South Row (10 page)

“I don’t know, Tiger. He seems–”

“No, he doesn’t,” I refute. “And the sooner I get that through my thick skull, the better. Today was just a moment of weakness. It won’t happen again,” I resolvedly reply.

Luke pulls the car into the parking lot of my apartment complex and I look up to the second floor to see Scott and Lydia waiting at my door, arguing. It’s obvious they are waiting for their treat. I shake my head, chuckling. Those two are always at it.

Turning to me, Luke pleads, “Don’t give up on him, South.”

I scoff
at that.

“No, hear me out. I know him. He’s confused right now. He’s been confused. I don’t know what happened between the two of you in the past, but right now, I can tell you, since you both have reunited, he’s been different. He’s trying to hide it, but I know he has strong feelings for you. He just needs to see it.”

“He’s getting
married
, Luke,” I stress. “The strong emotion you're seeing is probably repulsion.” The rejection I felt is still fresh and raw.

But Luke is already shaking his head in disagreement. “Did you know he took three weeks to give that ring to her?” My eyes widen at his revelation. “Not a few days, not a week. Twenty-two days. Does that sound
to you like the actions of someone who really wants to get married?”

I shake my head, at a loss for words. Why would Collin take so long to propose to a wo
man he claims to love? Unless…

“There’s some unresolved stuff there,” Luke continues. “Un
finished business if you will, and it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that that unfinished business is you, Tiger,” Luke explains.

My heart flutters with a glimmer of hope. Could it be? I have pined after Collin my whole life. The boys in Nebraska could never match up and the ones that I allowed past my defenses were horny assholes intent on bagging the redhead. No matter how many – or how little – of them I kissed, Collin was always at the forefront of my mind, never far from my heart but always in it.

I have dreamed about life with him so many times. Instead of filling my books with heart-shaped doodles of other boys’ names, I had my books filled with heart-shaped doodles of Collin’s name. It has always been him for me. Has it always been me for him?

“What do I do?” I ask softly, not wanting to become over
ly excited, because I still have my doubts.

Luke looks at me thoughtfully, then, like
a eureka moment, he snaps his fingers together.

“I’
ve got it!” he announces.

It has been a few days since I last saw South. Five days, three hours and twenty-five…twenty-six minutes to be exact.

Not that I’m counting.

To say I’ve been itching for her, needing her like a drug, is an understatement. Sleep eludes me at nights, and when it finally does come, my dreams are filled with the most erotic of dreams, all starring one, South Row. I had trouble seeing her as an adult before because of my stored up guilt, however, since the veil has now been ripped from my eyes, taking with it a few of my eyelashes and brows, I have been having no problem convincing myself – or my dick – that she has indeed grown-up, and I would really –
really
–
like to make grown-up love to her…really!

I am in my office counting down to the time I’ll finally get to blow this joint. I am five hours away from seeing South again. The guys – minus Luke – and I decided to revisit Totem Pole tonight. It isn’t like Luke to miss our group lunches, but he has missed two so far and the ones he was present at, well, he seemed kind of absent and not himself. That afternoon, things got…interesting, to say the least.

“Hey, man, you okay?” I asked him when I noticed he wasn’t cracking any jokes at an angry Nino Garossi, owner of the Italian bistro we go to for lunch on Thursdays.

“Huh? Yeah, Collin. Just a little distracted. You know how it is with these cases,” he answered.

I knew how it was, admittedly. Sometimes we’d get so lost in the cases we were handed that it would lock us away from civilization for days, sometimes weeks, but I sensed that that wasn’t the reason for his aloofness.

“You sure, man? You don’t usually let things get to you,” I said.

“I don’t wanna talk about it, okay?” he snapped.

“Okay, okay,” I relented, lifting my hands in surrender.

The guys who were laughing and banging the table suddenly stopped and looked over at us. Luke had never seriously snapped at either of us, so it was very strange for him to be doing it now. Stranger, was the phone call he got right then.

“Hey,” he whispered into the phone, a broad smile
brightening his face that had darkened with anger a moment ago.

“Right now?” he continued, a
s if we weren’t there. “Babe, I’m having lunch with the guys.” His voice was so soft, I don’t think the others heard him, but I was close enough to pick up what was said.

I turned to the rest of the table and mouthed with a questioning look, “
Babe?”
The guys’ eyes widened like saucers and our jaws dropped to Hades. We stared at Luke in disbelief as he continued his conversation with this mystery person. Ah, who was I kidding? It was woman. Luke being gay is blasphemy; like saying Pamela Anderson is a virgin. Just, wrong on so many levels. So as we stared at the once-was man-whore before us, talking in hushed tones to his secret woman, I couldn’t help but smile. Luke had finally bit the bullet and found the girl for him.

“Hey guys, I gotta go,” he said without hanging up, fishing out a few bills to help pay for lunch. “I, uh, have somewhere I need to be.”

An all-knowing grin spread across my face and before I could say anything, Luke glared at me.

“Don’t you fucking say it, Collin,” he warned.

“What?” I said innocently. “I wasn’t going to say anything.”

Luke glowered at me for a few seconds then smiled. It was a small smile, but it communicated volumes. He had found
her.
Never thought I’d see the day.

“Okay guys, I’ll catch up with you assholes later,” he bade us.

“Hey, Lucy!” Johann called after Luke in his Ricky Ricardo voice as he neared the door. “You have some ’splainin’ to do!”

We all laughed as he flipped us the bird before putting the phone to his ear and leaving the restaurant. We were all looking forward to seeing him later that day to grill him, but he never showed. Neither did he show up for this afternoon’s group lunch.

It isn’t like Luke to shut us all out, me especially. He and I have been through so much together, so I am kind of miffed that he won’t even talk to me about this girl. Makes me a little suspicious.

Closer to departure time, I knock on his office door, and before he can permit me entrance, I am walking through his office. Luke has his face in a pile of paperwork but looks up when I enter.

“You’re coming to Totem tonight,” I command, refusing to take ‘no’ for an answer.

He smiles and nods his assent. “Hell yeah.”

“And you better fucking talk to us tonight about this mystery chick,” I order, pointing a threatening finger in his direction.

“She’s no mystery,” he says cryptically. “But yeah, I’ll talk. I’m gonna need a whole lotta alcohol though,” he agrees.

“When we’re through with you, you won’t even see straight.” I turn to walk out the door, but stop before opening the door. I turn back to him and leave him with, “Welcome to the dark side, brother.”

He snorts derisively, “Tell me about it.”

**********

Should’ve known that
Luke would have stiffed us out of going to Totem. The guy isn’t even answering his phone. We swung by his place on the way over and he wasn’t even there. The guys are laughing about this, but me…I’m pissed off. The least he could’ve done was call and say that he’s tied up with his mystery woman and wouldn’t be able to come to Totem Pole with us. I haven’t even met this girl and already I don’t like her.

“I’m just saying, why hide her? If she’s
so
special, he should introduce her to his friends. I don’t like it.” That’s me harrumphing in the back of Wyatt’s jeep.

But…
you agree with me right? I mean, why is he hiding this girl? Is she ugly or something? We need to give this girl the third degree already because, make no mistake, her pussy could be a goldmine, if she’s not right for Luke, she’s just not right for Luke, and I, for one, would not hesitate to tell her she doesn’t make the cut. She already doesn’t make the cut! Stealing my friend away. Bitch.

I sound like a grumpy old man with that inner monologue, but I don’t give a goddamn.

“Aww, Colline misses his boyfriend?” Wyatt teases.

“I’m just saying that we don’t know who this girl is, Wynona.” We have feminine nicknames for each of us. Yes, it’s weird, but it’s our thing. I’m Colline, Connor is Connie. Luke is Lucy, and Wyatt and Johann are Wynona and Johanna. These names are reserved for when we’re
acting like a bunch of pussies which, it seems, I currently am.

“She could be a serial killer, or worse, a gold digger,” I prattle on.

“Are you serious, bro?” Johann jumps in, laughing. “A gold digger is worse than a serial killer?”

“Think about that Kanye West song, fellas,” I advise.

They all fall silent for a while, then in unison agree, “Yeah, yeah it is.”

“Look, Luke finally finds pussy he can stand for more than one night. Let him enjoy it. It’s novel to him,” Connor chimes in.

I know he’s right, but…I just don’t want to lose my friend.

“He’ll introduce her soon enough. Or we’ll just kidnap him and force this chick to pay the ransom,” Connor continues, lightening the mood. “If she does come and pay the ransom, we’ll know she’s a great catch. If she doesn’t? Well, w
e would have done Luke a favor.”

“Oohh, we should do it for real!” Wyatt exclaims excitedly, clapping his hands together like a chick.

“Like, totes hilar, Wyatt,” I tease in a Valley girl voice.

“Hey, I’m not the one with his thong in a twist because his boyfriend has a new girlfriend,” Wyatt jokes, causing the whole vehicle to erupt in laughter, except me.

“Ha, ha. Laugh it up,” I grunt sulkily.

I spend the rest of the drive over in silence, brooding over Luke’s behavior and eagerly anticipating seeing South again so I can
repair my fuck up. I just hope it’s not too late to fix things between us.

Totem Pole is a little more crowded than usual tonight, and I wonder if all these people are here to see South perform. I must admit, she is good at what she does. We find a booth closest to the stage, thanks to Connor calling in ahead of time to book our seats.

A waitress comes over to take our order and Wyatt and I opt for ginger ale. Even though Wyatt has chosen to be the DD tonight, I’m not drinking. I want to witness South in all her exotic glory without the haze of alcohol inhibiting the experience.

I watch disinterested at the dancers currently on stage. They are good. Sexy. Limber. But not South. The guys seem to be as disinterested as I am. Wyatt is texting and smiling down at his cell. Must be talking to Reese. Johann and Connor are deep in conversation and I am switching from watching the stage to looking around the club for any sign of South. Not a creeper, people.

After probably the longest half an hour of my life, the lights dim and the curtains get drawn. They are preparing for the main event. My hands start sweating and as I wait for the lights to come back on and the stage to don my beautiful redhead, I try to think of what I will possibly say to get back into her good graces and hopefully into her panties.

I always have the intention to just talk with her, find out where she was all this time, talk about what happened all those years ago, why she didn’t try to find me. Every time I see her, though, all of that flies through the window and is replaced
with lust and lots of it. She winds me up so tight that I’m surprised I’m not a permanent knot.

Ten minutes pass before I hear the announcer’s voice through the speakers.

“The performance you’ve all been waiting for.” I gulp, heart racing. “The beautiful, the talented, the sultry, the sexy,” he pauses as the curtains draw and the lights gradually brighten. “The Southern Bombshell, Sunshine!” The audience erupts into applause, whistles, hoots and hollers. I guess now we know who they came to see.

The stage comes to life and the only thing I see is a carousel horse attached to the pole. I smile at South’s creativity. She is always thinking outside of the box which makes her performances that much more loved. A heavy bass starts pounding, ushering in the start of the routine. I recognize the music as Ginuwine’s
Pony
and my smile widens. This should be interesting.

The moment I spot South, my dick stands to attention. She is wearing a cowboy hat, fringe cowboy boots, brown ass-less chaps with a whip attached, and tiny white panties with a lone star on the front. I’m guessing it is her homage to our home state. Her bra is brown, matching the color of her chaps and has fringe tassels caressing her torso. She put her hair into pigtail braids and her makeup is done a little bit darker, sexier, edgier. Is i
t hot in here all of a sudden?

South sexily makes her way across the stage, twisting her hips hypnotically to the music. She has me and everyone in this room in a trance with how she moves. Unloading the whip from her side, she cracks it on the horse and it whirs to life. With one hand, she grips the pole and lifts herself up to mount the horse as it goes around in circles just like a carousel horse at the carnival. Talk about upper body strength!

As her routine flawlessly continues, with the DJ doing an extended ten-minute mix of the song, she alternates between doing tricks on the horse and tricks on the pole, swinging from it and contorting her body in erogenous ways. She does some sexually suggestive floor routines that have my dick thumping in anticipation. Tongues are wagging, eyes are bulging, and I’m sure dicks are throbbing, as every patron in this room takes in this beautiful, erotic creature and her spellbinding movements. She brings new meaning to the word siren.

Her soft, pale skin is bathed in an almost orange glow. The
light caresses her form in such a way that she looks unreal; like something out of a fantasy. Right now, she is every man’s fantasy, as we all sit hooked to the ethereal beauty on stage. She looks forbidden and untouched, but exudes such a fierce sensuality that you can’t help but think the dirtiest thoughts about her. Tingles crawl up my arms and spine as I watch her, my heart beating wildly in my chest.

Every twist of her hips, every caress of her skin has me wishing I could touch her. Her skin is
perspiration-slicked and I close my eyes as I envision licking a trail from her neck right down to the swells of her supple breasts. With no shame whatsoever, I adjust the throbbing bulge in my pants and reopen my eyes to watch the show.

Her movements are so fluid and mesmerizing. Her legs seem to extend for miles, and the way she wraps them around the pole is extraordinary. I thought Kaylee had strong legs, but clearly I am mistaken. South makes all those pole dancing moves look absolutely effortless, despite their difficulty. I dare say she looks elegant. As elegant as one can be with their breasts and ass almost exposed.

It is nearing the finale of her ten minute set. As the song comes to an end, South stands on the horse as it whips around. Apprehension rises in me, knowing how dangerous the stunt is. She extends her arms like she is setting to fly and pretends to falter, but regains her footing, smiling out to the crowd. The entire club makes a collective gasp, holding their breaths as they watch with rapt attention, wondering what she will do next.