Page 50 of Bonus Daddy
Guiding me toward the stage, she waved to her adoring fans.
“What are we singing?” My hands were shaking. No, this was not happening. I wanted to dissociate. To hide. But Jess’s warm gripkept me grounded, and my feet kept moving as she pulled me on stage.
We stood in front of the monitor, and as the opening chords began to play, I recognized the song. Even so, the monitor looked blurry. Disney?
She nudged me hard, and on autopilot, I held up the microphone. “I.Can. Show you. The?—”
She looked at me in horror. “Read the words,” she whispered. Eyes bulging, she took over for me and sang Aladdin’s part flawlessly.
I struggled to focus on the monitor, but when Jess reached down and squeezed my hand, it was like the haze engulfing me dissipated and I was free.
My vision cleared and the words came.
The crowd faded away, and the two of us faced one another, our hands clenched, as we sang. I couldn’t take my eyes off her face. She was so beautiful, and in this moment, we were the only people in this building, in this city.
When the music stopped, the room erupted in cheers, startling me from my stupor.
Every eye was on us, and Sully and Sloane were on their feet screaming.
My face flamed and my collar was suddenly too tight. What had just happened?
I was drunk and I’d made a fool of myself, that’s what.
Halfway back to the table, I realized we were still holding hands.
“Water,” Jess mouthed, pulling me toward the bar.
Thank fuck. My body temperature rivaled that of the sun right now.
At the bar, Jess looked up at me, her body practically plastered to mine in the crowded space. “Thank you for doing that for me.”
I should have said something charming. Or I should have smiled and kept my mouth shut. But drunk Brian was not quiet, contemplative Brian. So instead, I chose to say, “You’re so pretty.”
Her eyes widened. “What did you say?”
“I said you are good at karaoke,” I mumbled, fooling no one.
She elbowed me in the ribs. “That’snotwhat you said.”
I should have run away. Maybe jumped behind the bar and hidden under the ice maker. At the very least, I should have kept my mouth shut. But did I? Nope. I kept going.
“Fine.” I huffed. “You are pretty. Beautiful, actually. And your smile is infectious. It makes me want to be near you. At this rate, I’d follow you into battle anywhere, anytime.”
Did I stop there? Oh no, I did not. My stupid mouth, fueled by Jägermeister and lust, kept going.
“I can’t stop thinking about the other day in my office. When I was going to kiss you.”
My brain was a swirl of alcohol and song lyrics and need. Because kissing her seemed like a wise choice. The decision was simple and so damn smart. At least in this moment. Both then and now, I knew I’d do anything to touch her, to taste her. Even if it meant blowing up everything else in my life.
With her bottom lip pressed between her teeth, she looked up at me, her dark eyes wide and her hand fisting the front of my shirt again. Like this, I swore I’d gone back in time several decades to the days when we would stare at one another across crowded dive bars before running back to one of our rooms to snuggle in a twin-size bed. To the nights we spent walking around Boston, eating dollar pizza slices and dreaming about where life would take us.
The same kind of heady euphoria that washed over me back then returned. Because when I was with Jess, things were right. I was right. And anything was possible.
“Bri—” She snapped her mouth shut, her eyes widening.
“Well done, mate.” Sully clapped me on the shoulder, causing Jess to take a step back. “You really nailed it.”
I stared at him for a moment, my brain struggling to catch up.
