Mr. Big Jerk: A Forbidden Second Chance Romance (Kinda Cocky Series Book 3), стр. 6
My birthday couldn’t even be about me anymore. It had to be about the two of them. And all the time they’d been spending together without me.
“So, what date are you going to wear those on?” Kelly asked.
I blinked. “What was that?”
Karina swatted at me. “Oh, come on. I know why you wanted those boots so badly. You’ve bought a dress for a date. So, who’s the lucky man this week?”
“Uh, I’m not going out on a date with anyone this week. I’ve got work I have to catch--.”
Kelly gasped. “You’re what!?”
Karina shook her head. “I don’t believe you. I simply don’t!”
“You can cut the sarcasm out of your voices now.”
Kelly giggled. “Oh, come on. You always have a man on your arm you want to impress. We just want to know about him, that’s all.”
I sat down. “Well, it’s hard to go out partying when my two main bitches ditched me for the homemaker life, you know.”
Karina sat down beside me. “Hey, I’m still up for going out.”
I snickered. “As long as you’re back by ten. We’re just getting started at ten!”
Kelly pulled up a chair. “I go out with you all the time! Don’t even play that game.”
Well, what about the spa trip you two took? “Who wants another drink?”
And just as all three of our hands shot into the air, Zane poked his head into the room.
“You girls ready to go? The limo’s here.”
I gasped. “A limo!?”
Kelly and Karina hopped up. “Happy birthday, girl!”
“Aaahhh! You guys are the best!”
The three of us hugged and hopped around. Then we gathered up our things. We dashed out the door and practically flung ourselves into the limo where flutes of champagne were waiting for us. It finally felt like a girl’s night. I mean, other than the fact that Brenden and Zane were hanging around. But, I could get used to that. So long as I got Kelly and Karina time in my life--.
“Zane, you want anything?” Karina asked.
“Here, Brenden. I found this for you. You getting hungry?” Kelly asked.
I watched them get up as the limo pulled away from my apartment, and I leaned back against the leather seats. Just like always, those two gravitated back to their men, and I was left hanging, like always.
Happy birthday to me.
I sipped my champagne silently as we navigated around town. Then, we finally pulled up to one of my favorite casinos: Dime A Dozen.
And I felt something thick press against my palm.
“Happy birthday, Roxy.”
Zane’s voice pulled me from my trance as we stopped at the front door of the casino.
“What’s this?” I asked.
My eyes widened when I saw the wad of cash in my hand that Zane just handed me.
“My birthday present to you. Go knock yourself out,” he said.
I smiled. “Thank you so much. Seriously.”
“Hey, it’s your birthday. You’re supposed to have fun and enjoy your birthday without any consequences to yourself. Let me foot the bill tonight.”
I winked. “Don’t worry. I’ve got no issues with you doing that.”
We all piled out of the car, and I rushed my way into the casino. With lights flashing and cards being shuffled in the distance and the smell of cocktails filling the air, it felt like I was at home. I loved gambling. Not so much that I lost everything I owned, but I did enjoy the thrill of it. It was the only adrenaline rush I got in my life now, especially with Kelly and Karina on the sidelines indefinitely. I was the only single girl in the bunch now, and every day there was always some sort of a reminder as to that fact.
Not tonight, though. Tonight, I was a queen. Tonight, I was the important one. Tonight, I got my way. No holds barred.
Well, mostly.
“Hey, Kelly! You want to--?”
She waved her hand in the air. “Be there in a second. I need some food.”
I turned to Karina. “You want to go hit up the--?”
She threw back her drink. “Let me go get myself and Zane another one of these. Then I’ll come to find you. Okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah, yeah. Okay. Sounds good.”
She patted me on the shoulder, and I sighed. I knew I wouldn’t see either of them for the rest of the evening. So, with a fresh drink in my hand, I started roaming around the casino. I made a small stop at the blackjack table. I exchanged some money for coins and tried my hand at the slot machines. Roulette called to me for much longer than I had anticipated. And the more I drank, the more money I blew.
At least I was around people while I blew it, though.
“Come on, come on. Just one more cherry.”
I watched the slot machine like a drunken hawk. I threw back my third--no, fourth?--drink and slid the glass off to the side. I heard one of the waitresses quickly exchange it, but I was too entranced as I watched the spindles in the slot machine roll about.
“Come on, come on, come on, come on… holy shit, yes!”
A third cherry lined up in a row, and my machine started lighting up. It ring-a-ding-dinged like a beautiful chorus of angels as I threw my fists into the air.
“I won! I won! I won five hundred bucks!”
I whipped around, ready to hug the necks of my girls. But, the only people that surrounded me were strangers. Men and women of all different ethnicities and ages smiled with me as if they’d known me for years. And I didn’t like it. Where the hell was Kelly and Karina? I thought this was my birthday. Weren’t they supposed to be with me on a day like this?
“I need a drink,” I murmured.
I