Page 81 of Leave

Real anger flashed in Nolan’s eyes, but he schooled his expression, handed me some of the beads, and put the rest on.

As I put my own on, my heart still thumped against my ribs. I leaned toward him. “You good?”

“Yeah. Yeah.” He glared at Leann’s back as she adjusted Sophia’s dildo tiara. “Just hate that goddamned nickname.”

I glanced between him and her. “But she won’t stop using it?”

He muttered something I didn’t catch followed by, “Do you want a drink before the show starts?”

I pressed my lips together, recognizing the obvious subject change. Well, I could ask about his irritation with the nickname later; this wasn’t the time or place to hash it out. “I’ll stick with Coke. Since we’re supposed to be the responsible adults tonight.”

Nolan cocked a brow. “You sure? Because we’re probably good as long asoneof us stays sober. If you want a drink…” He nodded toward one of the bars.

I wasn’t at all surprised he wasn’t planning on drinking tonight. I just wasn’t sure if I was imagining that it was less about being the responsible adult and more about protecting himself.

Maybe I was reading between lines that weren’t there. That was another one of those things cops learned—that when you were nosing around for information, it was really easy to see something that wasn’t there. Red herrings and wild goose chases and all that. I was so curious about Nolan’s dark past that I probably could have hallucinated a clue in the way he’d tied his shoes or which shirt he’d decided to wear tonight.

I cleared my throat and shrugged. “I’m good. Two mornings in a row with a hangover doesn’t sound appealing.”

That got an actual laugh out of him, which sent relief through me; he’d bought it, and he didn’t push the issue. We ordered a couple of Cokes, then took our seats with the girls at the booth.

Everything started off uneventfully enough. Nolan sat on the end of the horseshoe-shaped bench with me to his left, and to my left was Carly. Then there was another bridesmaid, Tina, followed by Leann, with Sophia on the end. Having three people between him and Leann seemed to settle Nolan down a little, though it didn’t stop her from throwing snide comments at him across the table. Fortunately, the club was loud enough that most of it was drowned out. He was steadfastly focusing on the stage and ignoring her, so he might’ve missed her comments and dirty looks.

A couple of times, her gaze landed on me, and the dirty look would morph into an expression I couldn’t quite define. A little disgust, maybe? Jealousy? Or just plain old derision? It was hard to tell, and the more she drank, the uglier her attitude became, to the point Sophia and the other bridesmaids were clearly getting annoyed too.

I sipped my Coke and watched Tina chastising Leann for some remark I hadn’t heard. Leann was just laughing and brushing it off, and when she gestured wildly, she nearly unloaded her drink on Tina.

As Leann started talking to Sophia about something, Tina and Carly exchanged looks so caustic, I was surprised the paint didn’t start peeling off the walls.

Shit. Maybe Matt had asked us along because he knew his fiancée’s matron of honor turned into a hardcore mean girl when she was drunk. Maybe he was less worried about guys giving the women a hard time, and more worried a physical fight might break out between the bridesmaids.

Well, damn. The wedding reception was going to be interesting, wasn’t it?

I tore my attention away from the bride and bridesmaids and watched the man onstage. He’d come out in a cop uniform, which he’d promptly torn away, revealing a G-string with a shiny badge on the front. As dancer gyrated for the screaming audience, I leaned closer to Nolan and whispered, “Should I put my badge on my skivvies and dance for—”

He barked a laugh and turned to me, eyes full of mischief. “I’m sure we could find you a G-string.”

I chuckled, and I slid my hand over his thigh as I stole a kiss. We exchanged grins and turned our attention back to the show, my hand still on Nolan’s leg. After a moment, he put his hand over the top of mine. I thought he might draw it higher so I could feel up his crotch, but he kept it where it was, as if he liked the affectionate contact.

I sure did.

The show ended, and much like last night’s club, the strippers went around for lap dances at tables. Some people disappeared into the back for private dances.

Leann and Sophia left to the ladies’ room, and Carly and Tina asked us if we wanted any drinks before they headed up to the bar. For a few minutes at least, Nolan and I had the booth to ourselves.

He sat back against the bench and exhaled. “I don’t know how people do this shit every night.”

“Who’s going to strip clubs every night?”

“I meant like going to clubs at all.” He gestured around us. “All the noise and lights and…” He shook his head and pushed out a breath. “I’m pretty sure I was into it when I first enlisted, but now…”

“Yeah. Same.” I wrinkled my nose. “Aw, fuck. Does that mean we’re getting old?”

“Probably. But you’re on the homestretch to retirement, so I think you’re past getting old.”

I elbowed him. “Shut up. You’re only two years behind me.”

“That’s half an enlistment!” he said with a grin. “That’s a long time!”

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