"You almost always have a girl in your bed. I'd not be shocked by that. Seeing the same one more than once, now that would be heart stopping." My dad put his hand on his chest and acting as if he were having a heart attack.
"Funny. It's not like the old days, where your ma and pa put up a dowry and set you up with the perfect woman." I glanced over my shoulder and smirked at him. "You want coffee?"
"No. I already had mine, and I'm telling you that sleeping around might leave you feeling good for a night, but you'll soon hate yourself." My father was dressed in a nice pair of slacks and a button down shirt with a tie that matched, but barely.
"I already do." I shrugged and filled up a coffee mug before walking back to my room. "Give me ten minutes."
"You need to shower. I'm sure you had fun last night. You look like a mess."
"You're mistaken, but thanks for giving a rat's ass." I shut the door to the bedroom and slipped out of my jeans. I should have needed a shower with the way Cindy was pawing at me and rubbing up against me on the way back to the hotel, but I couldn't see myself taking her to bed.
Shit, I couldn't see myself taking anyone but Chloe. It was disturbing.
I wasn't sure if Cindy would remember me dropping them off, but when they woke up all piled in one room with my friends, I was sure they’d all start to remember of the events from the night before. I'd gotten all my friends and all of Chloe's friends into the hotel room Jared had rented and locked the door on my way out.
Why Brian hadn't stayed around to help me was a mystery. I'd have to get his ass later over it.
I walked back out in black slacks and a button down white shirt with my hair combed and my Sunday shoes polished.
"You almost look like a good guy," Dad snorted again and got up, pulling on his coat. "Grab a jacket. I'm thinking another cold front moved in early this morning."
"Yeah, I was carting around a bunch of drunk idiots when it hit." I grabbed my wool jacket from the closet and slipped my wallet in my back pocket. "You driving or me?"
"I'll drive."
* * * *
The service was lifeless and the monotone voice of the preacher did nothing to help keep my eyes open. After only three hours of sleep, I was hurting as we sat there and stared at the choir loft. I wasn't particularly religious, but my father was, and having spent every Sunday beside him in a hard wooden pew, I couldn't think of another place to be on Sunday mornings. He wouldn't allow it, anyway. I would be married with kids and his ass would still be showing up, making all of us go.
My lip lifted in a smirk at the thought of it.
I glanced around at the familiar faces of everyone who had been in my life for as long as I could remember and felt a sinking in my spirit. I didn't want to shovel driveways for the rest of my days. I wanted the promise of moving on, of building on my dreams like Brian kept reminding me of, but to build anything you had to have money and I was always in the red.
The only other thing that swept across my mind other than building a beautiful resort for families to visit in Aspen was Chloe. The hurt in her face as I bent down to kiss her friend the night before stung me. I shouldn't have done it, yet it had been far beyond my turn to throw a dagger. She laid me open with every word she swung at me on the dance floor. So I slept around. So the fuck what? Every guy my age and younger had done the same damn thing. She'd never had a one-night stand? I doubted it.
Anger burned through me and I let out a sort sigh only to be elbowed by my dad.
"Behave," he barked quietly.
I was twenty-seven. I knew how to behave. The need to respond to him sat heavy on me, but I pushed it down and went back to thinking about Chloe. I was mad because she had judged me and done a good job of it. Because of her assessment, I had little chance with her.
She deserves better.
And she did, but I didn't want to take her to my bed and sneak out the next morning. I wanted to take her to dinner and kiss her on the doorstep, or teach her to ski better and roll around in the snow when we fell into it together.
I wanted a normal night of fun without the promise of sex. I wanted a date.
The realization rolled over me that I hadn't been on a date that wasn't planned for the sex since I was a teenager. I closed my eyes and tilted my head toward the ceiling as regret rushed through my veins. It would be gone soon, seeing that none of the women in my past had every wanted anything but sex, as well. I wasn't the one pushing for anything most of the time. I was used and therefore, I used.
Nice.
The preacher asked us to bow our heads, and I let mine drop, keeping my eyes closed and starting to work through not only how I was going to apologize to the pretty girl who had me captivated, but how I was going to see her again. I wasn't letting fate have another shot at me.
Cindy had let out that Chloe's last name was Burke. Now all I had to do was find someone with that last name that had been here off and on. Maybe my father knew something about it. I was pretty sure that there was a Burke on our client list. Maybe they were related.
We wrapped up the prayer and stood around, shaking old men's hands and hugging old ladies before my father patted my back and gave me a push.
"Let's go. You having lunch with me today?"