Page 35 of Cupid Loves Curves

LUKE

Mack’s bachelor party is in full swing as I enter The Tap. A rowdy mix of familiar faces from Rebel Autos, a bunch of boxers from Raytown and Jefferson, and the knuckleheads who live up here on this mountain. It’s easy to forget how many people Waylon knows because the quiet makes it easy to forget the rest of the world up here.

“Hey, Luke!” Mack bellows over the din, raising his beer in salute.

I nod and weave through the crowd, making my way to where Mack stands, surrounded by a group of rowdy men well on their way to being drunk.

“Look at you!” I shout, clapping Mack on the back. “The last free night of your life.”

“Free?” Mack laughs, shaking his head, his short, dark hair catching the dim light. “Man, being with Aimee, that’s the freedom I’ve been looking for.”

“Come on, you can’t tell me you’re not gonna miss the wild nights,” Roman chimes in, slinging an arm around Mack’s shoulders.

“Wild nights don’t hold a candle to waking up next to Aimee every morning.” Mack’s brown eyes glint with sincerity. “When you find that one woman, your life makes sense, and all you want is to be with her and support her. I never thought I’d want a family of my own. Then Aimee came in with her vintage Mustang, and I was done for. I’m looking forward to the life we’re building together.”

I can’t help but feel a pang of envy. I’ve tried telling myself I didn’t want a woman in my life, but that kind of connection is something I’m desperate for–especially after seeing Jessica again.

“Cheers to that,” I say, lifting my glass, the liquid sloshing dangerously close to the rim.

“Damn straight,” Roman agrees.

Quincy nods, and their expressions soften with unspoken understanding. They both got married not so long ago, and Quincy’s wife Claire is already pregnant with their second child.

“Here’s to Aimee, the woman who captured the heart of Mack Jennings,” Roman declares, and a round of cheers erupts as we all toast to Mack.

I take a swig of my beer, feeling the buzz of the alcohol and the heat of the party, but my thoughts drift to Jessica. More than ever, I know I need to call her. I can’t keep putting it off.

The door swings open with a flourish, slicing through the din of boisterous laughter and the music from the jukebox. A womanin a sequined bikini and impossibly high heels saunters into the room to a stream of catcalls and whistles. She’s all curves and confidence. The boys are hollering now, even some of the married ones, each trying to outdo each other.

“Hey, Luke, you’re missing the show!” Quincy nudges me, his grin as wide as the Grand Canyon. You’d think he didn’t have a pregnant wife at home, but I know he wouldn’t touch a stripper.

I force a smile that doesn’t reach my eyes, watching her move with practiced ease around the poles set up for the occasion. The woman knows what she’s doing, but watching her does nothing for me…except make me wish I was with Jessica.

“Isn’t she something?” another of the guys shouts, his words slurred by the alcohol that’s been free-flowing all night.

“Sure,” I manage to say, but my gaze drifts away, uninterested.I don’t want to be here.

“Man, what’s gotten into you?” A guy I don’t know throws an arm around my shoulder, and I feel the weight of his confusion.

But my thoughts are miles away, tangled up with images of Jessica—her long, black hair cascading over her shoulders, those bright blue eyes that light up when she laughs. It’s her laugh I want to hear right now, not these guys hollering over a stripper.

“Man, I’ve never seen you so out of it,” Reggie says, his hand landing heavily on my other shoulder as if trying to anchor me to this moment.

“Sorry, guys. This isn’t my scene,” I shrug off their hands. “Hey Mack, I need to duck out,” I say, catching him mid-laugh.

He turns, the light catching the gold in his hair, eyes crinkling with mirth. “What’s up? Got an emergency up on the mountain?”

“No. More like I need to go talk to someone,” I admit, my words barely audible over the noise in the bar.

“Man, if it’s about the stripper, don’t let it ruin your night.” Mack’s voice is thick with concern, but I shake my head. “These yokels think I should be fantasizing about cheap sex with a woman whose name I wouldn’t remember, but the truth is, I only have eyes for Aimee. The stripper is for the single guys, not those of us with a woman we love.

“Yeah, it’s something like that,” I admit, rubbing my palms on the side of my jeans. “I think I’ve found someone who could be my forever.”

“Seriously?” His eyebrows shoot up, a grin spreading across his face. “Who is she?”

“Jessica Pierce,” I admit, and there’s a reverence in her name that makes my heart kick against my ribs.

“Jake’s sister?” He claps me on the shoulder, laughter bubbling from his lips. “Does he know about this?”

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