so wasted.

  “I still don’t get it. What about Charlie?”

  “Damn, Parker. I know you are pretty and shit, but I never thought you were this dumb.”

  “Huh?”

  I just stand there staring at him. I shake my head. I have to laugh. He is so drunk that he is not even going to remember this conversation in the morning. But I need absolute confirmation.

  “Are you dating Charlie? And don’t fucking lie to me or give me a bullshit line about privacy.”

  “Oh, shit. I knew this would come back and bite me in the ass.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about, man?”

  “She just told you that she was dating me so that you would quit asking her out.”

  Interesting. But of course I already knew that.

  “So you are definitely not now or have ever slept with Charlotte?”

  “Bro. Not a chance. My dick is as free as OJ Simpson. Oh, wait, he’s locked up, isn’t he? My cock is as free as…as… shit. My dick’s free!”

  I walk away chuckling and shaking my head again. Not sure if it’s more at Parker, or how Charlotte totally blew me off. Now that I know Parker is not dating her, and I don’t have to worry about all of that “bros before hoes” bullshit, she is fair game. Oh, it’s on like Donkey Kong, and I will have her.