"Oh, my God!" Trace could barely contain himself, whistling at the leggy blonde strutting off the stage and toward their group. "She's fucking fine! I'll see you boys later!" He held out a couple bills, and the obviously enhanced stripper sauntered over to him, grinding her purple thong-clad pelvis against his knee as she took the money he proffered with her ample tits, smiling suggestively before whirling to present her rock hard ass and shapely legs. He got to his feet, following her toward one of the partitioned-off areas for a private couch dance. The matching purple heels were a nice touch, and most of the bachelor party was momentarily distracted by Trace's exuberance and the stripper's playfully provocative attitude before they disappeared.
"We picked a perfect night to come." Jared's grin was infectious, his eyes on the pair of girls intertwined near the catwalk. An unusually curvy Asian doll clung to a statuesque redhead, their bare breasts pressed against each other as their tongues mingled and hands roamed and caressed with abandon. "Avery? That brunette in the white thong is pretty hot. You'd better act now before that guy in the suit lures her away." With that, he got to his feet and hurried toward the kissing girls, waving a twenty at them and beckoning to one of the private dance areas. They paused, offering Jared a pair of sultry smiles as they clasped hands, then hurried off the stage to join him.
With a long sigh, Avery lit a cigarette. It was only a perfect night to come because he'd been warned by Trace, Jared's little brother, that the girls working the Sunday night shift weren't nearly as aesthetically pleasing. A Monday wedding seemed rather unusual, but Jared and Michelle planned to travel during the less popular days of the week to save a bit of money they could put toward having a stress-free honeymoon.
The trip back to Chicago had been filled with contemplation. Since returning to his hometown and best friend, Avery was dismayed with always seeming just on the edge of conversations with Jared and his crew, never quite able to ease into the rapid-fire, colorful discussion topics they bounced back and forth. They were young and smarmy, like a lot of guys their age in this area, and the differences between him and Jared brought about by simple geography were quite staggering. Ten years of California living had taught Avery a lot of patience, determination, and most of all, acceptance.
Somehow, Jared had made a life and name for himself without losing his impish charm along the way. Working for an IT upstart fresh out of high school and during college insured he was well positioned for a prime job offer once he graduated. The romance with Michelle surprised everyone who knew Jared, if the truth be told. It was clear he was a man well on his way to happiness and success that would undoubtedly support the All American Dream with ease. But the whirlwind courtship and announcement of their engagement only caused more curiosity among his family and friends.
Avery hadn't met the lady in question yet. He'd only arrived at O'Hare a few hours ago with just enough time to shower and change before catching a cab to Club Silk, one of the best strip clubs in town, according to Trace, and the reunion between the old friends had been as warm and exuberant as they dared with other young men looking on.
Avery had no cause to doubt Jared's rakish kid brother when it came to selecting a venue, given his age and level of nightlife prowess. Hell, the drop-dead gorgeous young man planned most of the bachelor party arrangements since Avery hadn't lived here for twelve years. Good and bad parts of town can change drastically, and he wasn't sure which place would suit their needs.
Trace was nearly physically identical to his older brother, with the same dark brown hair and startlingly pale blue eyes. But while Jared had a bit of poise and polish from a few years living on his own, Trace was wild and untamed. The general consensus was that Trace wouldn't make it through his freshman year of college because sitting in labs or classes all day was "way fucking boring."
The DJ switched up the tracks and "Fergilicious" began as the pretty brunette made another trip down the catwalk. She was tanned and toned, and Avery had to admit she was certainly one of the more realistic-looking and attractive girls he'd seen tonight.
"Man, you lost your chance!" Jared flopped onto the suede-upholstered chair beside his friend, leaning an elbow on the glass and iron edged table as the strippers he'd bought a dance from breezed past in a giggling cloud of glittering skin and perfume. "Those guys in the suits just bought her for like an hour."
"So are you ready for the rehearsal tomorrow?" Avery inquired, sipping his watered down soda. "I can't believe it. You're going to be married in thirty-six hours. God, where does the time go?" Avery smiled, a distant light in his eyes.
"She's so perfect, Avery. I can't wait for you to meet her. I feel bad you haven't already, but with our school schedules and all, we don't have the money or time to get out there for a visit, as much as we'd love to."
Avery nodded, brushing his unruly blond bangs from his eyes. "The real question you've got to answer is this: is she hotter than Brooke?"
With a comic groan and hand to his crotch, Jared fell back in his chair, laughing as he recalled his almost obsessive high school crush on Brook Nash, the cutest girl in their class.
"Oh, my God! Brooke is in a class all her own. Michelle's pretty in that old-fashioned porcelain doll kind of way. Brooke was a fucking goddess!"
A couple more girls paraded down the steps to circulate through the crowd. One of them, a delicate little thing with sandy blonde hair and big brown eyes, approached their table. Her breasts were small but perky, tipped with pale pink nipples that made Jared's mouth water.
"Hi," she chirped in a little voice that struggled to be heard over the music. "You guys want a couch dance?"
Avery pulled out his wallet and gave her a twenty, gesturing to Jared. "It's on me. Give him a great time, sweetie. On Monday, he'll be a married man."
Jared's eyes widened, then he grinned and got to his feet.
"... Oh, all the comrades e'er I had, they're sorry for my going away, and all the sweethearts e'er I had, they'd wish me one more day to stay, but since it falls unto my lot, that I should rise and you should not, I gently rise and softly call,good night and joy be with you all." The men at Timothy's finished in a boisterous chorus, then cheered, many coming over to clap Jared on his back or put another shot of whiskey before him. Timothy, tending bar tonight, smiled and handed Jared one last shot then announced it was time to clear out.
"Your parents must be so proud, Jared." Mr. O'Donnell smiled, coming over to shake Jared's hand with a vigor that belied his years. "Congratulations, lad, and we'll see you on Monday then." The old Irishman gave a nod to Tim behind the bar, then turned on a heel and sauntered out of the small pub.
"Church is off tomorrow, right?" Trace slurred the question as he slumped against Keith, one of his friends. "'Cause I'm going to have a wicked hangover in the morning."
"I think we'll be fine as long as we're there on time for the rehearsal." With a sigh, Avery finished his beer then slid off his stool to settle up before leaving. "You ready to go, Jared?" All but falling off the stool, Jared reached out to steady himself on the bar, struggling to retrieve his wallet from his pants.
"Forget it, Jared." Tim grinned, gathering up empty glasses. "On the house. But you boys best be on your way. Eve will have a right temper if you're late for rehearsal tomorrow."
"Thanks..." Jared's gratitude came out a bit slurred as Avery helped him toward the door, not too tipsy to realize the extreme danger of a pissed off mother-in-law to be.
Trace and company had been stealing sips here and there, but mutually agreed that they weren't tired and would go looking for some scary goth girls at a nearby twenty-four-hour coffee house.
A couple of Jared's friends made a point of emphasizing the lateness of the hour. In the end, Avery and Jared stood at a street corner, waiting for the cab Avery had called to show up.
"I don't know why Michelle wants to be all traditional about not sleeping together the last couple nights before we get married," Jared mumbled as warm summer wind swept his hair into dark tendrils. "I mean, my bed's more comfortable than any hotel."
"Well, it's her big day, too." Avery sighed, watching the cars whiz past with a pang of nostalgia. If things weren't going so well as in Cali, he'd be tempted to consider moving back here in a heartbeat. "And you know how big a deal this is to women. Just think about the honeymoon. It's going to be awesome."
He and Jared used to walk the neighborhood streets at night, sneaking cigarettes or the odd beer disguised in a fast food soda cup as they complained about school, pined for certain girls, and speculated where they'd be ten years from now.
Never in his wildest imaginings had Avery ever considered that Jared would settle down and get married. Even as they stayed in close touch over the years and shared victories and losses, there had been a youthful thread binding them that would soon be tangled in knots by the silk ribbons of love and matrimony.
"I got a really nice room," Avery reassured as their cab approached. "We can go get your things tomorrow. Will Michelle be around?"
"She's got a few last minute things to finish. I'm sure she'll be able to bring my stuff if I call and ask her..." he trailed off, lids heavy.
They offered a curt wave to the cab driver, and then slid into the back seat, giving him the name of Avery's hotel. The car lurched forward with a jolt, and Avery wished he could have driven instead.
The warm summer night was filled with college kids and club goers trying to walk off a bit of the last call overindulgence, homeless people looking for a spare bit of change, and some of the darker and more mysterious element, all of whom didn't seem to mind the lateness of the hour.
After seven years of conventional working hours, Avery wasn't able to handle the old nocturnal schedule he used to keep, and apparently Jared wasn't either. He was slumped against the door.
With the soft squeak of breaks, the cabbie pulled up in front of the luxury hotel, checking the navigation system to total up their fare. Avery handed him his card, then got out to catch Jared before he collapsed onto the elegant flagstone drive.
"Have a good night," the cabbie said in heavily accented English, gliding back out into traffic. Avery frowned, slipping an arm around Jared's waist. Jared was very solid, and though he was in perfect shape, there was still a lot of bulk to manage as he tried to help his friend stagger toward the revolving lobby doors.
"A few more steps, Jare. Come on. The elevator's right over here..."
