Chapter 53
“Where did you go last night?” Shaun asked the next day as she and Mariah took advantage of the brunch buffet. “Last I saw, you kicked Brian’s ass at arm wrestling and was teasing the hell out of him about it. I’m surprised he didn’t kill you as a result.”
“Eh, I got him settled down with another game of Pepsi quarters,” Mariah replied. “Went back to his room for that one.”
“Pepsi quarters?” Shaun raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, it’s like the drinking game quarters, only without the beer.”
“Uh huh.” Shaun was skeptical.
“It’s really kind of fun,” Mariah smiled.
“Come on, girl, you did not spend all night up in that man’s room playing quarters. Fess up, what really happened?”
“Well, you know that joke about the arm wrestling prize I said to Paul?”
“Yeah, so?”
“It turned out not to be so much a joke after all.”
“Oh no you didn’t!” Shaun said, nearly shouting.
“Will you pipe down?” Mariah said in a low voice. “I don’t need the whole universe knowing about it. And it wasn’t planned; just one of those things that happened.”
“So was it….” Shaun began.
Mariah cleared her throat. “Let’s just say urban legend isn’t exactly urban legend.” She spread her hands out as if to describe the size of something. “And to think this is the first time I did anyone while I was sober and actually enjoyed it.”
“That good, huh?”
“Oh yeah.”
“You know if Paul finds out about this, he’s not going to let you live it down.”
“Probably, but he’s probably too busy right now having his own fun as a married man as we speak.”
“Yeah. So you got a date with that hot bartender Marylin told me about, huh?”
“Byron? Yeah, it’s just for coffee, though.”
“Well, you’re getting your foot in the door,” Mariah nodded. “Nice to see you’re dating again.”
“I figure since everyone else is hooking up, I should too. And yes, it’s dating, not a quarter-playing booty call like present company had.”
“Hey, what’s wrong with scratching each other’s itch once in awhile?”
“I know you’ve been wanting to scratch that itch for over a year, girl. But of all times, Paul’s wedding?” Shaun was incredulous.
“Couldn’t think of a better time. Besides, I had to cash in my prize for winning the arm wrestling contest.”
“I thought you said there wasn’t a prize.”
“There wasn’t until after I beat him a few times too many at quarters too.”
“You are something else, Mariah.”
“Yeah, I am,” she grinned. “But we can’t say we haven’t really lived.”
In Mexico, a few days later:
Montana was enjoying herself immensely; she had a wonderful new husband, was in a beautiful suite overlooking the beach, and they had explored parts of the city outside of the usual tourist traps.
Outside of their exploring many attractions Paul had seen before during his tours there, it would be a week of swimming, sun, sleeping, and sex.
They had been chided by her mother in law one morning; it had been raining and they were stuck in the hotel when Montana and Paul had called home to check on the girls.
The bebés were fine, the older woman assured them; shouldn’t they be enjoying their time alone as a new couple?
Paul had also caught up with a few friends, dialing Shaun at one point, who filled him in on her coffee date with Byron.
“Hey, that’s how me and Montana started,” he reassured his longtime friend. “Never know where it will go from there.”
“I guess,” Shaun replied. “Speaking of which, if you see Brian in a goofy mood when you get back here, be warned he and Mariah did the nasty.”
“Brian’s always goofy… and what did you say?”
“The night of your wedding,” Shaun clarified. “Let’s just say a quarters game that went too far.”
“Oh God,” Paul replied. “You don’t mean that Mimi was—”
“That was the best part. She was actually sober.”
“Oh. Then this will be that much more fun to bag on both of them about.”
“Don’t be too rough on them, Guapo,” Shaun laughed. “Meanwhile, I will let you get back to spoiling your bride.”
“Which I intend on doing, my friend; rain or no rain.”
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