Page 4 of Bratty Badboys

“Stop overthinking.” He leaned on the railing, his tattoos peeking out from under the unbuttoned shirt. He was hot and young. With piercings in his eyebrow, lip, and tongue. I wanted to know where else?—

No, Anna. It’s your son’s bachelor party.

I opened my mouth to reject his offer, but my stomach growled. Loudly. I covered my stomach and hoped he didn’t hear it.

“You haven’t eaten yet?” he asked, surprised. “You know it’s a free banquet.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I know.” I paid for it.

“Wait,” he opened his suit jacket, and I might or might not have stared at the way his shirt stretched over his muscles. I noticed tattoos hidden underneath the sleeves of his shirt. I wanted to see more of his tattoos and piercings.

He pulled out two small chocolate candies and offered them to me. “Eat this.”

I was hungry, and I knew I’d be swamped with some or the other work, handling the guests and making sure everything was perfect. I wouldn’t have time to sit down and eat, so I took one chocolate, thanking him. He ate the other one, licking his lips.

It was delicious and seeing his intense dark eyes on my lips made me self-conscious.

“I’m sorry, but I have… a lot to do right now,” I told him, even though my body rebelled against my brain. I knew it’d be great to sleep with him, but…

“It’s okay, pretty.” He clenched his jaw, clearly disappointed. “Don’t sweat it.”

“Anna!” My sister called me from the window glass. “Aunt needs her dentures. Do you know where they are?”

“Thanks for the chocolate, Caleb.” I eyed his lips and the piercings for the last time. “It was nice meeting you.”

“Can I have your number?” Caleb asked, raising his brow.

I blinked staring at him.

I wordlessly gave him my phone. His fingers were long, donned with silver rings and seeing his pretty hands type his number, I knew I’d regret the choice of not going along with him the next morning. He gave himself a miscall and I saw him type my name, saving it as a contact in his phone, making me swallow.

He was stubborn.

“If you want to have a good time, you know where to find me.” He winked at me, handing me back my phone.

When I walked back to the rehearsal hall, I stumbled on my heels after hearing his words.

Good time. I knew he’d give me more than a good time and how badly I craved it. I could just tell Katie, my sister, where aunt’s dentures were and disappear for a couple of hours.

But. I couldn’t. I had a lot to do. Aaron and his friends were going to another club, so I hugged him goodbye and settled everything with the event manager.

Felix, as usual, was nowhere to be found. When I called him, he told me his room wasn’t a suite and gave me excuses how it had a bad odor, and he wouldn’t be able to sleep and would have a headache the next morning.

“Please An,” he said on the call, “you know how I get when I don’t get enough sleep.”

“Of course, I do.” I gritted my teeth, remembering how he used to sleep in a different room when Alice, our daughter, was born. “Since you are staying in a suite, you are looking after Alice.”

“But how can I babysit her if I might go to?—”

“Did you just call looking after our daughter as babysitting?” I glared at the floor, thinking about how he was late when I went into labor. All the dirty dishes, never changing the diapers, staying up when she cried, or doing any of the housework when I started my Pilates studio again.

“I have to call the wedding planner.” I ended the call angrily.

Couldn’t he call the hotel reception and move on his own? I wondered why it took so many years for me to divorce him.

“I have to go change the room with Felix. Can you please look after the aunt?” I said to Katie, disappointed to ask someone else to help me. I massaged my temple feeling strange.

“Of course, An. We have nothing else to do. Aaron’s friends invited me to the club, but I feel like I’m too old to join them at a men’s strip club.”

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