“That’s because I live and work in Sugar Falls. Unfortunately, Carbon and I haven’t been able to see each other the last few weekends due to our schedules.”
Annabelle smiled a knowing smile. “I hope you had him for breakfast.”
I grinned. “I did.” I liked Annabelle.
After being massaged, wrapped, exfoliated, and waxed to within an inch of my life, we were finally ready to leave the spa. When it was time to pay for my treatments, the clerk told me it was taken care of and handed me a small envelope. Confused, I took it and pulled out the slip of paper inside.
Harper,
My treat. Be good tonight.
Love you,
Chase
I was falling more and more in love with that man every day. I pulled out my phone to send him a quick text when someone bumping my hip startled me. I looked up to see Reese waving a similar white envelope around. “What’s yours say?” she asked.
I glanced around and noticed that Annabelle, Ember, Reese, and Sarah also had white envelopes. “It’s just a note from Chase letting me know he paid.”
Reese gasped. “He lets you call him Chase?”
I couldn’t tell if she was surprised or somehow offended. Hesitantly, I answered, “Yes, he told me to call him Chase when we first started dating, but only when we were alone. He wanted me to call him Carbon if we were around other people. I assumed it was because we weren’t ready to share our relationship with the club.”
Her eyes dropped to the floor for a moment before she raised them to meet mine. When she did, they were full of unshed tears. Softly, she said, “He hasn’t let anyone call him Chase since our family was murdered. He’s been Carbon ever since that day, even to me.”
I reached out and placed my hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Reese. I didn’t—”
“No, no,” she interrupted, “it’s a good thing, a little bittersweet, but I’m happy about it.” She took in a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “Load up, ladies. It’s time to head back to Ember’s house and get ready for a wild night out!”
Claps and cheers erupted around the tranquil spa as we filed out the door and climbed into a stretch SUV limo. Reese popped open a bottle of champagne and started passing glasses around as she got them filled. I found it hilarious that we went through a drive-thru to pick up a late lunch on the way back to Ember’s house. Champagne and Burger King, what a combination.
By the time we arrived at Ember’s house, I had downed multiple glasses of champagne but managed to finish my meal. Thinking the food would help ward off some of the effects of the alcohol was a mistake. As we were getting ready, Reese handed everyone a shot glass filled with something fruity. She held her glass high in the air, “We shall start the night off with what we will all be tonight, a cockteaser!” We each downed the shot and returned to getting ready, but Reese wasn’t done. She came back shortly with another shot for each girl. By the time we were ready to leave, I had downed a purple hooter, a buttery nipple, and a red-headed slut, in addition to the initial cockteaser.
I stumbled to the car in my five-inch heels and indecently short dress, and I started to wonder if I should bow out now. I wasn’t a big drinker, and I felt certain I had already surpassed my limitations. I turned around to search for Ember and tell her I wasn’t going to be able to go with them when Annabelle placed her hand on my arm. “You’ll be okay, Harper. I’ll make you a drink with no alcohol in it so you can sober up a bit and no one will be the wiser.”
I looked at her incredulously, “How did you know?”
She smiled. “I spit the shots into an empty glass when no one was looking. I thought someone needed to stay sober and keep an eye on things tonight. As the bride’s mother, I silently volunteered myself for the job.”
I breathed a huge sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
We had a great time dancing and playing silly party games. I was glad Annabelle convinced me to stay. After dancing and drinking non-alcoholic drinks, I had significantly sobered up and was starting to get tired. We were at the third club of the evening when I started wondering how much longer this party was going to last.
I was sitting at our reserved table talking with Keegan when Annabelle came running over to the table, dragging Reese and Alexis with her. Ember and Sarah were right behind them pulling Emma and Tara to the table. I straightened in my seat, panic already seeping in. “What’s going on?”
Annabelle explained, “I noticed a guy following us. He’s been everywhere we’ve been tonight, and he’s been staring. So, I asked Phoenix about it. Come to find out, Shaker and Carbon have been following us, or were supposed to be, but Phoenix can’t get a hold of them. He told me to gather up everyone and stay put. He’s on his way now.”
Ember and Annabelle continued to whisper to one another. Reese sat stiff as a board in her seat. And I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Where the hell was Chase? Did something happen to him? Nothing could happen to him. I needed him. Now. I’ve had a man follow me before, and it didn’t turn out well. This couldn’t turn out like that did.
I was damn near in a full-blown panic attack when I felt Reese’s fingers intertwine with mine and squeeze. “He’s okay. I can feel it. Take a few slow breaths and calm down so you can feel it, too.”
At first, I thought she was insane, but then I thought, “What the hell?” and decided to give it a try. To my utter astonishment, she was right. After getting myself under control, I could feel it somehow; an unexplainable knowledge that he was okay. She must have been watching me closely because she spoke the moment realization dawned. “There you go. Just hang in there with me until we find out what is going on.” Reese and I sat quietly together, hand in hand, waiting for Phoenix to arrive.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Carbon
“Looks like the girls are getting ready to head to another club,” I said to Shaker. We were posted up in the back corner of some lame ass dance club in Cedar Valley. Phoenix wanted the girls tailed by two brothers, and I readily volunteered for the job. I was desperate to see Harper and would take anything I could get, even if that meant watching her drunkenly dance around in a dress that accentuated every perfect curve of her body.