other than her.”
“Mine next,” April said.
I unwrapped the box she had handed me earlier and opened the lid. Inside was a gift card to a local bookstore.
“I had the same idea Christina did, I guess.”
I didn’t understand.
“Take it out,” April said. “There’s another surprise underneath.”
I took out the gift card to find another one for my favorite lingerie store.
“I thought you could go shopping for books and get yourself some pretty lingerie now that you’re single. It’s always nice to make yourself feel sexy again after a breakup.”
I shook my head and smiled. “You two ladies are the best. Thank you.”
I took the lipstick vibrator back from Griffin, who had been studying it, and the two gift cards and stuck all three in my purse.
“So, what did you get Madeline, Griff?” Christina asked.
He lifted up his hands. “Nothing yet. She still hasn’t told me what she wants.”
“Oh yeah, I kind of forgot after Wednesday. Yesterday, I went to Harris’s while he was at work, and I picked up all the stuff I’d had there and left my key. And today, I was focused on tonight.” I patted his knee. “I’ll think of something for you to get me.”
“You’d better because I’m not letting you top me with the gift you got me this year.”
I had gotten Griffin a neon sign with the name of his bar.
“My gift wasn’t that great.”
“It is when I didn’t get you anything.”
I chuckled. “That’s a fair point. Don’t worry. I’m sure there is something out there that I want.”
“Just make sure you pick something sexual and nonsexual,” he joked, “since that seems to be the running theme.”
“Ooh. In that case, I want the biggest dildo you can buy,” I teased back.
Griffin snickered. “No. I am not buying a dildo.”
“That’s too bad,” I said with fake disappointment. “Because I was going to buy you a pocket pussy next year.”
He laughed and looked me in the eye. “Babe, I don’t need a pocket pussy when I get plenty of the real thing.”
Seven
Madeline
A couple hours later, the six of us were laughing and joking around, and I was feeling pretty good. I was enjoying my birthday buzz.
Unfortunately, all that drinking made me need to use the ladies’ room.
I pushed back my chair. “I’m going to go to the restroom. Anyone coming with me?”
“I’m fine,” April said.
“Me too,” Christina said.
Griffin pushed back his chair. “I’ll go with you. I could go to the bathroom, and I’m out of beer. The servers haven’t come around for a while.”
The two of us walked inside and went to opposite sides of the hall. There was a short line to the ladies’ room but none to the men.
Figures.
“You want to meet me at the bar when you get out?” he asked me.
“Yeah. Will you order me a beer?”
“Will do.”
By the time I made it in and out, about fifteen minutes had passed. I had to wonder if Griffin had even waited for me.
I looked around the room toward the bar and saw his dark head sticking out of the crowd toward the front, and I smiled. He hadn’t left me.
Weaving my way through the crowd, I wasn’t prepared for what I saw when I reached him.
Holly had found Griffin.
And the poor guy looked like he’d rather be anywhere but there.
I slid up beside him and moved in close. “Hey, Griff.” I looked at Holly. “Hey…” I bit my lip, pretending like I couldn’t remember her name. It was petty of me, but that uneasy feeling was back, and I blamed her.
“Holly,” she said, clearly unhappy to see me.
I snapped my fingers. “Right.” I grinned. “Hi, Holly. How are you?”
She smiled stiffly. “Fine. If you don’t mind, Griffin and I were talking.”
I didn’t have a good response for this, but I didn’t need one.
Griffin put his arm around me and tugged me close. “Sorry, Holly. It’s Madeline’s birthday, and I promised to spend the night with her.”
Holly rolled her eyes and sighed. “Yeah, I shouldn’t be surprised,” she said to herself more than to us. She looked at the two of us and shrugged. “Your loss,” she said to Griffin and walked away.
Once she was out of earshot, the two of us started laughing.
“Your loss,” I mimicked. “If she only knew.”
Griffin snorted.
He still had his arm around me, and he pulled me into a semi-hug, so we were chest to chest. “I owe you.”
I clutched his sides and enjoyed the feel of him under my hands. He felt and smelled delicious. “Yeah, you do.”
“I’m