The 'Burg: Hold On Part 86

He was cool about it. He wasn't a d.i.c.k when he told me to soften up, and if I did, I'd open up enough to let a guy in, that guy being Merry.

I hadn't taken his advice.

In the end, I didn't need to. Merry and I finally got there, and looking back, even though Benny's advice was solid and he'd given that advice to me a couple of years ago, years some might consider were wasted, I believed in my heart it had to happen this way.

Merry needed that time to travel his path how he needed to travel it.

I was just crazy-lucky it led to me.

But I knew, walking in the bar that night, that Benny knew I'd scored Merry.

And he had a d.i.c.k, so no doubt he was going to give me s.h.i.+t about it.

"Do not say a f.u.c.kin' word," I warned the instant I got close to the gang.

His handsome, white smile got huge as his hand came up to his broad chest. "Me?"

"Just shut it," I ordered.

"Cher!" Frankie cried, just having seen me.

She popped off her stool and rushed to me.

I stopped glaring at her husband and smiled at her, moving her way.

Frankie was one of those b.i.t.c.hes who had the ultimate power-she could look all cla.s.s showing skin, and for her, the tighter the dress, the higher the heel, the better.

She obviously didn't change when she was pregnant. Great figure, big, beautiful belly, all encased in a long-sleeved, skintight dress that showed cleavage and had a skirt that hit her three inches up from her knees. And on her feet, six-inch platform stilettos.

She looked amazing.

We hugged.

"Cher hugging. Already, gettin' laid regular is makin' her a girl," Colt remarked.

I let Frankie go and turned on Colt.

"I hug b.i.t.c.hes I haven't seen in months. Get over it." I gave both Benny and Frankie a look. "And you guys have s.h.i.+t timing. Ethan's birthday party isn't until next weekend."

"We know," Frankie said. "We brought him a present. But I've still got that work thing I told you about happening next weekend, so we had to come down and celebrate Vi and Cal's news this weekend. And anyway, we had to come to cut the crazy since Vinnie and Theresa are here too. The good news with that is that they're lookin' after the kids. A night out with my man, reconnecting with our posse in the 'burg, there is no bad news."

Vinnie and Theresa were Benny's parents. The whole family was Italian (or, in Frankie's case, her being a mutt, only the dominant parts of her were Italian), so they could find a reason to celebrate the sun rising.

Even so, Vi was my girl and I had no idea what news they were celebrating.

But I could guess.

I looked her way and guessed.

"Are you knocked up again?"

Vi smiled and shrugged.

I did not give her s.h.i.+t for not telling me. I understood she was giving me time with Merry.

And anyway, this wasn't big news. The b.i.t.c.h was always pregnant.

I looked to Cal. "Jesus. How many do you need?"

"One more after this," he stated.

"No more after this," Vi snapped.

Cal looked to his woman and grinned.

Vi looked to the ceiling.

Merry had told me his sister was also pregnant.

It was like it was contagious.

I turned my attention to Dusty. "You knocked up?"

"Not yet," she said.

They were trying.

I figured Mike had the mojo the rest of them had, which meant he only had to look at his woman, think dirty thoughts, and she'd be carrying his kid. Thus, I figured that joyous news would be celebrated next week.

I looked to Feb.

"I love my little Jack, but I got a four-year-old, a dog, a cat, a bar, and an alpha male on my hands. I think I'm good," she decreed.

My eyes went to Dee.

"I got two and Morrie, which makes it like I actually have five. I'm definitely good," she shared.

"When are you and Merry gonna start?" Colt asked.

"Kiss my a.s.s," I said as answer.

I got girl smiles and man chuckles to that.

Whatever.

"A brother can be in a nursing home and make babies. Not you, sister, so you best be gettin' the lead out."

This advice came from Ryker.

I turned my attention to him.

Everyone went silent.

That meant everyone knew about Ryker's matchmaking too.

I said nothing.

Ryker said nothing.

I won our staring contest when he prompted, "You just gonna stand there and stare at me?"

"I'm not standing here staring at you. I'm waiting for you to grow wings and hover over us with your golden bow and arrow," I returned.

Ryker grinned his scary grin. "As you've experienced, I kick f.u.c.kin' a.s.s with my golden bow and arrow."

"Just to say, the 'burg can do without your version of Cupid," I remarked.

"I can wait for the grat.i.tude," Ryker declared magnanimously. "You and Merrick can name your first kid after me."

"Dude, Merry and me got our s.h.i.+t together. Your bulls.h.i.+t coulda f.u.c.ked us up," I shared.

"Tell yourself that," Ryker replied.

My eyes narrowed. "How thick is your skin?"

"I'm half reptilian," he returned. "The alligator kind."

"Okay, how thick is your skull?" I kept at him.

"Not as thick as yours, you wasted years before you fell on your man's d.i.c.k," he retorted.

I shouldn't have even started this.

So it was time to end it.

"I'm feelin' like making tips tonight, not cleanin' up blood," I decreed.

"Like you could cut me," Ryker scoffed.

"Don't underestimate a p.i.s.sed off woman," I warned.

"That's why I got sugar in my bed, not spice. Don't ever need to worry about that s.h.i.+t," Ryker stated.

This was going nowhere.

"I need to get to work," I muttered, turning to the office.

"Cher," Ryker called.

I sighed and looked back to him.

"Lissa's over the moon," he shared.

That might be true, but it was Ryker who was happy for me.

"You're all soft under all that crazy," I replied.

He grinned a grin that many children would witness and have nightmares for decades.

"Don't tell anyone."

I rolled my eyes and walked to the office to get rid of my purse. When I walked out, Dee was out on the floor with her tray, which meant I was back of the bar with Feb.

I got the lay of the land, made some drinks, then hit my posse at the end.

"You ready for your show?" I asked Dusty.

She made pottery. It was awesome pottery, but I didn't get it since she also made a s.h.i.+t-ton of money off it. Apparently, some people really liked pottery. Enough to spend hundreds of dollars on just one piece.

"Yeah," she answered. "And I've set a piece aside to give to you and Merry for your wedding."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Don't you start with that s.h.i.+t. You're a chick. You're supposed to have my back."

"It's more fun to mess with you," she returned.

d.a.m.n.

I should have seen it coming.

Dusty was a lot like me. She had some girlie in her but not much. Mostly she was a straight shooter who had it completely together.

I lifted my hand and did a sweep of the far end of the bar, declaring, "I think Feb can cover you all with drinks."

"Weak," Cal grunted.

"I need to be in a good disposition to earn tips," I retorted.

"Why?" he shot back. "You been earnin' tips for years not in one."

He had a point.

"You can kiss my a.s.s too," I returned.

"Lame," he muttered.

He was not wrong.

G.o.d, with Merry giving me the warm and squishy, making me happy, I was losing my edge.