Valerie pulled out a pair of tiny San Diego Charger cheerleading outfits. Complete with pom-poms and matching booties. There were a lot of and awes and some clapping. “Yes!” Alex fist pumped. “But they’re a little short.”

Valerie rolled her eyes while others laughed.

After the shower, they drove Rose home, but not before a disturbingly long goodbye to Vincent. Much to Sal’s discontent, he’d watched as they exchanged phone numbers by calling each other on their cells.

“I can’t stress enough, Gracie,” he said to her as soon as Rose was out of the car and out of earshot. “The boy is bad news. I hope you warn her.”

“He’s so young and he has a tattoo.”

“Yeah, that’s how stupid he is.” Sal shook his head.

They drove back to his place and sat in the back again. Sal was beginning to hate taking her home each night. He knew it’d only been a week since they’d gotten together but what he’d been feeling for her had grown over a longer period of time and he couldn’t get enough of her now. Hearing her say she was serious too had made his day.

He also remembered her mention that she’d never. If that meant what he was sure it did, asking her to spend the night was out of the question. He’d have to be very patient. This wouldn’t be his first time with a virgin but definitely the first time he’d ever been with anyone he had these kinds of feelings for, so in a way this was a first for him as well. This was huge. Taking his time around someone that drove him this insane wouldn’t be easy. But he had no intention of doing anything that might make her uncomfortable.

~*~

Jason called on Tuesday to remind him of the bachelor party that weekend. “You got your flight booked?”

Now, more than ever, Sal couldn’t imagine leaving for two days but he knew there was no way out of this. “Yeah, I’ll fly out at five and be there by six on Saturday.”

“In the morning, right?”

“Nah, man I couldn’t get anything earlier.” That was one fat lie if he ever told one. He only hoped Jason wouldn’t check. There was a flight available as early as nine in the morning. But it was bad enough that he’d be missing his evening with Grace that night, he wasn’t going to miss the whole day too.

“Are you kidding me? We’ll probably all be bombed by then.”

“At six? You’re crazy. That’s still early. Everything’s just getting started around that time.”

“Not in Vegas, baby.”

Sal laughed. “I’ll catch up when I get there. I promise.”

He hung up before Jason got a chance to ask him what time his flight was the next morning. Curiously, there were plenty of early flights home Sunday. Knowing he’d probably be up late Saturday night, he made sure he didn’t book one too early, but he knew even his eleven a.m flight would be too early for Jason.

Grace was off, but he’d be picking her up later that evening. He actually could pick her up earlier and he really wanted to. Sofia had come in and said she could close if he wanted her to, but Grace was spending the afternoon with Joey and Taylor. Even though they were g*y, it still annoyed him that they were taking time that he could be spending with her.

Sal hadn’t told her yet about the bachelor party. He was telling her tonight and he wasn’t looking forward to it. The things Grace did with her friends when he wasn’t around were things he didn’t have to worry about. Like today they’d all gone to a farmers’ market where some of their school friends were participating in a chili cook-off and then they were having an early dinner. He wasn’t sure how he’d feel about her going out to a club without him. Or even to have a few drinks on a Saturday night at places where it was known people went to hook up. So he didn’t want her to get the idea he was okay with even these kinds of things. He’d certainly have a problem with her taking off for the weekend, especially if her and her friends were planning ahead of time on getting bombed. After this damn weekend, she’d have a free pass.

The only hope he had of getting out of going this weekend would be if Grace told him she wasn’t comfortable with it. He’d cancel his flight in a heartbeat. Jason would just have to understand and if that were the case, he wouldn’t feel the least bit guilty. Grace’s feeling were more important now. Unfortunately, since Grace hadn’t shown any insecurity with Melissa, he highly doubted she’d be concerned about this.

She said she’d be ready by seven. Sal had driven around her block since he’d been there a little too early to text her. By the time she got in the car, he was so damn anxious to see her, their first kiss was ravenous. She licked her lips when he was done and she laughed. “I missed you, too.”

Thank God for Sofia. He might’ve closed early, if she hadn’t showed up. He was going to have to control himself. It was getting harder and harder to not push things further physically but she still hadn’t shown any signs that she was ready to move forward and he refused to push her—refused to even mention it—not until she did first.

They got back to his place and Sal felt like a teenage boy barely able to keep his hands and lips to himself. Fortunately, Grace didn’t seem to mind. Once back at their place, the oversized patio sofa Grace liked so much, he found a moment to bring up that weekend.

“My friend is getting married in a few weeks and he’s having a bachelor party this weekend.” He tried to read her expression but it was vacant. She didn’t appear mad, but she certainly wasn’t smiling.