I grinned as Margot flitted around our apartment, talking a mile a minute and putting things away from our dinner.
"They are so excited to meet you, all they have asked about since we first became friends is 'when are we going to meet Eddie?' Or 'Is Eddie ever going to come around?' And, like, of course, all I do is talk about you—"
"Go, Go, Go," I interrupted gently, taking her shoulders one of the times she zoomed by. I grinned down at her and set a hand on the side of her face, tracing her cheek with my thumb. She smiled nervously, her cheeks flushing. I kissed each one of them gently and then her nose. "I'm excited to meet your friends, too."
Her grin grew and she rocked up on my toes, kissing me sweetly. She crinkled her eyes at me and set a hand on my chest.
"I've just been talking you up for a while, so I'm excited they get to meet my knight in shining armor," she replied, wrapping her arms around my neck. I pulled her in close to me and grinned at her.
"Well, I hope I live up to their expectations," I teased, leaning close to her face. She smiled wildly and kissed me before I could kiss her.
"You absolutely will, and then some," she whispered as she pulled away. I kissed her forehead and let her go as she trotted to our room. She paused before she went in and looked back at me. "Green dress tonight?"
I felt my heart catch and nodded excitedly before she giggled and disappeared into our room. I sighed happily and grabbed a beer from the fridge. I turned some music on and plopped onto our couch, content.
Tonight, I was meeting Margot's friends from class. I hadn't been able to meet them yet, my internship taking up a majority of my time and not aligning with their hangouts after class. So, Margot had intentionally planned a Friday night out at a bar she and I loved by our apartment so the friends she always told me about could finally meet me. I was full of excitement, ready to put faces to the names that had colored her stories for the last couple of months.
Margot traipsed out of our room into the living room, twirling in the green dress that had made an appearance many times in our relationship. She grinned at me and skipped over to me, crawling into my lap and wrapping her arms around my neck, making my heart pound. I looked up at her, delighted with how excited she was. She was so thrilled to show me off and have me know her friends. It was so different from the version of Margot when we first started dating.
"Can I ask a favor?" she asked, tracing a design on my chest. I slid my hands up her back and pulled her close.
"You could ask me to cut my arm off while you're sitting like this, and I'd probably say yes, princess," I replied. She grinned and kissed me.
"You and your lines," she quipped. I grinned and scratched her back softly. "Do you think you could wear that black shirt and flannel I like so much?"
I tugged on her hair, smiling wider when she flushed.
"Princess, are you trying to get me all dressed up?" I teased. Her mouth twisted into a nervous smile.
"I may or may not have talked about how hot you are, a lot, and I like that shirt and flannel on you," she replied meekly. I smiled and pulled her to my lips.
"You and your lines," I repeated back to her between kisses. She laughed and rolled off me, helping me stand. I kissed her forehead and went to our closet to change into the clothes she requested. I came back out, grinning as she pulled her purse over her shoulder. She blushed, holding her hand out for me to take. I laced my fingers with hers, kissing her quickly.
"So handsome," she said quietly, almost to herself, as we left and locked the door behind us. I snaked my arm around her waist as we started out to our night, kissing her temple.
"Only for you, princess," I announced, making her smile wildly.
---
I was so excited for Eddie to meet my friends. I was even more excited for them to meet Eddie. He was my favorite person, and I loved it when he became other people's favorite person. I looked up at him, giddy from the life we shared together, and how I was going to share even more with him. He winked at me before kissing my forehead and pulling me closer to him.
I had met Sydney, Marnie, and Omar in my English class, each of us bonding over our mutual hatred of Beowulf. We had formed a study group that met often, other classmates joining us, but we remained the core group. They were fun and kind, each of us complementing each other. They teased me, in a loving way, about how much I gushed about Eddie, and were excited to meet him.
We finally got to our favorite bar, The Shepard, and Eddie held the door open for me, greeting the bouncer who had come to know us well. Once we stepped in, he immediately had a hand on the small of my back, never letting me far out of reach. I looked up and grinned at him, loving that about him.
"We need a table for five!" I explained, glancing around at the already crowded bar. He kissed the back of my head, guiding me through the crowd. I furrowed my brows when one of the bartenders we had gotten to know was waving at us, smiling widely while pointing to the table he was at. Eddie pulled me along, shaking the bartender's hand once we got to the table.
"It was a pain in the ass keeping everyone away from this," Bruce, the bartender, explained to Eddie. Bruce grinned and winked at me. "Your boy was calling pretty much hourly to make sure we held a table for you guys tonight. Said he needed to make a good impression."
I felt my chest burst with joy and turned to Eddie, grinning as he looked everywhere but at me. I kissed his neck and he finally looked at me.
"You are such a dork," I teased. He winked and kissed my nose.
"Anything for my girl – need to make sure my 'out in public' privileges don't get taken away," he teased. I felt a pang in my chest and set a hand on the side of his face.
"Never ever," I replied, pressing my lips to his. He grinned and kissed me softly again.
"Oh, my god, he's actually real!" a voice cheered, going up an octave. I turned, grinning wildly at my friends, Eddie's arm still around me. Sydney was grinning wildly, flanked by Marnie and Omar, who were both equally excited.
"And he's hotter than you described," Omar added, eyeing Eddie. Marnie and Sydney nodded in agreement, giggling with each other. I looked up at Eddie, grinning at how bashful he got. I leaned into him, excited my worlds were coming together.
"Eddie, this is Sydney, Marnie, and Omar!" I exclaimed, gesturing at each of them. I smiled at them. "Guys, this is Eddie."
"Eddie, it is so nice to finally meet you, we have been dying to meet the man that makes Margot as happy as she is," Marnie said, sitting down. We joined her, each of us laughing and chattering with each other. Eddie grabbed the back of my chair, pulling me close to his and making my stomach flip. Omar set a hand on his chest; jaw dropped.
"That was so hot," he said, making us all laugh. Eddie kissed my temple, making me melt.
"Well, uh, I'm, um, thrilled to meet you g-guys – Go has been saying g-great things about you guys, um, for a while, and it's nice to put f-faces to the names," Eddie replied nervously, making all of them titter with excitement again. Omar turned and sighed when he looked at the door. I furrowed my brows and he grinned apologetically.
"I have to keep checking the door and I'm so sorry about this – when you weren't at the study group today, Jimmy was grilling us on where you were and then someone slipped up and told him what we were doing tonight, and he invited himself along," Omar explained, shooting a glare at Sydney. She grinned awkwardly.
"I'm sorry, I was just so excited about tonight!" she replied. I sighed and Eddie squeezed my shoulder, prompting me to look at him.
"He's this guy in our study group – he's gotten a little clingy with our group," I explained. Eddie nodded and started playing with my hair, making me shiver. I saw him smirk, proud of his effect on me.
"Our group?" Marnie quipped, which led to an elbow in her side from Omar. I furrowed my brows, wanting to ask more, but was interrupted when two drinks were set down. I looked up, smiling at Bruce.
"Alright, I know these two orders – a G and T and whiskey soda. What about you guys?" Bruce asked. My friends started to order their drinks, and I felt my face warm when Eddie leaned close. I turned to him, grinning, as he held his drink up.
"To your friends, princess," he said quietly. I clinked my glass against his and we took a sip from our drinks. I kissed him quickly and he pulled me tight to him. He pressed his lips to my temple, and Sydney sighed, setting her chin on her hand.
"I'm sorry, is his nickname for you 'princess'? That's so cute," she gushed, making us laugh. Eddie nodded.
"Of course – she's nothing less than royalty," he quipped, playing with my hair and more comfortable. My friends chattered again and started asking Eddie questions about himself.
He was his charming self, answering them, and asking questions back. They got their drinks, and my friends made a big deal of cheering to Eddie before starting on their drinks. They asked Eddie stories about me, wanting to know more about our story. My friends gushed at how Eddie talked about me. They were all getting along so well, and I was over the moon. Omar suddenly groaned.
"Here he comes," he sighed, warning us. A tall, blond man sauntered over to our table, staring at me as he smiled. I felt Eddie's hold around me tighten, immediately possessive of me. I looked at him, smiling brightly at him. He smiled at me but kept glancing over as Jimmy made is way to us. I squeezed his thigh, prompting him to look at me. Eddie smiled at me and kissed my forehead.
"Hey, guys," Jimmy greeted. I smiled at him, uncomfortable as he continued to watch me. "Thanks for the invite. Can I pull up a chair?"
Without waiting for an answer, he took an empty chair from a nearby table and tried to set a chair in between Marnie and me.
"You can sit next to me, Jimmy," Omar ordered. Jimmy's face fell, but he followed Omar's directions and set his chair between Omar and Eddie. Eddie's hold became tighter and more noticeable to anyone who looked at us.
"Jimmy, this is my boyfriend, Eddie," I said, introducing the two. Jimmy's face split into a cold smile, and he raised his eyebrows at Eddie.
"Oh, this is the famous Eddie!" he replied, eyes flashing.
Jimmy was handsome in a preppy, clean-cut way. He had started attending our study group, not really adding much to our studies, but constantly tagging along. He often bragged about the fraternity he was in and tried inviting me to their parties. He scoffed when I turned his invites down, telling me that that my boyfriend needed to "let me out more". I tried to be friendly with him, mostly to keep the study group civil, but he reminded me of the people I had changed myself to be friends with back when I was New Margot.
"And the lesser-known Jimmy," Eddie replied coolly. I tried to stifle a giggle, but Sydney was not as successful as I was. Jimmy's smile fell and he leaned back in his chair. He plastered another smile on.
"You know, you are not the kind of guy I would picture Margot with," Jimmy stated, watching Eddie and me. I felt uncomfortable with his staring but felt a little better when Eddie played with my hair again. I leaned into him and set a hand on his thigh.
"Oh, really?" Eddie replied. His tone was calm, but I could sense the underlying tension. Jimmy looked at me, shrugging.
"Really. Couldn't picture a girl like Margot with a guy who looks like he's in Ratt," Jimmy quipped, laughing at his joke. "All you need is some eyeshadow, bud."
I felt Eddie tense next to me. Eddie hated Ratt.
---
I knew what Jimmy was doing. I wasn't as stupid as he seemed to think I was. I wanted to grab him by the neck and tell him to stop fucking staring at my girlfriend, that she wasn't interested in douchey frat guys who invited themselves along.
But then Margot leaned into me and kissed my jaw, immediately softening my anger. I looked at her and she flashed me a heart-stopper smile.
"I think he's got more of a Metallica look," she complimented, making me break into a smile. She brushed my hair out of my face and winked. "And I am very into it."
I relaxed a bit and kissed her softly. There she was again, brave and cool enough for the both of us. She smiled and settled further into me, reassuring me of us. I looked back at Jimmy who was forcing his smile. He cleared his throat.
"Ratt, Metallica – all that music sounds the same to me," Jimmy retorted, shrugging. I felt a flash of anger.
"Metallica and Ratt are not—" I started, furious.
"What do you like, Jimmy? Michael Bolton? Rick Astley?" Omar sniped. I was grateful for Margot's real friends, the ones who gushed over me and obviously saw right through Jimmy. Jimmy glared at him.
"I just don't like that metal music," Jimmy insisted. Omar rolled his eyes, and the tension was diffused by a subject change from Sydney. I listened as she and Omar teased each other, but noticed Marnie lean close to Margot.
"Eddie is so great, Margot," she said lowly. I felt my chest tighten with pride and pretended I wasn't eavesdropping.
"He's the best," Margot replied. I started playing with her hair and smiled as she shivered against me.
"And he's seriously so cute, you were not lying about that part," Marnie gushed. Margot laughed and leaned further into me, making my heart pound.
"So, Eddie, you don't go to college, right?" Jimmy asked abruptly. The table went quiet, and everyone looked at him. He smiled wolfishly, looking around. "What? It's just a question."
"No, I don't," I replied tersely. Jimmy was wearing a shit-eating grin. "My internship with a publishing firm keeps me pretty busy. It's why I hadn't met Margot's friends yet."
I relished his face break at my response – he was really hoping I was just a loser who brought Margot down. He cleared his throat and shrugged.
"So, you followed a girl out here?" he continued, trying to poke holes at anything. I looked down at Margot, pulling her face close to mine.
"Of course, I did – have you seen this girl?" I quipped. She flushed and buried her face in my chest. I turned back to Jimmy, delighting in how openly jealous he now looked. I kissed the top of Margot's head, staring straight at him. "I would have gone to the end of the Earth if it meant she was going to be there."
Jimmy rolled his eyes when her friends gushed again at my response. I didn't take score for the "good boyfriend" column anymore, but if I still did, I would be crushing it tonight.
"I can't say that I would base my future around a relationship that might not last through college," Jimmy continued, playing up the "concerned friend" act.
---
Who did Jimmy think he was? I had forgotten how angry it made me when people passed judgement on our relationship. With Jimmy's remarks, I was right back there. However, now, I was sure of who I was, especially who I was with Eddie. I squeezed Eddie's thigh and looked up at him.
"I'm going to go to the restroom," I announced. I looked at Sydney and Marnie, widening my eyes. "Do you guys want to come with me?"
They both shot up immediately and started following me.
"Omar – make sure you keep them in line!" Sydney called over her shoulder.
We got to the bathroom and looked at each other as soon as the door closed.
"I am so sorry for having such a big mouth," Sydney finally said. We all broke into laughter, and I felt a little better.
"What is Jimmy's problem?" I asked. Marnie scoffed.
"He's had a crush on you since day one – that's why he was so insistent on being part of our study group," she explained. I felt my face flush.
"I haven't...I mean, I haven't done anything to make him think—"
"Oh, my gosh, no, Margot!" Sydney insisted. "He's just apparently a jerk who thinks he's going to win you over by being a dick to your boyfriend."
"Who we love, by the way – Eddie's just as wonderful as you described," Marnie continued. I looked at them for a bit and grinned once I got an idea. I didn't explain it to them, just having them follow me back to our table.
Eddie was glaring at Jimmy, explaining something forcefully to him. I could sense that things had quickly escalated and was even more sure of my idea. Eddie finally noticed me walking back, smiling weakly at me and leaning back into his chair.
His eyes widened as I crawled into his lap like I had earlier, wrapping my arms around his neck and leaning close to him.
"Hi, p-princess," he said nervously, surprised by my actions. I kissed him deeply, my butterflies swarming my chest as he wrapped his hands around my back, pulling me closer. I pulled back and looked at Jimmy, smiling at his shock.
"Sorry – I miss him so much when we aren't together," I explained, leaning into Eddie. Jimmy turned bright red and stood, clearing his throat.
"Well – thanks for having me, guys, I need to get going," he mumbled, tripping over his words and becoming more and more embarrassed.
"Bye, Jimmy," I chirped, setting my head on Eddie's chest.
"Hope to see you again," Eddie piled on, making me giggle. Jimmy stumbled out, leaving his beer behind and all of us were at ease again. Eddie pressed his lips to my ear, making my hair stand on edge. "If that's how we deal with jealous assholes, sign me up, princess."
I grinned at him and kissed him again before getting up. I got back in my chair and settled into Eddie's arms, beaming at my friends. They were grinning at us.
"Honestly, iconic," Omar announced, making everyone laugh. Sydney held her glass up.
"To Eddie and Margot," she cheered. We all laughed again and clinked our glasses together. We continued to drink together, Eddie winning my friends over and my friends bonding with him. Despite the minor hiccup, the night had been successful.
Eddie officially became their favorite person when he picked up the tab without them knowing, delighting them. We all stumbled out of the bar, giggling and repeating stories from the night. Once we got outside, Eddie snaked his hands around my waist and pulled my back to his chest. He kissed my neck, and my friends watched us happily.
"This was so much fun – Eddie, you are officially one of us," Marnie ordered, pointing at him. He laughed and nodded.
"Get home safe, guys!" I called out. They waved at us.
"You too!" Sydney called out. We stayed for a beat, watching them as they stumbled along and held onto each other. I twisted in Eddie's arms, setting my arms around his neck and getting close to him.
"You ready to go home, princess?" he asked quietly, setting his lips close to mine. I grinned.
"I'd go anywhere with you, Sir Tiebaut," I replied. His grin grew and he kissed me, making me melt into him.
"Well, I'm officially enforcing the 'no clothes' rule tonight," he said lowly, making my stomach flip. I laced my fingers in his hair and smiled wickedly.
"I won't need much convincing," I flirted. His eyes flashed and I felt like I was in control. I was quickly proved wrong when he kissed me deeply, pulling me tight to him and consuming me. When he pulled back, I was giddy and out of breath. Before I could calm down, Eddie threw me over his shoulder, making me shriek with laughter the entire way to our building.
He set me down once we got inside, each of us immediately reaching for each other and refusing to move our lips from one another. We stumbled to our apartment, giggling as we tripped over each other. Once we got to our place, I quickly unlocked the door, my hands trembling as he bit and sucked at my neck.
We finally got inside, locking the door, and Eddie immediately had me against the wall, unbuttoning my dress as his hands shook. I stopped him, setting a hand on the side of his face. He watched me carefully, grinning at me. I kissed him softly.
"You are exactly the kind of guy I would be with," I said abruptly. He furrowed his brows. "What Jimmy said earlier. He's wrong. You are exactly who I would be with."
His smile grew and he kissed my forehead before setting his forehead against mine.
"You know, even though I know that it's still nice to hear," he replied, kissing me between each word.
I giggled as he continued to unbutton my dress. I melted as he bit at my neck. He pressed his lips to my ear, making my hair stand on edge.
"And you are exactly the kind of girl I would be with," he whispered. "You're even better than a dream girl – you're real."
I pulled back, grinning at him. I kissed his nose.
"You and your lines, Munson," I teased. He winked before kissing me hard.