if I were the groom, I’d be pretty glad they didn’t opt for the male revue.
Baya stands and knocks her drink with another glass to get our attention.
“I want to thank everyone for coming! As everyone knows, our good friends, Marley and Annie, didn’t want to offend their future mates by heading across the street, so we settled on a wild night at this fantastic female-laden establishment. What they don’t know is that Laney, Izzy, and I have made provisions for a little penile surprise.” A few of the girls cackle up a storm, but the brides-to-be sit shell-shocked by the news. “I hope you’re hungry because there’s going to be inches and inches of beefcake tonight!”
The girls all break out into wild screams—Scarlett being one of them. She lands in the seat next to mine with Owen and Piper next to her. Their friend, Daisy, seems to have done a disappearing act while the rest of the girls watch the stage with listless enthusiasm down at the other end of the table.
“Beefcake, huh?” Piper leans her shoulder into Owen’s. “You’re not reprising your role as stud extraordinaire, are you?”
“Nope. I’ve passed my crown down to Jet and Rex.”
Scarlett lets out a cutting laugh. “So, are you two the all male revue for the evening?” She looks to me when she says it and ironically when she laughed, too.
Jet leans in. “Sweetheart, if you ever want to see what’s under these clothes, I can arrange a private show.”
I shoot Jet a look that lets him know his balls are in peril for even suggesting it.
The music picks up with a quicker beat, and the lights go on and off in a pink rainbow of colors as the announcer takes the stage.
“Dude”—Jet socks me in the arm and leans in to whisper—“you’re into her. That pissed-off look on your face affirms it. Make something happen.”
I glance back at Scarlett to find both her and Piper whispering between themselves.
“She’s practically my sister. I don’t know. It’d be weird.” I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to having some kind of feelings toward her, mostly irritation at this point. “We’re just friends. She came over last night, and we hung out.” I shrug.
“She did?” His brows hook into his forehead. “What did you do?”
“Nothing really. She’s a cool chick. We ate donuts and watched a dick flick.”
“Dude.” Jet blinks at me, amused by the confession. “Did you just say she flicked your dick?”
“What?” I glance back to Scarlett to make sure she’s not listening. “No. No dick flicking took place. It was totally innocent.” Those late night texts where I threatened her with my tongue come back to haunt me. The lights cut out to just about nothing. Scarlett glows like an angel, pale, candescent like some ethereal being who is clearly out of place in this den of disgrace.
The announcer steps out into the limelight, a roided out, heavily tanned gym rat of a man with arms like meathooks and fingers like bananas.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special guest talent here this evening. Gracing us with their presence from the Dungeon”—the girls in the crowd scream their heads off, and both brides-to-be drop their faces into their hands—“Rocky Silver and the Stud Hammers!” The crowd goes ballistic as three beefy males strut down the long tongue of the stage. They’re all still perfectly gift wrapped in breakaway pants and torn-up T-shirts. I turn to Jet and shake my head. Figures. We head to a strip club and end up watching dudes on display.
“I’ll need a couple of volunteers for the evening,” the guy in the middle burps out at the crowd, and our end of the room lights up like a firecracker display. The brides-to-be outright refuse to take part in the sexual debauchery, so Piper hauls Scarlett and Cassidy up on stage with her.
My chest lets out a few hefty wallops as Scarlett struts those long pale stems in the direction of Rocky Silver himself, the brick house in the middle, I’m assuming. Her hair shines down her back like crushed rubies, her short skirt does its damnedest to show off her best assets, those creamy thighs, and my gut wrenches as the guys in the peanut gallery start whooping it up again. Piper and Cassidy end up with the guys in the back, and as the music starts up, the dudes begin swaying their hips into the girls. Rocky takes his meaty paws and places Scarlett’s hands over