Page 100 of Pelvic Flaws

Once the flush had subsided and I was feeling a little less damp, I reapplied my lipstick and some more blusher to the places where it had been wiped off, and left to go back to the table. I’d only been gone about ten minutes, but I was worried about sitting back down thinking everyone would probably think I’d been for a poo. Dex, however, would probably think I was trying to avoid Sophie. He wouldn’t be totally wrong if he did – I didn’t particularly want to see her, but especially not sweating like a horse.

As I rounded the corner back into the main bar area, my steps faltered. I hadn’t avoided Sophie, because she was sitting in my chair, with her hands on Dex’s thigh, leaning into him and giggling like a teenage girl.

I immediately saw red and anger swelled up inside of me. How the hell dare she touch my boyfriend like that? She’d had my fucking husband and now wanted the only other man I’d thought I could see myself growing old with.

As I watched Dex laugh at something she said, I felt my cheeks burn with humiliation. How could he, in front of my son, just because my back was turned. I glanced at Isaac who had his back turned against them and was leaning across Scarlett to talk to Jethro. Even he wasn’t bothering to put a stop to it.

With tears blinding my eyes, and ignoring my compulsion to storm over there and smack them both with my handbag, I turned and left the bar.

“Fuck you both,” I muttered through my quiet sob and with determined strides, strode out into the cool night air.

Dex

As Sophie chatted away about the tattoo she wanted, I glanced at my cell on the table in front of me. Katie had been gone for over ten minutes, and I was getting worried about her. I knew she felt insecure around Sophie, but to go missing to avoid having to see her wasn’t Katie’s style.

“So there’s no way I can entice you out of retirement, Dex?” Sophie asked, placing her hands on my thigh to steady herself.

I laughed at how drunk she was and gently peeled them off, placing them on the arm of Katie’s chair that Sophie had pretty much collapsed onto.

“No Sophie. I have a select group of clients and that’s it.”

I purposefully didn’t recommend my studio – I didn’t want that shit at my door. I figured Katie wouldn’t like it and was pretty sure Carl wouldn’t either.

“Oh well,” she slurred. “I tried. Too late anyway, I’m having it done tomorrow.”

“Well that’s great, but, if I were you, I’d stop drinking now, you won’t get inked if you’re still drunk.”

“It’s not until late morning, I’ll be okay,” she said, flapping a hand at me and laying it back onto my thigh. “I’ll be sober as Judge Judy by then.”

I laughed wondering what the hell she’d been drinking and wondering if she really did watch that crap on TV.

It was then that I looked up and saw Katie, turning around and leaving.

“Fuck,” I muttered, pushing out of my seat. “Isaac, make sure Sophie gets back to her friends.”

“What’s wrong?” he asked, looking over his shoulder toward the door where I was looking.

“Your mom just left.” I nodded my head to Sophie who was slurping some fucking blue drink up a straw. “I think she got the wrong idea.”

Isaac rolled his eyes and with a sigh stood up, putting a hand under Sophie’s elbow.

“Hey Sophie,” he said. “We’re all going soon, so let me make sure you get back to your friends.”

Sophie gave him a drunken grin and patted his cheek. “Aww, my lovely step-son. Why aren’t you staying over at our house tonight with your brother and sister? They’re having Chinese food if you want to go.”

Not waiting to hear any more of Sophie’s drunk ramblings, I rushed out, running to catch up with Katie.

As I pushed outside, she was just about to round the corner to the taxi rank.

“Katie,” I yelled. “Wait darlin’.”

She pulled to a stop and swung around to me. Even from distance I could she was glaring at me.

Fuck.

“Where you going?” I asked, as I pulled up in front of her. “And why are you crying?”

As I reached up to brush my thumb under her eye, Katie moved her head away.

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