Chapter 7

I put my elbow out to escort her, and a few seconds later I felt her hand slip in and grab my bicep. I kind of wished it was bigger. She gave me a squeeze. "Take lead."

We walked up and through the outside door. In the vestibule a man opened the door for us, letting us in, and the noise of the festivities out.

There must have been close to 100 people in there, and it was crowded near the door. I felt Sheri's hand grip my arm tightly. "Dan," I said.

He stepped around us, and started walking through the crowd. I followed, with Sheri in his shadow. People were looking at us as we passed, and I heard the whispering, and a hush in our wake.

Mostly, I was looking for a break in the crowd, some space to get settled in. Someone had other plans.

I heard the squeal before I saw her. A tall leggy brunette, skinny but damned good looking, came barreling up to us. "Sheri!" she cried out, and a moment later my date was engulfed in her arms.

"God, I'm so glad you're here! You have to meet Robert. You going to be Ok with that? He's been dying to meet you. He knows..." she said.

Sheri was grinning. "I wouldn't miss your engagement party for anything. I'd love to meet him." She looked over at me. "Sandy, this is Steve."

I started to present myself, then I was fighting to keep my balance as our hostess leaped up and threw her arms around my neck, kissing me on the lips. Hard. I don't think I could have been more stunned.

"The infamous AceHole! Steve, you're my hero. Thank you so much," she gushed. "Anything you need, anything I can do for you that my fiancée would approve of, is yours for the asking." She grinned teasingly. "Maybe a little more if you can keep a secret. Hell, maybe a lot more."

Sheri was pulling her cousin's arm off me. "Harlot! He's mine! Damn it, you've got your own."

Sandy had an infectious laugh. "No shit. Anyone seeing him hover over you would know you're his. Shit girl, hit the jackpot much?"

I felt myself blushing. Dan came to the rescue. "Hey Cherry, what am I, chopped meat?"

She laughed. "Mr. Manners here is with us, if you don't mind. Dan's responsible for bringing hot-stuff and I together. Please forgive him if he drools or wets himself. He's not quite house-trained yet."

Sandy turned and gave him a big hug as well. "PerZeus is more than welcome. If he did nothing else ever, bringing you guys together would put me in his debt. I'll task one of the help with cleaning up after him."

He grinned. "I can keep secrets, if the same deal is on."

She laughed. "No way, Jose. I know Steve is too much of a gentleman to take me up on it. Just like I know that you're not."

"Hey!" I interjected. "Who says I'm a gentleman?"

She looked at me smirking. "Seriously? White Knight and all, you think it doesn't show? Face it, Bub, you're toast already." She turned back to Sheri, grabbing her hand. "Come on, I've got a nice little spot staked out for you, and Robert is dying to meet you."

Sheri reached back and grabbed my arm, squeezing my wrist painfully tight, as she was dragged into the depths of the house. A quick turn to the side, and we were suddenly standing in an oasis of peace, beside a column and behind a couch. Sandy turned and took Sheri by the shoulder, guiding her to the wall. She took me by the arm. "You, here," she said, establishing my post at Sheri's side, basically blocking access to anyone from behind the couch.

She walked over and took Dan by the elbow. "You're a hell of a friend, aren't you?"

"What are friends for?" he asked.

She leaned up and gave him a peck on the cheek. "This is your spot. Don't worry, I'll send a few single lovelies by to keep you entertained. You know your role, right? No more than one guy at a time gets past you."

He nodded. "Got it. I gotta meet this Robert guy. Seems like a lucky dude."

She laughed, giving him a squeeze. "You have no idea, sugar."

Sheri had seemed Ok, but I could tell she was getting a little flustered. She was shifting her weight, her eyes scanning the crowd.

"No worse than crossing that damned bridge in act three," I said.

She looked up at me, and I saw a hint of a smile. "I was thinking the castle rampart catapults, and your job is to protect me, while those hordes of nasties keep coming."

"Shit, that's too easy. I'm used to protecting three of 'em. One little girl shouldn't be too hard."

She kicked out at me, connecting with my shin. "Watch who you're calling little girl."

"Ok, one gorgeous, stacked girl, with a hellacious ass shouldn't be too hard to protect."

She smiled, "The girl, the boobies and the booty all thank you, kind sir." She looked up, " ... and it starts."

Sandy and, I assumed, her beau, walked past Dan single file. Not much choice, the way he had the opening blocked off. "Here she is Rob, my favorite person in the whole wide world."

He smiled, not offering his hand. "Thank you so much. You know you made her night." He turned back to Sandy. "Hey! Wait a second. I thought I was your favorite person!"

"No way. Favorite male person, and at the moment, that's only by a hair, considering Steve got her out of the house, and the way you've been flirting with the Bobbsey twins."

He blushed. "You shouldn't leave me alone with those girls. They could eat a man alive."

I stuck out my hand. "Steve, second favorite male person. Behave yourself. I doubt I could survive being first."

He laughed, giving me a firm shake. "No shit. Tough job, but somebody's got to do it."

Sandy smacked him playfully. She seemed like an awfully physical girl. Not that I thought there was anything wrong with that. "Tough job, is it? Maybe I should see if there's anybody else that would like the position." She turned and looked over her shoulder. "I bet Dan would be up to it."

Robert pulled his fiancée close, and smacked her bottom playfully. "You don't want bloodshed at our party, do you, love?"

"I see one of those girl's hands on your ass again, and we'll be knee deep in it," she answered, giving him a hard look.

Sheri seemed to be enjoying the little tête-à-tête. "Maybe I should check out that irresistible butt," she said.

Sandy's draw dropped. "Et tu, Sheri!"

My girl giggled. "You were manhandling my date earlier, dear cousin."

Robert gave her a look, and she blushed. "Jesus, you always were a tattle-tale. It was only a hug."

"And a kiss," Sheri teased.

"A small kiss," Sandy argued.

"On the lips." Sheri seemed to be getting a kick out of this.

"Closed mouth," Sandy whined.

"Mostly," I teased.

She gasped at me. "Keep it up, and you won't be number two much longer."

I laughed. "I'm not saying your mouth wasn't closed, beautiful." I gave Robert a wink.

His laughter was loud and strong. "Damn. You and me, Steve, we're going to get on just fine. I think a kiss for number two is definitely in line. That's all though. I wouldn't want you to have to kick my ass."

Robert was a big guy, a good 6'2" and obviously in great shape. I doubt if I could take him. No way I'd even want to try; he did seem like a good guy.

"That's all. I'd hate to bleed all over your nice new outfit. Besides, look who I'm here with. She'd skin me alive first."

"And salt you down, after," Sheri said.

Sandy took her man in hand. "The four of us. Soon, Ok?"

Sheri nodded. "I'd like that."

"You're positive?" her cousin asked, a little nervously, glancing at her man.

"Definitely. I can't stay cooped up forever, and if I can pry my man away from his myriad responsibilities for a bit, there's nobody I'd rather spend time with."

I saw Sandy's eyes mist up, then she leaned in and hugged her cousin. "I love you," she said softly.

"Me too," Sheri whispered.

I almost lost it when Sandy moved her lips to Sheri's in a kiss better than the one I'd received. "I can't thank you enough," Sandy murmured.

"Shh. It's cool. Everything. Go to your man."

Sandy pulled away, wiped her eyes, then reached up and pulled my head down, kissing me on the lips, her mouth a little less closed this time, her tongue caressing my lip briefly. "You," she said huskily. "I ... shit, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Damn if I didn't feel a moistness in the corner of my own eye. Just the left one you understand. Only one drop. I'm no friggin' wuss.

"I'm the lucky one," I told her.

Her lips turned back up, and Sandy wiped her eyes again. "I hope you know how lucky you are."

"Luckiest man in the world," I told her, "with perhaps present company excluded."

She grabbed her husband-to-be and started to walk away. "Gotta mingle, and there are a lot of old friends dying to stop by. Let me know if it gets to be too much." She stopped and turned back. "You let this one go, I'm locking him in my basement. He's too good to let get away."

"Hey!" Robert said.

"Oh, don't worry dear. It would only be for when you're on travel. That's, what, about fifty percent of the time? I promise, the babies will all be yours." She laughed, dragging him off. He looked back at us, and rolled his eyes.

"She always like that?" I had to ask.

"This is one of her tame nights. He's good for her," Sheri said.

With the ice broken, a steady stream of old girlfriends stopped by, some chatting briefly, while others seemed reluctant to go. Several asked if she'd be around and if they could get together some time. Sheri didn't commit to any of them, but promised she'd be in contact.

I seemed to be getting a lot of attention. More than I was comfortable with. When the women showed up in twos or threes, too many of them found it necessary to stand uncomfortably close. A few wandering hands found my waist, and one even crept a little lower.

Sheri noticed that. As soon as the offender was away she glared at me. "Public toilet would be cleaner. Tramp."