Blackstone Ranger Charmer - Alicia Montgomery Page 0,42
it was a good thing Gabriel had already guessed what Anders had planned and had come up with a solution of his own.
“Oh yeah, shake it, baby!” a rather enthusiastic voice shouted.
“What the fuck?” Damon’s eyes bugged out as he turned his head to find the source. In the center of the room where the small private stage was set up. One of the three dancers had her legs wrapped around the pole and hung upside down as J.D. whooped and showered her with dollar bills.
“God, of course she’s enjoying herself,” Damon grumbled, rubbing the bridge of his nose with this thumb and forefinger, turning his back from the stage once more.
One of the concessions he had made to Damon was for their other best friend to join, since J.D. was technically part of the wedding party, though she was Anna Victoria’s Maid of Honor. Although Anders had initially protested because J.D. was female, the two were now thick as thieves as they ogled and encouraged every single stripper that had performed on stage. Daniel Rogers, on the hand, sat beside them sheepishly eyeing the entertainment, unsure of what to do. He seemed like he wanted to join Gabriel and Damon in the back of the room and ignore the girls, but Anders and J.D. kept egging him on to drop the “nice guy” act.
“Yeah, baby!” J.D. screamed as the stripper worked the pole like she was a Tilt-A-Whirl. “Move that caboose!”
Gabriel stifled a laugh. “Good ol’ J.D. doesn’t disappoint.” He himself glanced at the women disinterestedly. Really, they weren’t doing anything for him, and he could tell Damon was just as miserable as he was, being away from their mate. Maybe it was time to end this. Pressing the call button in his hand, he waited, and a few seconds later, their cocktail waitress walked in, and he quickly intercepted her by the door.
“What can I get you, sir?”
“How about my special request?” he asked.
The young woman’s face lit up. “Ah yes, everything’s all set up.”
“Good, can you tell the DJ and then let her in?”
“Will do, sir,” she nodded. “I’ll get you more drinks, too.”
“Thanks.” Finally. He was tired of Damon’s brooding, and it would be nice to see him smile.
“What’s going on?” Damon said as he walked back to the couch.
“Huh?” he asked innocently.
“Your eye’s twitching, and you can barely stop from smiling,” Damon pointed out. “Do you have something planned?”
“Hmmm.” He plopped down on the couch as the music changed.
“Gabriel—”
“And now we have some special entertainment just for the groom,” the DJ announced.
The strippers understood that that was the signal and stopped dancing, then disappeared through the curtains at the rear of the stage.
“Hey!” Anders protested as he waved a fistful of bills. “Where are you going?”
Gabriel caught J.D.’s eyes, who nodded in return. “Anders, c’mon. Let’s go to the main room.”
“Main room? But we were having fun in here,” Anders complained.
Daniel quickly shot to his feet. “Sounds like a plan.”
J.D. hooked her arm around the tiger shifter’s. “Dude, I think I saw a bachelorette party out there. Bet they’re a lot of fun. And looking for some company.”
“Really?” Anders’s face lit up. “Well then, what are we waiting for? You can be my wing woman, McNamara.”
J.D rolled her eyes as she led him out, Daniel right behind them.
As soon as they were out the door, Gabriel grabbed Damon by the arm and dragged him toward the stage.
“Gabriel,” Damon asked in a warning voice. “What’s going on?”
Now Gabriel didn’t bother hiding his grin. “Sit back,” he said, pushing him down on the chair. “And enjoy the show.”
The lights dimmed, and a slow, sensuous tune began to pipe into the speakers. The curtains behind parted, and a figure wearing a trench coat and a feathered mask walked onstage in the tallest stiletto heels Gabriel had ever seen.
“What the fuck, Gabriel?” Damon growled. “I told you I don’t want any strippers or lap dances or—” He stopped all of a sudden, his entire body tensing.
“Oh, I think you’ll like this one,” he said with a laugh. Turning his head toward the stage he nodded at the dancer, who whipped off her mask.
“Jesus Christ,” Damon cursed.
“Hello there, Chief,” Anna Victoria said with a laugh as she sauntered toward them in her sky-high heels. “Surprise!”
Gabriel tossed his head back and laughed aloud. “I guess you won’t mind this one, huh, Damon?”
His friend looked up at him, his jaw tensing. “I love you, man, but if you don’t get the fuck