Kinsley sighed and then announced, “I’m good to drive, so don’t worry about me, but I’m going to call it a night. Lacey? Time to go, hon.”
“No! I don’t want to go home!” Kenneth put an arm on her to keep her from stumbling as she stood. “Unless you come home with me.” She pouted.
“Um, yeah, of course,” he said, knowing his place. He waved at the guys. “See you guys. Good to meet you, Alessandre. Asher.”
“Yay!” Lacey said.
“Yeah, yay,” Kinsley repeated, a little less enthused. “Later, Gloria.”
“Later, Kins.”
They left and the remaining bachelor party guys straggled to the bar. Asher hung back and put his arm around Gloria again. Glo held up a finger to let Faith know she’d be a minute. Faith waved a hand, letting her know to take her time.
“What are you going to do tonight?” Asher asked her. “Where are you staying?”
“I’m staying in my own bed,” Gloria stated, getting in his face on purpose. “Why do you ask?” She wasn’t drunk but she was buzzed from the extra shot she had as a sidecar to her martini earlier. She hated to admit it, but faced with the option of hanging out with her girls for the rest of the evening and being this close to Asher when he smelled this good and looked even better, she’d choose the latter. Because with Asher, the evening would end with her and him and a lot of skin.
Yum.
“Just wanted to know in case I get frisky at four a.m.,” Ash said. “Pull an all-nighter.”
They grinned at each other.
“Hawk’s at Mom’s for the night. I am a free man.”
“Not that free.” Gloria narrowed her eyes. She felt bold, and brave, and as possessive over Asher as he’d been with her when Aless was faux flirting with her. “You’re mine and no one else’s,” she added on a whisper. “Not anymore.”
As long as she had a say, Asher wasn’t going home with anybody but her.
His eyes warmed and the fingers resting on her back rubbed along the bare skin at the edge of her tank top. Then he broke the moment of seriousness, letting her go and bursting into a falsetto rendition of “I’m a Slave 4 U” by Britney Spears. Gloria gave him a shove toward the bar. He sent her a quick flash of a smile over his shoulder and shook his ass as he accepted the shot glass Connor was handing him.
Glo turned from the scene and put a hand to her very warm cheek. Her giant smile frozen on her face, she noticed Faith, Charlie, and Sofie giving her suspicious little smiles of their own.
Uh-oh.
“What?” Gloria asked, moving her hand away from her face.
“You said I could do whatever I wanted tonight.” Sofie crossed her arms and looked ready for a fight.
“Uh…”
“I’ve decided, and these two agree”—she pointed to her left and right at Charlie and Faith—“that I want to finally see your apartment.”
*
“That’s it. That’s everything,” Gloria said.
Charlie, Sofie, and Faith had filed into her apartment and Glo had handed out a round of waters. Then she told them everything.
About her mom.
About her grandmother.
About her foster life.
Some details some of them knew, and some details none of them knew. But they were her friends, and Gloria was tired of hiding.
The monologue had drained her, had made her knees loose, and because Asher had already broken the rule of not sitting on Rita’s couch by sitting on it, Gloria plopped onto the vinyl seat.
She was immediately surrounded by her friends.
Charlie on her right, Sofie on her left, and Faith on the end. Without prompting, Charlie took hold of Gloria’s hand, Sofie wrapped an arm around Gloria’s waist, and Faith leaned past Sofie’s lap to rest her hand on Gloria’s knee.
Her support system. These girls were here for her no matter what her story was. And knowing she had this kind of undying friendship was almost too much. They knew the dirty secret of who she used to be and knew it was something she’d purposefully kept from them.
Yet they accepted her. It needed to be acknowledged.
“Thank you,” Glo said, eyes on her lap, smile and voice watery.
“You’re welcome, hon,” Sofie said. Then she pointed to the kitchen. “Charlie, pour her a shot. We’re not done with her yet.”
“Right.” Charlie vanished to the kitchen and came back with two filled shot glasses. “You aren’t drinking alone, sister,” she said, handing one over.
Glo blinked back the few tears that dared pulse against the backs of her eyes and turned to Sofie.
“Now you’re going to talk,” Sofie said, green eyes bright and eyebrows high on her forehead.
“Is that so?” Glo challenged, feeling her smile crest her mouth.
“Oh, that’s so, missy. You are going to tell me everything that is happening between you and our resident rock star. If I can’t get drunk, I will be regaled with tales of debauchery.”
“Told you.” Faith grinned at Glo.