Page 82 of Pretty Please Me
I grab an extra glass and make our drinks without a word.
“You know, Sam, you don’t have to fuck things up with Maggie if you don’t want to. There’s no rule that you have to be a miserable asshole all your life,” Simon says as I hand him his drink.
“Wow, Si, tell me how you really feel.” I sip my whiskey and begin making my way downstairs to the party.
Simon stays in step and continues. “All I’m saying is I haven’t seen you this fucking happy since–” He pauses. “It’s been a long time. I just don’t want to see you fuck this up because you’re scared.”
I grit my teeth and tense my jaw. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. So, just drop it, okay?”
Simon drains the last of his whiskey and shakes his head. “Okay, man, I’m just calling it like I see it. But whatever you say.” He claps his hand on my shoulder, then turns, greeting a group of dad’s friends who just walked in.
The band starts playing some of my dad’s favorite rock ballads from the eighties as swarms of people file into the courtyard. I take in all the friends who’ve shown up to celebrate my dad’s retirement. Everyone here loves him. It’s impossible not to love him. My dad is the most hardworking, generous guy who has ever lived. He’d give anyone the shirt off his back in a heartbeat, which is why so many people have come out to celebrate him.
Besides my immediate family, I can count my friends on one hand. I can’t imagine touching so many people's lives as he has. Even after all the shit I caused with Claire, the way everyone in the community turned on my family for years, my dad continued to be generous and kind. Eventually, he proved that his heart of gold was the real deal, and people couldn’t help but recognize that and love him for it.
I’ll never understand how my parents were able to create a monster like me.
I tighten my grip around my glass as I watch everyone laugh and fawn over each other when I feel a slight tap on my shoulder. When I spin around, I see Maggie looking like an old Hollywood movie star. Her long red locks are pulled to the side in pin-up curls that cascade down her back. She’s wearing a fitted floor-length emerald-green dress adorned with glass beads. The neckline reveals a touch of cleavage, clinging to her shapely breasts. The back is low-cut, dipping all the way to the top of her ass.
My mouth waters, and I’m instantly hard as I take her in. She’s always beautiful in whatever she’s wearing, with makeup or without, but this… this is a whole new level of gorgeous. I don’t know if there’s a word for how incredible she looks tonight.
Her hazel eyes stand out against her black cat-eye eyeliner, and she’s wearing the most fuckable red lipstick on her gorgeous full lips.
“Wow. You look incredible, Mags.” I pull her into me and spin her around, unable to keep my hands off her.
A blush creeps up on her cheeks, and she looks down at her fidgeting hands. “You think so? It’s not too much?” She pulls the dress away from her, bearing most of her thigh in the dress’ high slit.
I bite my knuckle to suppress a groan as images of fucking Maggie until she falls apart like putty in my hands flash through my mind. The way I’d like to smear that lipstick and remove her dress piece by piece…
“I mean, I know this isn’t about me, and I’d hate to be dressed too flashy–”
“You’re perfect. Stop worrying about it. Anyone would consider themselves lucky to lay eyes on you tonight. Your mere presence in this dress is a blessing to all mankind.” I kiss her hand, unable to tear my eyes away from her stunning face. “Dance with me?” I offer her my hand, and she takes it, rolling her eyes and laughing.
We move to the center of the dance floor and begin swaying. Maggie looks around nervously. “Sam, it’s not even a slow song. We look like idiots because we’re the only ones dancing,” she hisses in my ear.
I just keep dancing. “Just wait,” I whisper as I turn her in a spin just as the band stops mid-song and begins to play “I was born to love you” by Ray LaMontagne. “See,” I croon, “Who could deny you anything when you’re wearing that dress?”
She rolls her eyes again, but I see her chest swell with confidence as I lead her. Our bodies fit together like a glove and move in an easy rhythm. That’s the thing about Maggie and me, everything comes so easily. It’s never been like this before, and I don’t expect it ever to be the same again. She is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love, and I’m just a thief who’s rapidly running out of borrowed time.
I twirl her again and end the dance with a dip, planting a kiss on her exposed neck as the audience applauds us. Then I pull her up, take in the crowd forming a circle around us, and force a smile.
Maggie grits her teeth in a fake smile, eyeing me in confusion. “What in the worl–”
“Oh, Maggie, dear, you have to meet my best friend Doris,” Charlotte squeals, pulling Maggie along to show her off to her group of friends.
“Nice,” Cliff, one of my dad’s buddies from work, calls.
I shake his hand and exchange pleasantries, doing my best to schmooze as I watch Maggie move around the space, greeting new people with a genuine smile. It’s like watching a princess work a room. She’s like a magnet attracting everyone with her authentically sweet personality. It’s the kind of charm that can’t be faked—it only exists in the pure of heart.
“Sam Jordan, will you look at that? Came here to flaunt that perfect piece of ass…” The familiar voice makes my hair stand on end, and I turn to find Jeremy Snider, my childhood best friend. The very one who went behind my back and slept with my girlfriend for over a year.
I bite my cheek so hard I taste blood, but I force a friendly smile. “I’m glad to see some people never change. I can’t say I was expecting to see you tonight, Jeremy, considering everything in our past.” My words hang like venom between us.
He shoves his hands in his jacket pockets and rocks on his heels. “Oh, you know, I couldn’t turn down a good party.”
“Well, please enjoy the complimentary food and drinks. I didn’t realize your situation was so dire…” I pull out my wallet, shuffling hundred dollar bills, and offer him six. “This is all the cash I have, but it should help cover a couple of weeks of groceries.”
His jaw tightens as he looks from the wad of cash back to my face. “I don’t need your fucking money, you piece of shit. I hope you rot alone in your house surrounded by piles of it, with no one around to love you. Your girl’s going to realize real quick what mistake she’s made and crawl off with the first guy with half a personality.” He scoffs and spits at my feet. “You think you’re so much better than all of us because you’re a fancy pants rich boy, but everyone knows the truth that deep down, you’re just an abusive monster with no impulse control.” He makes a show of looking over his shoulder and takes a sip of his drink. “They really let you come out with no supervision?” He raises his brows and blows out a sigh. “I guess if you’ve got the money to pay people off, then…”
