How to Marry Your Frenemy - London Casey Page 0,57
then pointed for her to go talk to someone else.
She was bubbly and jumped away like an innocent rabbit.
I felt like a cat. A vicious cat. I wanted to pounce on Maggie and tear her apart. And then I wanted to fuck Jackson.
Jackson and I locked eyes again.
It was just so…
“Callie?”
I had to break the stare.
I turned and smiled when I saw Carol standing in front of me.
“Look at you,” she said to me. “How do you get prettier each time I see you?”
“Carol,” I said.
We hugged each other.
Carol was such a sweet woman. Her husband Dale had been on the board of a space tech company that Vince fell in love with. Vince insisted we invest in the company. Dale had more interest in looking down my shirt than to talk real business, so I stuck with Carol.
“How’s Dale?” I asked.
“Trying to get into the dress of that young woman over there,” Carol said.
I looked and saw Dale talking to Maggie.
I laughed. “Good luck, Dale.”
“I keep telling him, if you can get it, go for it.”
“Does he ever get it?” I asked.
“Never,” Carol said. She smiled. “How are you? I mean, I heard you got married?”
“What?”
“Was that not true?”
“No. I mean yes. I mean… I’m married. I got married, yes.”
“Callie,” Carol said, letting her jaw drop. Her eyes were drunk. “I never thought… and I heard it was to Jackson…”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Love, right?”
“You two hated each other,” she said. “Oh, I remember those meetings. He would just barge in and act like such an ass.”
“Well, he’s still an ass,” I said. “Now he’s my ass.”
“How did that happen?” Carol grabbed my wrist. “I sound so rude right now. I blame the drinks. I’m sorry for the way I sound.”
“No, it’s fine,” I said. “It’s a shock to everyone. Including me.” I laughed. “But seriously, it was just… I don’t know. I guess if you argue with someone enough and you can put up with them…”
“You know what? That’s the perfect kind of marriage. You know how to push each other’s buttons yet you can stand it and outlast it.” Carol leaned toward me. “And I’m sure the sex is insane. Right? All that pent-up anger and competition… taking that to the bedroom… where nobody loses…”
“Let’s just say I’m very happy,” I said.
“I can see it in your face. You look so pretty. I’m so happy to see you. You know Dale retired finally, right?”
“I heard that.”
“Thanks to your investment,” Carol said. “He was able to cash out and now we just enjoy life.”
“Watching Dale trying to get laid?” I asked.
Carol laughed again. “Poor guy. He gets rejected and I just give him a hand job when we get home and he falls asleep.”
I choked on my martini.
“Too much?” Carol asked.
“No,” I said. “Just caught me off guard.”
“Well, I’ll let you be. Your husband is staring at you like he wants to rip that dress off you. Don’t let me get in the way.”
Carol hugged me again and I looked at Jackson.
He just kept staring.
That look…
I curled my lip.
I wasn’t going to fall for it.
When Carol walked away, I hurried to finish my drink.
I put the glass on the bar and then made my move.
To get out of Jackson’s sight.
I needed a minute or two to myself.
The bathroom was fancy with a gold mirror, big lights, marble counters, clean floors, and big enough stalls that I was able to stand in one with my dress hiked up so it didn’t touch the floor.
My head swirled and buzzed. It was like Jackson had set himself into my head, leaving it impossible for me to leave the bathroom without… relief.
I swallowed hard and took a breath.
I could pull this off.
What the hell are you thinking right now, Callie? This is insane. You’re going to touch yourself in the bathroom at an event for charity…
I told that dumb rational voice to shut up.
If I didn’t do something right now, I was going to end up in Jackson’s bed.
I held my dress up with my left hand and reached between my legs with my right hand. I gently pressed over my panties. I was already on fire. I could feel my panties pulling tight against my body.
I sucked in a breath and slipped my fingers down the front of my panties.
Just as the tip of my middle finger touched my best friend, there was a knock at the bathroom door.