Page 73 of Chasing Forever
“Want to do a shot with us, Melvin?” Lottie comes over, sliding the tequila shot in front of me, the lime on the napkin. “We beat Wild Bull, and this one hit a homerun.” She leans in over my lap so Melvin can hear her over the live music.
My hand twitches to grab her ass, but I can’t keep groping her in public all the time.
“Congratulations,” he says and lifts his own cup toward Tammy. “You guys go celebrate.”
“Let’s go.” I pat her ass. It’s as if my hand has a mind of its own.
I grab my beer and shot, and we head over to the tables that have all been pushed together into one large one.
“I really just want to make out with you,” I say. “Let’s find a corner to disappear into.”
She giggles and sways into me. I love that she always seems to want to be around me. The fact she’s warmed up to the idea of us being a couple in front of others gives me a warm feeling in my chest.
“To beating Walker Matthews!” Scarlett says, raising her shot glass. “That son of a bitch.”
We all take our shots and suck our lime, all of our faces screwing up at how sour it is.
Lottie dances to the music, and soon Romy drags her out to the dance floor to the cover of a Zander Shaw song they’re playing. Ben comes up to me with his drink in hand, and I watch Lottie’s smile grow when more of her cousins and friends join her and Romy on the dance floor.
“I’ve never seen you this happy,” Ben says. “It’s nice.”
“I’ve been happy.”
He tips his head right and left. “Not this happy.”
He’s right. This is everything I’ve ever thought about—Lottie and me making a go of it.
“So, you’re staying married?” he asks, interrupting my thoughts. They’re always of her, and now that we’re together, I find my concentration is about as good as Moore’s.
“We haven’t talked about that yet.”
“I’m gonna be honest, I can’t believe the date thing worked. You got through them all already?”
I laugh and tip back my beer. Lottie catches my eye and crooks her finger at me.
“We got through two,” I say.
He nods. “Even more impressive than.”
“I’ve known her my entire life. I think she might’ve been halfway there, and I just didn’t know it. She’s got a tough exterior.”
He laughs, and I spot Gillian eyeing him from the dance floor. He downs the rest of his beer. “She does, but I think she has a soft spot for you.”
“I hope so.”
He steps forward as though he’s about to leave me, which I now totally understand. He wants to go to Gillian, like I want to go to Lottie. All the shit I gave Ben about always having to be with her, I get it now.
“I just have to hold on to her.” I confess the one fear I’m trying to push away. “My parents…”
Ben stalls, shifting back to me. “Yeah…”
I have no friends who have a relationship with their parents like I do. Sure, Ben lost his mom when he was young, and that’s hard to deal with, but Bruce is one of those “we’re gonna talk it out with sarcastic humor” types. Same as Lottie’s parents. They’ve always been there to support their kids with no judgment.
But watching Lottie, my gut twists, because I can’t have a relationship with both her and my parents. There’s no universe in which my parents cool down and welcome her into our family.
“What are you thinking?” Ben wouldn’t run from the problem. He’s a “get it handled and move on with your life” kinda guy.
“I won’t lose her for them.”
