Chapter 38
"I can't believe you made me wear this." Amy grumbled pulling at the tight fabric for the fourth time in the under two minutes.
She really didn't know why she kept doing it. No matter how much she stretched in up to cover her cleavage, the damn thing would almost immediately revert back to its original position, which was way too low for comfort.
Ineptly, she trudged down the staircase in uncomfortable stilettos while a snickering Leila and a giggling Nancy trailed behind.
"You really need to learn how to walk on those." Nancy quipped between chuckles.
"Can it, Nancy Drew." Amy threw over her shoulder.
"Don't call me that!" The bride protested.
When they reached the entrance hall the rest of the bachelorette party was waiting.
"Whoa! Amy!" Said one of the women.
"It's not mine."
Amy had a feeling she'd be growling out that sentence a lot that evening.
"Well, it looks hot!"
She didn't get a chance to reply as a male voice coming from behind her cut her off:
"I second that sentiment."
Her heart skipped a beat.
"Hey, Michael!" She greeted bashfully, turning around and accepting his hug.
"Ames." He replied. "It's good to see you again."
"Same here."
Watching from a distance, Dean held his breath for a moment.
There was always an unsettling quietness in her voice whenever she'd speak to this man. He seemed to bring out a side of her that was completely unknown to him and it made his blood curl - the idea that Michael could evoke in her a state of serenity; a state diametrically opposed to the one Dean seemed to stir up.
The mention of Jackson caused him to tune into their conversation once again. Poor, bastard! Dean was thrown a bit by the medical jargon, but from what he could gather the old hunter was still in a coma and chances were he wasn't going to wake up any time soon.
"Can you guys talk shop some other time?" Leila, never one for subtlety or finesse, quickly ended the exchange between the two doctors.
"Leila…" Michael redirected his attention to the brunette.
The chilliness with which he said her name made it plain to Dean that Michael and Leila weren't exactly the best of pals.
"… ever the… tactful one." His eyes travelled up and down her barely covered body before he continued: "I see you're sticking to the less is more philosophy of life."
"Michael…" She gave him a head tilt and her lips twisted for a sarcastic, closed-mouth smirk. "How I missed your delightfully self-righteous little comments with just a hint of passive-aggressiveness."
"Guys..." Amy warned.
They always did this. From the moment she'd introduced them they'd taken an instant disliking to each other. They were completely different. Her best friend was a spunky, free spirit and her in your face attitude clashed with Michael's subdued, sometimes conservative demeanor.
"What?" Leila feigned ignorance with little success.
"Whatever… can we just go? My feet are killing me."
"Yeah, let's go." Nancy promptly agreed, clearly psyched about her bachelorette party.
The young girl's comment brought out the protectiveness in her brother:
"You… behave. No heavy drinking. You've got a big day tomorrow."
Nancy rolled her eyes.
"Yes, daddy."
"Don't worry, we promise to keep the virginity smearing to a minimum." Leila jabbed.
Michael chose to ignore her and turned to Amy.
"Keep an eye on her?"
"Will do. Don't worry. See you tomorrow?"
He nodded and flock of women quickly scurried out of the house in a heap of sniggers and squeaks.
~……~
The pulsating tempo of the earsplitting music matched the throbbing in Amy's head and she pressed the bridge of her nose in a meek attempt to numb the pain as they entered the fifth bar of the evening.
Taking a seat, her eyes scanned the place.
Apparently, Dean hadn't made good on his threat of crashing the bachelorette party. It was three o'clock in the morning and there was no sign of him.
'Good.' She tried to convince herself that she was relieved by this turn of events.
"What are they doing here?"
At her question, Amy followed Leila's gaze to find Sid and his party sitting at one of the tables.
Apparently, Michael's plan for the groom's bachelor party was similar to Leila's. Charleston was a big city, but if you insist on skipping from bar to bar you're bound to run into other people.
"My punk Romeo!" Nancy squealed swooning theatrically before gracelessly making a beeline for her groom.
"What? No! Oh, crap!" And off went Leila trying to stop the heavily intoxicated bride.
She wasn't fast enough and the happy couple was already engaged in a dramatic lip lock by the time she reached them.
The disgusted look on Leila's face made Amy smile.
"Hi, Amy."
She twisted to find a beefy man standing beside her.
"Z-Zach?" She winced.
He was one of Michael's friends, a surgeon, and they'd met in her third year of med school. Even though she'd tried, his infatuation for her had always been so obvious it was impossible even for her to ignore it. She'd dreaded the shifts she was on call with him during her surgical rotation. He'd make up ridiculous excuses to be alone with her, constantly beeping her in the middle of the night, to the point that it bordered on harassment. The worst, though, was the way he'd gape at her. There'd been one instance while prepping for surgery she was sure he was going to jump her, but he never did, he never made a move and the two blissfully disregarded the awkwardness his actions brought to their rapport. There was nothing tangible to accuse him of and she figured her relationship with Michael kept him at bay, so she'd never shared her distress with her boyfriend.
By the time they'd broken up, she'd moved back home and she didn't see Zach again, so she never gave it a second thought.
But now, she was a free agent and the surgeon looked like he was about to pounce.
'Shit.'
Where was Leila when you needed her?
"Long time no see." He drawled making moon eyes at her.
She laughed nervously and averted her gaze.
By now both parties had meshed together, the various drunken guests quickly pairing off. She was on her own.
'Fuck.'
"Yeah…" She replied gauchely.
"So you're back for Nancy's wedding?"
"It would appear so."
'Help… someone? Anyone?' She mentally squeaked.
~………~
He'd been followed her the entire night, keeping to the shadows, remaining unnoticed, but all the while his eyes had never left her.
He'd watched her laugh, dance and get hit on by about ten guys. He'd refrained from divulging his presence even at bar number three when some shitfaced college kid dared to put his paws on her waist. He'd been two seconds away from storming his way through the crowded place and pummeling the kid into unconsciousness. But Leila did his dirty job for him and solved the issue by effectively clocking him in the face.
After some confusion, the boy had walked away with a new shiner.
Now Dean went on full alert, recognizing the immediate tension irradiating from Amy's body as the brawny man with the receding hairline approached her. He readily pushed himself off the wall he'd been leaning on and was about to cross the bar but halted when he saw Michael join the couple.
~…….~
Zach inched closer and Amy shrunk in her seat.
"Do you wanna danc-" Zach's proposition was cut short when her eyes fell on the tall doctor.
"Michael!"
Relief washed over her.
"Ames." He greeted.
Amy could swear she heard a snarl coming from Zach; it sent a chill down her spine.
"I see my kid sister's still vertical, wobbly, but vertical."
"I tried to keep her away from the liquor, but you know her…" She flinched at the jitteriness in her voice.
Thankfully, Michael still possessed the perceptive skills of an amoeba and her state of unrest remained unnoticed by him.
"I just hope she's still able to walk down the aisle in a straight line tomorrow." He commented, eyeing his sister clumsily swirling her hips against her husband to be.
"Yeah…"
There was an awkward silence between the three, one evident only to Amy and Zach, who was clearly peeved with the interruption.
Unable to bear the discomfort Amy blurted:
"Do you wanna dance?"
"What?" Michael frowned.
"Dance?" She repeated.
'Com' on, com' on, keep up Michael.' She urged him.
God, for such a brilliant mind he was so socially daft sometimes.
"For old times' sake?" She tried.
"We never-"
"Let's go." She didn't give him a chance to protest and hastily shoved him towards the dance floor, safely away from Zach, who looked like he was about to explode.
Once engulfed by the bustling mob, she locked her hands behind on the nape of his neck and began swaying against him in earnest, making sure Zach could see.
"What are you doing?" Michael questioned rigidly.
"Dancing."
"Are you drunk?"
She could punch him at that moment, but instead growled out her frustration:
"No. I'm the designated driver."
At his skeptical look, she shook her head and commanded:
"Just try and relax, will you? It's just a dance."
He wasn't convinced, but obeyed anyway.
~……~
Her hips glided smoothly against Michael's. He'd never seen her dance before, but somehow he'd always suspected she'd be damn good at it. After the stormy night they'd shared in the Impala he'd been pretty much sold on the idea and now he had visible proof of it.
She might be a tight ass, but boy could she move said ass.
The skimpy little black dress she wore wasn't helping matters either.
'I need a drink.' He promptly decided.
"Whiskey." He said to the bartender.
Another glance her way made him reassess his order:
"Make it a double."
The man behind the counter barely had time to place the shot glass in front of the eager customer before it was downed down and:
"Another."
~……~
Michael's hands traced up and down her spine.
"How long are you staying?" He questioned.
"I have to leave tomorrow." She replied scanning the bar for Zach, instead she found...
"Dean…"
"Amy?"
Her eyes snapped up at Michael.
"Wha'?"
Her brain was focused on the newly acquired knowledge that Dean was in the bar. Was it a coincidence? Not a chance.
'That sneaky little bastard.'
She felt the arms around her tighten and once again met Michael's gaze.
"I said I'm sorry you have to leave so soon."
"Um… yeah, me too."
And her eyes were back on Dean.
He'd probably been trailing after her all night long.
'Bastard!'
A shiver raced through her at the idea that he'd been watching her all this time.
Somewhere in her muddled brain she registered that Michael was saying something.
"Huh?"
"Are you ok? Is something wrong?"
"Um… No!" She denied vehemently and forced her body to move to the sultry beat.
The way her knees were wobbling it was near impossible.
Why were her knees wobbling?
"I've really missed you, Ames."
Michael's heartfelt confession fell on deaf ears as Amy stepped back.
"Um… Could you excuse me for a sec?"
He didn't manage to get a word in and just stood there watching her walk away.