Page 62 of Grand Love

Charlie and Elliot follow suit, while I say hi to Megan and Scarlet. I eventually turn to Nina, and she smiles shyly over at me. “Hey, Mase.”

My heart thrashes against my chest at that smile, and the fact she called me Mase and not Mason. It gets me right there, deep in my gut. I take my time as I lean forward, running my lips past her cheek to her jaw, placing a soft kiss just below her ear. “You look beautiful, Nina,” I whisper.

Our eyes meet and I watch as she swallows the lump in her throat. She isn’t as drunk as I first thought, but her eyes are still wide and glassy.

“I need a drink,” she blurts, breaking the moment. “Ell, what do you want to drink?”

She struts off to the bar and leans over the marble top, looking for someone to serve her, and I watch as her short black dress rises up her thighs. I couldn’t keep my feet in place if I wanted to. I stride to the bar and stand at her back.

“I’ll get these.” I signal to the barman.

“What? No. I can buy my friend a drink.” She frowns at me, looking over her shoulder. “What are you drinking, Ell?” she calls behind us, but Elliot doesn’t seem to hear her over the music.

“Four Macallans and a bottle of Dom Perignon vintage. Three glasses.”

“Two. PLEASE!” she corrects, giving me a drunken glare as she lowers her voice to a hushed whisper. “Could you be any showier?”

I drop my head to her ear, talking low and with warning. “It’s Montgomery’s birthday, don’t make this about us.”

My hand barely grazes her waist when she spins, slapping my hand away. “Exactly! Leave me alone, you giant butthead.” She snots as she chuckles at herself and then slips past me, leaving me to wait for the drinks. I ask for a third flute when the barman gives me two.

The girls are gone when I get back to the table. I place the champagne down and hand the boys their drinks.

“What’s going on with you two?” Charlie asks as I pass him his glass.

“Nothing.”

“Didn’t look like nothing,” Lance pipes up. “You gonna be on her ass all night?”

“I’m not on her ass now, am I? Dick.”

“I think she found someone to dance with anyway.”

My head snaps to Elliot and he grins up at me, clearly trying to wind me up. “Fuck you!” I spit, stretching out my neck.

She fucking rattles me.

“Just go get her, for fuck’s sake. You need to stuff her full, Lowell.”

Charlie and Lance chuckle, while I shake my head. “You’re a pig, you know that,” I tell him in disgust.

“We’re all thinking it.”

“She’ll come around, mate.” Charlie winks, lifting his whiskey to me before taking a sip.

“You think I want her, still?” I shake my head at them all, my pointer aimed at my chest. “I couldn’t give a fuck, but she’s the mother of my child and I won’t have her making a show of herself drunk. I’ll never trust the girl again. That ship sailed the day she left me.”

“Geez, you don’t hold no punches, do you?”

I turn to find the girls standing at my back. Nina glowers at me, before rolling her eyes and taking off towards the bar again.

“Really, Mason!” Scarlet scolds me. “What is wrong with you?”

“For fuck’s sake.” I pinch the bridge of my nose and go after her.

“Go away, please. I want to enjoy my night,” she tells me, her voice dripping with sarcasm as I step up next to her. “This is Elliot’s night, Mase. Let’s not make it about us.” She smiles sweetly, then turns back to the barman. “A vodka cranberry, and two shots of tequila, please.”

“You don’t have to be such a child. Maybe just once we could have a conversation without you running off.”

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