“I’m sorry. We good?”
Because there was nothing else to do, she laughed. “Of course we are. I was just shocked. But…why?”
“Honestly? It’s a rush. Plus, the money isn’t bad.”
Noel squeezed his arm. “As long as you’re happy, then so am I.”
“Thanks.”
“I really need to use the restroom, but we’ll talk later, all right?” Noel turned to walk away but his voice stopped her.
“Noel?”
She stopped outside the bathroom door. “Yeah?”
“I’m glad things worked out for you and Nick. You deserve the best.”
Noel blinked back tears at the sincerity in his voice and the tenderness in his expression and it hit her. Pike’s flirting. His teasing. His defense of her honor. He’d liked her for real. She’d rebuffed him with little consideration because she’d thought he was only playing.
Just another mistake to add to the list.
“Fish…”
He held up his hand. “I know. We’re buds. I love you, but I accepted a long time ago that’s all we were ever going to be. No need to feel bad. I’ll get over it.”
Noel took a step toward him. “I would hug you right now, but you’re nearly naked and it would be weird.”
“I’ll collect one later. Gotta go. Those laps won’t dance themselves.” Pike walked back towards the stage and she spun around, away from his naked rear end. This had to be the craziest, awkwardest night of her life.
Noel came back with six shots and set them on their little table. Gabby danced in her seat excitedly. “Guess what?”
“What?”
“Amber bought us all lap dances!”
Noel shot Amber a disgruntled look. “You didn’t have to do that.”
Gabby actually jumped in. “I insisted. I know you and Nick are official, but Drew and I made a pact that we were going to enjoy our parties with a strict no-jealousy rule. So if you need to text Nick to see how he feels, I totally get it.”
Noel shook her head. “Nick told me to have a good time, but I don’t know if I want some guy’s crotch in my face.”
To her surprise, Amber was the one to throw her a lifeline.
“I tell you what. If you really don’t want one, I’ll take yours.”
“Screw that,” Gabby shouted over the music. “If anyone’s getting an extra lap dance it should be me! I’m the bride-to-be!”
Noel arched her eyebrows at Amber. “You’d never guess she wasn’t drunk, would you?”
“I guess this is last-night-of-freedom buzz.”
Noel caught Pike’s eye on stage and he winked at her as a group of women in their forties threw money at him.
She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture. When she forwarded it to Anthony and Nick, she captioned it, Y’all have some explaining to do.
Both sent back laughing emojis and Noel shook her head.
Despite Nick and her being official, nothing had really changed with her friends. Another fear put to rest.
Her phone vibrated again and she opened the message from Nick.
Have fun. I love you.
A month ago, she’d never imagined she’d be in a darkened bar, getting along with Amber and watching Pike gyrate around in a Santa hat. Even more surprising was being able to type back four little words without any hesitation or sweaty palms.
I love you, too.
Chapter 31
NICK
“Noel! Have you seen my tie?”
Noel stuck her head out of the bathroom, her toothbrush hanging out of the corner of her mouth. “I hung it over the back of the chair in the kitchen.”
“Which one?”
“The only one that has a tie on it, goob!”
Nick threw his pillow at her and she closed the door before it connected, her laugher muffled.
In the eleven days since they’d exchanged I love yous, Noel hadn’t balked at their relationship once. She’d come home the day after Gabby’s bachelorette party seeming lighter, freer. When he’d asked how Amber was, Noel just said they’d had fun.
Which is exactly how Nick felt about his time with her. They teased. Wrestled. Kissed. Cuddled. And loved. Boy, how they loved.
Today was the Christmas concert and Wednesday, Gabby’s wedding. If Noel was nervous about either, she hadn’t let on. He hoped that he held it together tonight, as he wasn’t completely over his stage fright.
Nick found his tie on the floor, underneath the chair he always sat in for work. He stared down at it as he tried to tie it without a mirror, looking up when he heard Noel clear her throat.