Wished Away: A Broken Fairy Tale (3 page)

While her beauty is something that stops men in their tracks, it’s her character that really hooks people. She’s honest, loyal, funny, and loving. No one has a bigger heart than my girl. No one.

“Lover’s Eyes” by Mumford and Sons is guiding us across the dance floor and Jess’s hands are caressing my back in slow, swirling motions, sweeping across the top of my trousers, driving me mad. Right now I want nothing more than to tear her out of this flowing blue dress with far too much fabric and feel her naked body on mine.

“What do you say we call it a night?” I swipe her hair away from her neck, placing soft kisses behind her ear, knowing it’s the direct line into her pants.

She sighs in want. “I say, hell yes. Let’s go pretend we’re newlyweds.” She runs her hands through my hair tilting her mouth up to meet mine.

I nip at her bottom lip, desire pulsing through me. “No.” I flick my tongue across her parting lips. “No pretending necessary. We are better than newlyweds. I
know you.”
I move my mouth across her cheek to her neck, and nip at her ear, letting my hands drift to the side of her waist, gripping it tightly. “I know how to make you beg for more. I know how to make you scream with pleasure, and I’m going to spend the rest of this night reminding you how you’re the only thing I’ll ever want.”

I slip my hands behind her neck and pull her deep into my kiss, and when a passionate sigh escapes her lips, I know we have to leave.
Now
. She pulls back, looking at me with hooded eyes and swollen lips before leading me over to say goodnight to our daughter and the others. She hastily grabs her purse and pulls me out the door oozing with desire. When we make it to the side of the restaurant to our car, I swing her around and press her against the cool metal door, kissing her hard.

She responds immediately twisting her fingers in my hair, her tongue sweeping across mine in a sensual way.

“God, I love you Jess,” I say breathless when we finally break our kiss.

Her face turns serious and an uncharacteristically shy smile appears. She pushes my dark hair out of my face and holds her hand on my cheek, with a loving gaze, letting the diamond star she still wears tickle my cheek. “I’ll never love anyone but you Dave. Never.”

I kiss her nose and squeeze her hips, “Let’s get home.” I can’t wait any longer to bury myself inside of her. When I walk around to my side of the car, I look up at the stars and make a silent wish that we’ll be like this forever.

Jess

I
just dropped Charlotte off at Dave’s parent’s house and am heading over to Cam’s when I hear the telling ring on my phone that Kat is calling. I sing along for a second to “Jersey Girl” by Bruce Springsteen before answering. I freaking love
The Boss
, how can you be from Jersey and not?

“Hey girl, are you already at Cam’s?” I ask, putting her on speaker and turning down my dimly lit street.

“Just about. I wanted to see if you guys want me to grab anything?”

I pull into my driveway, grab my phone and a bottle of wine, and start walking towards Cam’s house. “Nope, all set. We only have time for one glass of wine before we meet up with the guys at the Old Mill Inn.”

“Please, please tell me that Joey and I aren’t going to be the only single people again Jess. You know I hate that shit.”

I try to hide my laugh, but when I walk through the door and Camryn hears what Kat has said, I can’t. We are celebrating Dave’s birthday tonight, and he doesn’t want anything big. He also doesn’t want any of Joey’s flings showing up, making us uncomfortable with his slutty ways. Joey’s a great guy with a big heart, but he is quite simply a player. He’s never been in love that I know of, and has already tried his hand at Kat, although it’s been years now.

“Jessica answer me.” Kat’s voice turns stern, only making us laugh harder. I motion for Cam to grab three glasses out, while I dig through her cabinet for a bottle opener.

“Kat, just get your butt over here now. Yes, it’s the six of us for dinner, but then you and Joey can go sew your single, wild oats when we get to the club, alright. You know Dave, he just wants it to be his best buds at dinner. And you and Joey are two of them.”

Cam hands me my glass and we both laugh again when we hear the dial tone after Kat hangs up on me.

“I don’t see why those two don’t just hook up and make our circle complete,” I say plopping myself down on the stool at the island in Cam’s kitchen.

“Because she has some self-respect. Kat doesn’t just hook up, and you know that. Joey will never settle down and
she
knows it. Before we know it, he’s going to be forty and still single, hooking up with twenty year olds because he can. He’s a smoldering hot fireman for God sake. If I didn’t know him, and I was single, I’d do him too.”

That makes me just about spit out my wine. Yes, Joey is hot, but he is
Joey
and he’s been our best friend since we were kids. Cam sits down next to me and pulls out some finely cut blue cheese and baguettes to complement our wine. Always the hostess. I love that we still live on this quiet beach street together. Cam and Holden still have an apartment in Manhattan for when they have to work long hours, but have decided to live here permanently when they saw how much the girls love it here. Marcus, Cam’s ex-husband, has been surprisingly accommodating to their new arrangement, even investing in a small home in Lavallette so their summers could be spent down here too.

“So Jess, how’s Dave feel turning the big 3-5?” Cam teases, popping a piece of the creamy cheese in her mouth.

I smile thinking of his strong, handsome face. Dave’s not just good-looking, he’s panty-dropping hot, especially in his uniform. His dark brown hair now has some sprinkles of grey that make my legs tingle. And his full lips, framed by a strong jaw line makes me want to kiss him for hours at a time. It’s hard to believe he is thirty-five tomorrow because we have been together for so long, and I’m even more attracted to him today, then I was when we were teenagers. I can hardly remember what my life was like before he was in it, and I hope I never know what it is like again.

After we finish our wine, we make our way to the restaurant where the men are waiting for us at the dimly lit bar. The three of them are laughing together, arms draped over each other’s shoulders, looking more alluring than ever. Dave notices us first. He takes a sip from what I’m sure is a dirty martini, and his eyes meet mine causing a seductive smile to cross his face, luring me to him.

When I get to his side, he wraps his strong arm around my waist and kisses me below the ear making me go weak in the knees. He knows this is my favorite spot. “You look amazing,” he husks out pulling me down onto his lap.

I adjust my fitted red dress, his favorite color on me, and snuggle in perfectly to him, playfully flicking the collar to his white linen shirt that shows his muscular athletic frame perfectly. “You don’t look too bad yourself officer.”

We all order another drink while waiting for our table, laughing and joking about the “old days” when we could stay out all night, and sleep the entire next day.

“Yeah well, you guys can go home at ten, Kitty Kat here and I’ll go live it up all night then.” Joey friskily put his arm around Kat’s shoulders making her roll her eyes in her usual response at his advances. We all knew that ship sailed long ago.

Dave motions to a man sitting alone at a table for two near the window overlooking the lake outside. I know I’ve seen him before, but can’t place him. The obvious thing is he’s strikingly handsome—very handsome. But when I really look at him, sadness engulfs me. He looks so broken, so sad.

“Hey Joey, isn’t that Gage Scott?” Dave asks.

“Yeah, but he wants to be alone tonight, that’s why I didn’t ask him to join us.” Joey answers with a hint of regret in his voice.

“I can’t imagine what he’s going through right now. I’ve only seen him a few times since it happened. He doesn’t get out much anymore, not that I can blame him,” Holden says in a hushed voice.

“Do tell,” Kat interjects.

Joey shakes his head, as if it is too painful to retell. “You girls have met him before. He and his wife came to Thanksgiving after Hurricane Sandy and were at my Memorial Day party last year. We went to Yale together and were all super close, and reconnected when he moved back to Brick right before Hurricane Sandy. Cool dude and one of the best fucking surgeons I’ve ever seen. Seriously, they guy’s a genius.”

Dave interjects fast forwarding to why this man looks so sad. “He’s our college buddy that’s a doctor over at Brick Memorial whose wife was killed in that drunk driving accident last summer.” The heartbreak in Dave’s voice is unmistakable

My heart sinks looking at him sitting there alone, looking so lost, staring out into the moon lit lake. Flickers of recognition pass through me remembering he and his wife together, always seeming so happy and I can only imagine his grief. When my parents died, I thought I had nothing left, and it took a while to realize how much I really did have. I had Dave. I had my friends. Seeing him alone like this breaks my heart. “Should we invite him to eat with us? He shouldn’t be alone right now.”

“We’d better not. I’m sure there’s a reason he’s here alone Jess. You can’t save everyone Sweet Thing.” Dave flicks at the star on my wrist. “All you can do is w
ish for him to find happiness again.” Dave kisses my cheek and rubs his nose against mine. “Turn that frown upside down, babe.”

I smile up into his deep brown eyes and kiss him softly. “I love you.”

Just then, the hostess comes to show us to our table. I give one last glance over to Gage and then look out to the stars, and make my wish for him.

Dinner was delicious and the club is even more fun than I thought it’d be. We all dance until we’re as sweaty as teenagers to songs that I don’t think I’ve ever heard before, but didn’t care. Being with Dave this way is something I miss in our life. Our nights are mainly spent with Charlotte watching movies or going out to dinner, and we rarely go out just the two of us anymore. All this dancing, makes me able to think of only one thing. Getting my hot ass husband home and give him his real present. I’d gone out and gotten the sexiest red piece of lingerie I could find, some black stiletto heels, and thigh high stockings with a garter, all of Dave’s favorites. He better go crazy when he sees me in it.

We say goodbye to our friends and hop into the car service I ordered knowing we’d be in no shape to drive home.

When Dave slides in next to me, he eyes me like a lion hunting its prey. He even lets out a playful growl before leaning over me, his hands making their way up my bare thighs, under my dress.

“I want you right here, right now,” he rumbles as he leans down and takes my ear in his mouth.

I run my hands up under his shirt, scraping my nails down his back and he kisses every inch of my neck, making his way across my collar bone, to my other ear, driving me absolutely mad. “I have a surprise for you when we get home. Patience is a virtue.” I tease pushing him off of me and adjusting my dress, leaving just enough cleavage out to make his mouth water.

“You’re all I need Jess. You’re all I’ll ever need.” He pulls me under his arm and kisses the top of my head, while his other hand torments my thighs, reminding me of the pleasure that’s waiting for me when we get home.
Two more miles
. I reach over and feel the large, hard, bulge that I notice pressing against his dark jeans. I caress him while he walks his fingers up to my panties, sliding them aside with his hand, stroking me intimately, making both of us ready to burst with need. “Jess, you’ve got to stop or I’ll rip you out of that sexy dress right here.”

I giggle and turn his face so that he’s looking in my eyes, “Do you really want me to stop?”

Just in time, our car pulls into the driveway. Dave hands the driver his fee, adding a little extra to the tip for the show we most likely gave him, picks me up and throws me over his shoulder, hastily taking me inside. Just as he shuts the door to our house, he has me pressed up against the hard wood and his mouth meets mine with passionate desire. His hands are back under my dress ripping off my panties making me cry out in ecstasy. We frantically tear off each other’s clothes, right there in the entryway, breaking our kiss only to get our clothes over our head.