Operation: Endurance (When the Mission Ends) (13 page)

He examined her face, but it was hard to see how sick she really felt, because she had her face made up to go out. “You look beautiful. How are you feeling tonight? I’d never guess by looking at you that you’ve been sick all week.”

“Thanks, Chris. I’m feeling better.” Her cold made her voice husky. An erotic shiver slid down Chris’s spine.

“That’s good. Can I give you a ride over to Cassie’s?” Everyone planned to meet at Cassie and Jake’s house for a lift-off toast for the evening before going out.

“Do you mind? We have a limo scheduled for later so I have a ride home and then I wouldn’t have to worry about getting my car in the morning.”

Relief swamped him. He hated that she’d been unhappy with him this week. At least, it didn’t appear that it was going to cause any long-lasting damage to their friendship.

“No problem.” He settled his arm around her, just lightly touching her lower back to walk her out to the truck. She gave him a soft smile when he opened her door for her, but it was spoiled with a gut-breaking cough.

As he settled into the driver’s side of the truck, he gave her a concerned look. “That doesn’t sound like it’s getting any better. In fact, that’s sounding significantly worse.”

She just shook her head at him. “A cough after a cold always sounds worse than it really is.”

He studied her for a moment before he shook his head and started the truck. She was so stubborn, but he wasn’t going to start out this night by fighting with her about how bad her cough truly was.

Everyone was in high spirits when they arrived at Jake and Cassie’s house. Cassie looked radiant as she immediately enveloped them in a hug and pulled them into the house. Jake handed them glasses of champagne and then tugged Cassie back into his side, wrapping his arm protectively around her. The love shared in the look between them sent a pulling sensation through Chris’s gut. He loved seeing them so happy together, but it left him with a hollow feeling and no idea how to fix it.

He looked away from them, needing something to distract him and instead found himself lost in Julie’s hazel eyes. She gave him a slight smile and squeezed his hand. He hadn’t even realized she’d grabbed it. She knew this was hard for him.

He squeezed her hand back and mouthed thanks. No matter what their history, within this small group of friends, the two of them were a team.

Chris took a gulp of champagne. This was a celebration for his sister and best friend. There was no way in hell he’d let them see that he was anything but happy and excited for them.

And dammit, yes, he had some rotten luck this year, but Julie was single now. Why couldn’t he pursue her again? What they had, hadn’t lasted that long, but it had been amazing. Something that good was worth fighting for, she was worth fighting for. He examined her and felt that familiar buzz he always felt when he was around her. She was still grieving, but that wouldn’t last forever. He wasn’t going to sit back and let another man step in like had happened before. He’d give her the time she needed, but he planned to make her his again, as soon as she gave him a signal that she was ready to move on after Aaron’s death.

Jake interrupted the group by raising his glass. “Before we head out on our last adventure as single people, Cassie and I wanted to thank you all. You four are our best friends. Some of us are family by blood, but all of us are family by choice. We love you guys and we’re so happy and thankful you’re here to share our happiness with us, tonight and tomorrow. So now we want to propose a toast to you, our friends.”

They all lifted their glasses. Jake first clinked with Cassie’s and then with everyone else’s. This was it. After so many years as his best friend, Jake was finally going to be a member of his family. It was a bit surreal, but in such a good way.

When everyone finished their drinks, Jake pulled Cassie back into his arms. Everyone had been moving like they were headed toward the two limos that had been hired for the evening, but Jake obviously wasn’t ready to let Cassie go yet.

“So where are you girls headed tonight?” Jake nuzzled along the back of Cassie’s neck while he waited for her answer.

Penelope, seeing that Cassie was distracted, answered, “Oh, we have the same kind of game plan that you all do.”

Jake’s head snapped up. “What do you mean?”

A frown marred Colton’s forehead.

Penelope flipped her hair. Uh oh, that was never a good sign. “Well,” she said, as if she were talking to a small child, “it’s the night before the wedding. If I understand it correctly, you all are going to a strip club.” She exchanged a glance with Julie and Cassie.

Chris wasn’t sure if they were in trouble or not, but this sure didn’t feel right. Suddenly he had ice flowing through his veins. All the men had frozen.

Penelope smiled sweetly. “We’re doing the same. There’s an all-male review club down by the Depot that I’ve heard great things about. We have reservations there.”

“Oh, hell no!” Chris exclaimed, shocked. He was as surprised as everyone else at his outburst, but seriously, this was their plan for the evening? Why weren’t they going to that nice girly wine bar they all liked so much? They couldn’t want to go watch guys strip, could they? He looked at Colton and Jake and could see they felt exactly the same way.

Cassie took a step out of Jake’s embrace toward Chris. She put her hands on her hips. “And why the hell not? If you all can go to a strip club, then why can’t we?”

“Because…” he sputtered. He had no idea. He just knew that they couldn’t do that. It was wrong. No way in hell should the girls go out to watch other guys wave around their dicks. But he could see from the angry looks on all three of the girl’s faces that his argument wasn’t going to win him any fans.

He turned for reinforcements from the other two guys, but they’d already seen the girls’ reactions and obviously sucked their balls inside their body cavity, because there wasn’t any help coming from them. He looked at the two of them and muttered, “You have got to be kidding me. You two
are
whipped.” He turned back to the girls who were moving toward the front door, and gestured toward their purses. “Take care of those. Someday, these guys will want their balls back so don’t misplace them while you’re out ogling someone else’s junk.” He gave another disgusted look toward Colton and Jake and stalked toward the kitchen. He needed something stronger than champagne if he was going to make it through this night.

* * *

Chris expelled a harsh chuckle as he looked at his two morose friends. There was no doubt about it, these guys were whipped. The three of them were sitting in the middle of the nicest strip club in Lubbock, the music pulsing around them along with the naked bodies of several gorgeous women. Neither of the other two guys even glanced up at all the naked flesh. They continued to discuss the women’s plan for tonight with no small measure of disbelief.

Jake asked Colton, “Did you have any idea that was their plan for tonight?”

Colton scowled. “If I’d known, don’t you think I would have done something to change it?”

Chris couldn’t hold in his bark of laughter at that, which caused Colton to turn his scowl on him and thump him in the head. “I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

Chris just smirked at him, before he recalled exactly what they were discussing again. “Do girls really like to do that type of thing? Watching guys dance around naked?”

Jake frowned and he glanced up the naked girl working the pole in front of them. They all watched her for a moment before turning their attention back to the subject at hand.

Colton sighed deeply. “Well, if there’s anything I’ve learned from being involved with Penelope it’s that I had no idea what girls truly think and want. Honestly, look at those books she writes. Not that I’m complaining, but would you all have guessed girls like that type of thing?” Penelope wrote erotic romance and Chris still believed that made Colton one lucky bastard.

They all shook their heads.

Colton continued with a deep sigh. “I really think girls like the same things we do. They’re just better at hiding the fact.”

Chris looked around the strip club with a renewed eye and felt no interest whatsoever. Guys, himself included, normally loved places like this. Tonight, he didn’t even care. He took a long draw off his ice-cold beer. When had he become the guy not interested? Once upon a time, he’d have already had three phone numbers in his pocket and a scantily clad girl on his lap at this point in the evening. Would he ever get that part of himself back?

Unexpectedly, he pictured Julie as she looked earlier tonight in that little black dress. Thoughts of her were so much more enticing than these girls.

He looked back over at the other two guys, who really didn’t seem to be having a good time. This was not the way this evening was supposed to be going. It was time for a change in venue. “Hey guys, let’s get out of here. I have a better idea.”

* * *

As Jake finished closing the last carabineer on his harness, he clapped Chris on the shoulder. “You realize if I die or end up maimed tonight, you’ll have to take the responsibility for it with Cassie, right?”

All three looked up the side of the five story rock wall they were about to climb. They’d made a detour by Mad Rob to change into workout clothes and then headed toward the climbing place that had just opened. This kind of evening was more their speed. A little friendly competition would be good to help all three of them with the tension. They were all harnessed up and just waiting for the go signal to race up the side of the mammoth wall. The goal was the bell at the top. The first to ring it would have free drinks the rest of the night courtesy of the two losers.

Chris turned back to Jake and smirked. “Don’t tell me you’re worried about that little wall. You jump out of planes for a living. I think you can handle this.”

“Oh, I can handle it. I’m just not sure you’re up for it.”

“I’m
gonna kick both your asses when I get to the top first,” Colton taunted. “And by the way, I plan to drink top-shelf for the rest of the night so I hope you boys are ready to ante up.” Colton rubbed his fingers together showing how much it was going to cost them if they lost.

Chris had to admit they probably would be buying his drinks. Colt had two things going for him: incredible upper body strength and height which would provide him good leverage when pulling up the wall.

As they’d been talking smack, a group of college-aged kids had formed around the wall to watch them. Chris chuckled when he saw a couple of handshakes that looked like side bets going on.

Chris glanced down at his knee. This was going to be a test to see just how healed it was. He was on one end of the wall, Colton was on the other, and Jake was in the middle. They were all just waiting for the signal to go.

The crew from the facility did one last check of their harnesses and then signaled for them to begin. Chris lunged for the wall, reaching as high as he could for the finger holds, quickly finding purchase. Slowly he pushed himself from the bottom. Within three moves, his shoulders and thighs were burning from the unusual physical activity. His stitches pulled as he stretched across the rock wall face. He glanced across at Jake and Colton, who were both slightly ahead of him. He could see their muscles straining, too, so he didn’t feel quite so bad about the burn. He looked back up the wall, planning his next few moves as he inched further up. Within, three moves, he was going to have an issue. There was an overhang there that was going to be a bitch to maneuver. His knee screamed at him, unused to the contortions he had to put it through for this.

He began to mentally plot his moves so that his right leg would take the brunt of the climbing exertions rather than his bad left one. The sweat rolled down his spine. He’d finally climbed high enough that it was quiet except for Jake and Colton’s labored breathing, both focused on winning.

Colton called across the chasm, “This probably wasn’t a good idea. Do you hear the way Jake is huffing and puffing? He’s gonna be too tired to get it up on his wedding night.”

“Fuck you, old man. I’ll show you worn out when I beat your ass to the top,” Jake responded.

Chris just laughed, but continued to climb. Maybe they’d get focused enough on giving each other shit and he might have a chance to beat both of them. Honestly he was surprised that he was still hanging in with them. At this point, he’d really figured he’d be miles behind them. Maybe all that physical therapy was finally doing some good.

The muscles in both his shoulders and thighs were trembling from the effort, but he was closing in on the top of the wall. Another two moves and he might just be able to reach that bell.

Chris heard a bellow of frustration come from Colton and gasps arise from the crowd below. He peered over his shoulder to see Colt swinging from his harness. Chris’s balls tensed in commiseration. Damn, that probably didn’t feel so hot, but other than the emasculating binding of the harness at his crotch, Colton seemed to be okay, just really frustrated.

But while Chris was checking to make sure Colton wasn’t plunging to a bloody death, Jake took advantage. The bell rang out over the building. Chris heaved a sigh against his arm, working to convince his muscles to move again, and then pulled himself up the final two handholds to reach the top.