Page 25 of Play Hard
“You’re pregnant!” Camy’s screech almost drowned out the noise of TVs and music in the bar.
“Shhhhh,” Portia said while nodding enthusiastically. “You’re the first to know. Since I knew all the guys would be working tonight, I figured I’d tell Ethan here.”
Grinning, Camy clapped her hands. “Yaayy! That’s what I’m talkin’ ‘bout, our circle of secrets continues. Congrats boo!” She reached for Portia’s hand and squeezed it.
Rylan did the same with Portia’s other hand. “Circle of secrets? Really, Cam?” she asked, then shook her head and returned her attention to Portia. “Congratulations, though. We’re really happy for you.”
“Yes,” I chimed in feeling like an outsider but at the same time happy to have forged this quick bond with these women. “Congratulations! I’m sure Ethan is going to be ecstatic when you tell him.”
At least that was the normal reaction when a couple found out they were having a baby. I mean, if the couple were happily married, committed to each other and not on some sneaky, foul ass cheating shit. I tried to tamp down my flip-flopping emotions. Maybe I wasn’t that fine with what Adrian had done. Bastard.
CHAPTER 11
Noah
The camo pattern had never looked as good as it did wrapped around Serra in a strapless cargo pant jumper as she danced in my bar.
Rock had mentioned she was here with the girls when he stopped by the bar to warn Ethan not to serve them too many drinks. It was a warning he didn’t really have to give because none of us would ever let any of them get pissy drunk in here, but I knew why it was a particularly touchy spot with him. Actually, we all knew. Rock’s past addiction to alcohol, Jeret’s struggle with PTSD, Ethan’s abandonment issues, Del and Lance’s crippling guilt, and my former bout with steroids, then, pain meds. We were a pretty fucked up bunch, which was yet another reason we stuck together.
Serra mentioned meeting Camy, Rylan, and Portia during one of our morning workouts. I wasn’t surprised since Camy had long ago deemed herself Providence’s one-woman welcome committee. No doubt that had a lot to do with her and Rylan’s former rival, Erica Bohannon being named the head of Providence’s Tourism Bureau when she returned to town after going to college in Atlanta. Lance had joked that they were recruiting Serra after Camy came into the bar announcing she’dmet my ex and thought she was amazing. That comment had led to the brothers giving me hell for the remainder of my shift because I hadn’t told them about Serra or the fact that she had ties to Providence. Only Rock knew that tumultuous part of my past.
It was busy tonight, so I hadn’t gotten a chance to go over and speak to her, but on a trip from the storeroom to grab another case of that fancy ass Basset-Banks wine that had grown really popular in the last three months they’d been serving it, I saw her. Drake had mentioned the winery was now partially Black-owned by one of the members of the illustrious Donovan family. I’d co-signed the recommendation since I was familiar with the wine from my days of attending star-studded parties in L.A.
I was breaking down the box when the song changed and a few screams erupted from near the stage. About an hour ago there’d been a group of seniors celebrating their freedom from high school insisting that Shandy serve them alcohol. Lance and Del had gone over to help Stefan get them outside when they’d wanted to start an argument instead of just adhering to the laws. One of the boys had threatened to go home and get his father’s gun because Lance had slammed him to the ground when he’d tried to charge him. We didn’t have bouncers on staff because our goal was to be family friendly. And we only hired security when large parties were booked, but Del suggested we revisit the conversation soon. In the meantime, we were all on alert to make sure nothing else popped off tonight.
Along those same lines, we kept the music playing through the speakers as general audience as possible without it being Disney hits on replay. Instead, our playlists leaned heavily on R&B from the 70s to the present, with a bit of the milder hip hop thrown in on weekends. I was only slightly surprised to hear the screams had come from a few women and Camy and her crew since it was Beyonce’sCheck On Itthat came on. Serra’sluminous skin—from her neck down to her long arms—was on full display as she held her arms over her head and moved her body to the beat of the music. Thankfully, that jumper was tight over her bodice, because the swells of her breasts that were already on display were more than I wanted any of the horny bastards in this bar to see. The bottom half of the jumper was baggy, but at the same time did nothing to hide the plumpness of her ass and those wedge sandals that had to be about four or five inches high made her long legs seem endless. She loved wearing heels and looked fucking edible when she did. Although seeing her in running shoes each morning for the past couple of weeks had been alluring as hell too.
I couldn’t stop staring at her and not just because she looked so fuckin’ good, but also because something filled my chest each time my gaze was on her. It was as if the last eleven years I’d been an empty vessel and each time I saw Serra in these past weeks, she was slowly pouring into me again.That was some wild shit.I shook my head to get the weird thoughts out of my mind. The action didn’t lessen the feeling though.
Back in college, when she’d stay at my apartment because her dorm room was already occupied, I used to watch her sleep. I’d roll over onto my side, propping myself up on one elbow and just look at her. She was so pretty and so perfect and she was in my bed. As time passed while I stared, she would eventually wake up and look at me with crust in those pretty brown eyes. And even though she knew she’d gone to sleep with me beside her, waking up to my face only inches from hers always made her jump. I loved touching her cheek to calm her, to reassure her that she was safe with me.
“You know, you can just go over there and talk to her like a grown up.” The not-so-light punch to my shoulder and Rock’s words pulled me from those memories and I coughed to clear my throat.
“Shut up,” I said, leaning back against the bar. “I talk to her every day.”
“Uh huh,” Rock continued as he circled around me to the back of the bar. “And y’all work out like a cute little fitness couple. Then you drag your ass in here looking like a lovesick puppy.”
I didn’t bother to turn around and look at him because I knew his ugly face would have that shit-eating smirk on it. Rock was actually third on the list of the pretty faces in our group. While he was undoubtedly the biggest and scariest looking of us with his bulky frame and perpetual grimace, his face was that of a half-Black, half Samoan god or some other fanciful shit. And when he used to have all that dumb ass hair hanging down his back, women were practically climbing him the minute he walked into a room. What most of them didn’t know was how steady, dependable, and loyal the guy was. I knew and I loved him every day for it.
“We’re just friends,” I said.
Rock laughed. Loud and long, I was tempted to turn around and punch his ass in the mouth to shut him up, but I remained still, my gaze never leaving her. The song was still playing. Camy, Rylan, and Portia had formed a little circle around Serra, who continued to dance. But now, she was singing, too. I couldn’t specifically hear her over the normal bar noise filling the space, but I watched her mouth moving. Saw the laughter in her eyes and felt my lips lift into a grin.
“I don’t look at any of my friends like that,” Rock said.
I did turn around then because I had been staring at her too long. I wanted to go over there and pull her close so that she was dancing withmeand that smile was directed atme. “You don’t have any women friends, dumbass,” I shot back at him.
Ethan came down to the end of the bar, pushing two bottles of Tito’s in Rock’s direction. “Who doesn’t have women friends?Rock?” he asked with a raised brow at Rock when he took the bottles that were needed in the Sky Lounge. “You’re kidding, right? You know how many women Maxie says she has to keep from climbing over the bar to get to him upstairs?”
Rock frowned. “Fuck you, E. We’re not talking about me; we’re talking about Noah’s falling in love ass.”
Ethan shot me a look and I shook my head. “I’m not in love,” I said. “I just haven’t seen her in a long time and I like how she looks now.”
It took exactly zero seconds for Ethan to narrow his eyes as he stared at me.This dude. I gave a wry chuckle as I shook my head.
“Nah, I think he might be right,” Ethan said.
I waved both hands at them. “You just want everybody to find a woman and walk around here as whipped as you and Del are now. Your words don’t count for shit.”
