Bet Me (Finding My Way) (12 page)

“I know this is awkward and Tucker did promise me but …” Lucy trails off but the mention of Tucker promising her something immediately grabs my attention, she’s struggling to say something to me and I know it’s not something I want to hear but I have to know.

“Go on” I smile encouragingly at her.

“Well I know he promised me that you were fine with it and just didn’t want to talk about it, but  I have to tell you that if I knew anything was ever going to happen between you two I would never have slept with him” she finishes looking both horrified and embarrassed.

“You slept with him?” I ask not sure if I should believe her or not.

“He didn’t tell you?” It’s clear she doesn’t know if she should believe me now. I shake my head at her. “He took me home the night Morgan left you for that woman”

“No way, I went back to his on her birthday” Mel puts in.

“Wait … You’ve both had sex with him?” I ask not sure I’m hearing this right. I had sex with him the day after my birthday, in the office for god’s sake.

They both nod at me.

I feel sick, like someone has just kicked me in the stomach after I’ve eaten a massive meal sick.

“Okay, I can deal with this, just do me a favour and don’t tell Tucker that I know”.

***

I stumble into the club dragging my new friend along with me, the band are playing and everyone is having a good time, I think. I probably should have stopped drinking hours ago, but well we all make mistakes.

“This is your place?” he asks looking around.

I nod up at him grinning and pull him through to the bar.

“Lucaaaaayyy” I call to get my best friends attention. She does a double take and walks over to me frowning.

“This is my new best friend Adam” I announce proudly.

“Are you drunk?” she asks watching me not looking happy. I’m not going to let her spoil my mood when she’s a third of the reason I’m drunk in the first place. “Yupp, and don’t pull faces at me. Everyone else gets drunk and no one pulls faces at them” I pout at her. “Me and Adam would like some drinks please. I’m going to show him my bar dance” I smile up at Adam and look around while we wait for our drinks. I spot Andrew making his way to us.

“Where have you been? We have all been trying to ring you” he says pulling me into a hug but I trip so he ends up stopping me from hitting the floor with my face.

“I went out. I have other friends you know. Look here’s one, his name is Adam and he’s my best friend” I laugh as he stands me up right again.

“How much has she had?” he asks Adam

“Not enough” I shout as an answer “We’re waiting for my bar dance time and then we’re going on a train” I tell him proudly.

“Brooke you’re not doing a bar dance tonight, you can just about walk on the floor let alone dance on a bar that’s only a metre wide” he says sternly sounding like a father.

I throw my arms around him “I didn’t have a daddy for lots of years, will you be my new one?” I step back and look him over, yes definitely daddy material “Yesss you’re my new daddy from now on. You’re not allowed to ground me though, although maybe you should. I’ve never been grounded before it could be fun” I giggle and grab my beer from the bar and hand Adam his. Lucy joins us on the other side of the bar and wraps one of my arms around her shoulders and hold me across my middle.

“Oooh Lucy can be my new mom cos my real one’s a bitch and doesn’t like me …. No cos then you two would have to be married … let me think about this … Lucy is my big sister, I’ve always wanted one of them and Andrew can be my big brother, Tucker can be my dad and Mel can be my mom” I nod as I decide my new family. “And you” I turn to Adam “Can be the reason I get grounded” I giggle at him. “Come on, there’s someone I want you to meet”

I lead Adam across the bar by the hand and we stop a few times so he can twirl me under his arm a few people make a tunnel out of their arms for us to duck under, stood at the end of it is Jess who is grinning and holding her arms out for me.

“Hey Jessie!” I greet laughing at her giggling.

“I love fun drunk Brooke?” she squeals laughing, I love Jess she can tell my mood just from looking at me.

“Me too! Want to be fun drunk with us? This is Adam” I introduce.

“Hey, I’m Jess” she smiles at him and pulls him into a hug too “What are we doing?” She asks me excited.

“We are drinking beer, so we don’t get pass out drunk, drunk but you have to help me because I told Adam he could see my bar dance but Andrew says I’m not allowed to do it. Oh and Adams going to help me get grounded, you can help too”

“Okay, to the bar!” she sings and grabs both of us by the hand and leads s back to the bar. “Are you going to serve us Brooke?” she asks laughing at my attempt to get over the bar, Adam finally takes pity on me and lifts me over it.

“Of course, what would madam like?” I ask putting on a posh English accent.

“SHOTS!” Adam and Jess shouts at the same time.

I nod at them and gather some shot glasses whatever bottle I can find.

Lucy and Will walk out of the office and make their way towards me.

“Oops  I think you’re in trouble” Jess laughs at me watching Will come closer.

“Nope, watch and learn baby girl” I wink at her and then turn to Will as she and Adam take their shots.

“Brooke, everything OKAY?” Will asks cautiously.

“Everything is finally good. I’m happy for once Will. I might be drunk but look around you so is everyone else in here. I was thinking you know that I’d like to meet Tom again sometime now that I know he’s like my brother. I’d like to talk to him about our dad, if that’s OKAY with you?” I ask smiling my sweet girl smile that I know he can’t say no to.

“That would be great Brooke, he talks to me about him but you knew him best. I’m glad you’re happy Brooke” he hugs me quickly and walks back into the office leaving Lucy to scowl after him.

“And that is how it’s done” I grin at Jess and Adam who both ‘whoop’ and punch the air laughing. “You know you might as well join us” I grin at Lucy.

“Body shots!” Jess tells Andrew as he also joins us at the bar.

I don’t wait for anyone to confirm I clear an area on the bar and instruct her to lay on it, I set the shot up clumsily on her and Lucy puts the shot in between her breasts. A few of the customers crowd around to watch and I join in shouting “Do it” with them and point to Andrew.

Cheers go up around us as he slams the shot down and then I clear the area for him and set him up for Jess.  Lucy sets it up for me and Adam takes the shot.  Andrew helps me down and Lucy sets Adam up for the shot, I straddle the bar in front of him.

“Umm what are you doing?” Andrew asks watching me smiling.

“A body shot” I answer slowly so he can understand.

“Oh lord” Lucy sighs as Andrew picks up his mic. It’s then I realize the bands set has finished.

“OKAY ladies and gentlemen are you ready to witness for a first time ever in the history of this club … Brooke who has always refused in the past is going to do a body shot off someone at last!” he announces to the club as more people start to gather around Lucy passes me a mic resigned and just shakes her head grinning at me.

“What can I say? He’s a very convincing man my Adam” I say making a few people chuckle. “You’re a very lucky man my friend” I wink down at Adam.

“You know you don’t have to be on the bar with him for this right Brooke?” Andrew laughs at my position.

“Aah but my way is so much more fun” I smile into my mix and wink at Andrew “watch and learn honey”.

Keeping the mic in my one hand I get onto my hands an knees, placing them outside Adams legs, I crawl up to his stomach and lick the salt away moving up the bar as I go, I take the shot glass off his chest and throw it back, I suck the lime, not taking it from him mouth. When I’m done I sit back and straddle him. The crowd cheers.

“So much more fun my way” I grin over at Andrew.

“Uh, Brooke” Lucy nudges my arm with her shoulder from behind the bar.

“What?” I look down at her then move my eyes to where she is looking and lock gazes with a not impressed looking Tucker.

I lean forward getting back on my knees and put my hands on either side of Adams face “I think you just got me grounded” I whisper to him before I push myself up onto my hands so I’m hovering over him and then stand.

Jess helps Adam off he bar and everyone watches me to see what I’m going to do next. I can see Jess saying something to Tucker and she looks as if she’s shouting but I can’t hear over the music.

Andrew climbs up on the bar after me and we wait while the DJ lowers the music.

“Whatcha gonna do Brooke?” he asks into his mic.

I wrap my both hands around my mic and make my voice as pleading as possible “Brooke wants to dance” I pout at him

“Brooke’s drunk” he shakes his head.

“But … she’s
fun
drunk Brooke tonight” I announce making the crowd cheer and Jess stop talking to laugh at her words being shouted throughout the club.

“I don’t think Brooke would be able to do it without falling off the bar” he says sadly

“Brooke can do a lap dance, there only one place she can fall then … or one thing she can all on and that could be interesting” I laugh at the scene that plays out in my head.

“Fun drunk Brooke is also loving” Andrew notes laughing.

“She is” I sigh into the mic

“Brooke is also talking about herself in the third person”

“True, we sure are saying Brooke a lot. Let’s stop”

“I don’t think you can” he laughs at me.

“Are you going to spoil my night?” I ask disappointed in him. “You’re normally fun with me” I complain

“Well it’s nearly the end of the night”

“Not for me” I smile

“And what are your plans?”

“Well after here, we are going on a train”

“Who’s we?”

“Me and Adam … Where are you Adam ... Oh there you are” I wave at him. “Well you see we came here so he could see me do my bar dance and meet my
friends
have you seen them by the way because you lot aren’t being very welcoming. After here we are going on a train to a house party at the uni I went to so I can meet some of his friends that are there. I don’t know what’s happening after that, we haven’t figured out if we are going to crash down there or go back to mine yet”

“That’s not going to happen Brooke” Andrew shakes his head at me.

“Uh ... yes it is. It’s been decided, plans have been made, you don’t get a say in it anyway you can’t stop me you’re supposed to me my big brother, I thought big brothers were cool. What happened to you? You sound more like a grumpy dad and that’s not your job”

“Think of me as an overprotective big brother then” he sighs.

“How about we make a bet?” I ask and the crowd cheers.

“What kind of bet?” he asks interested.

I lower my mic and walk over to whisper the bet in his ear.

“And if what happens either way?” he asks smirking at me.

“If I do it you let me carry on with my night of having fun and leave me alone, if I can’t do it you can put a stop to my fun and I’ll go home. Alone”

“You’re on. You wouldn’t be able to do that sober, let alone as drunk as you are right now”

The crowd cheers and I turn to them gesturing them to be quiet. “Anyone got a condom? I ask about fifty hands go up but I take the one closest to me, I pick my beer up from the bar and down the rest of it.

“OKAY you ready?” I shout into my mic.

I open the condom, put it in my mouth and get down on my knees, placing the bottle on the bar in front of me I put my hands behind my back and silence fills the club as I slide the condom all the way onto the bottle using only my mouth.

“Want to check it?” I grin up at Andrew he just shakes his head at me and jumps down from the bar defeated.

I lean back and sit on the bar as Adam comes over to me. “We don’t have to stay, shall we just go now? I think we’re ruining some of your friends nights” he asks me keeping an eye on Andrew and Tucker.

“Hey Jess, wanna come with us? We’re just going to leave now”

“You can’t leave yet Brooke, I want to speak to you first” Lucy says to me pulling me down from the bar.

“Give me two minutes” I call to Adam from behind the bar as I’m dragged into the office.

“This isn’t about what Mel and I told you earlier is it?” she asks looking worried.

“No, it’s not about what happened, don’t worry” I assure her.

“Then what’s going on with you and Adam because I thought you and Tucker were sort of a thing?”

“Me and Adam are just having some fun. As for Tucker and I, well when you find out what’s going on with us let me know because I haven’t got a clue anymore”

“Just don’t do anything you’ll regret okay?”

“I won’t regret a thing, don’t worry. I’ve spent so many years doing the right thing that one mistake is not going to end the world” I tell her as I leave the office and head back into the bar picking up two beers on my way through.