First Dance

by Bianca Giovanni

  Chapter 4 - James

  I’m zoning out in Algebra and I’m so incredibly bored. Math is not my best subject, maybe because you can’t charm your way out of an equation the way you can with an English paper or a Debate presentation. I need to get up and stretch my legs, so I borrow the bathroom pass and make a few laps around the school to clear my head and get some air.

  I walk past Lola’s locker and I can’t help but think about the other night on the couch in her basement. I felt this weird surge of happiness that sort of spread out from my chest. When I was holding her in my arms on the couch, I couldn’t stop looking at those sexy lips of hers and thinking about what it would feel like to kiss them. I always thought Lola was pretty, but after that night, I saw that she’s more than just pretty, she’s beautiful. Those lips, man. I can’t fuckin’ believe how much I’d like to kiss those perfect lips.

  I turn to pass through the Foreign Languages hallway and who do I spot but Miss Luscious Lips herself.

  “Hey, kid,” I smile as I jog over to her and throw my arms around her. I’m always pretty touchy-feely with her, but I like it even more now.

  “Hey,” she says, sounding dejected.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask, tilting her chin up so she has to look at me.

  “Your stupid fake girlfriend yelled at me,” she frowns.

  “What?” I’m angry already. Nobody yells at Lola on my watch.

  “I was at my locker and Kelsey and her stupid bitch sidekicks came up to me and started talking shit. She said you only danced with me because you felt sorry for me, since you knew Marshall only asked me to the dance to try to get to third base with me. She said you thought I was pathetic and you told her you didn’t want to hang out with me anymore.”

  “Aw, babe, you know that’s not true, right?” I say wrapping my arms around her and pulling her into my chest. “I always want to hang out with you, Lo, and I’d never think you were pathetic. I think you’re a fuckin’ treasure, kid. I think you’re better than every girl in this school—every girl in this whole town.”

  “Thanks,” she says. “I know you didn’t say those things, but she was just so evil about it, all smug and shit. I wanted to call her on it, to make some snappy comment about her blowing you in the locker room, but I didn’t want to start any shit for you, so I just closed my locker and went off to class.”

  I hate seeing her feeling down like this. I hate that some girl I’ve fucked has made her feel like this. Girls have been pissed of at me before and said some pretty fucked up shit, but I’m livid that Kelsey would try to tell Lola such lies.

  “Kelsey’s pissed off because she knows I like you more than her,” I smile, trying to be warm and reassuring. “She’s jealous of you because I’d rather spend a night chilling out on your couch than fucking her.”

  Lola cracks a smile and I press my forehead against hers. I can’t help but think about how easy it would be to kiss her right now—not a high-production, sloppy tongue kiss, but a sweet little peck on the lips. She might freak out if I do, though, so I hold back.

  “I wish you’d stop hanging out with her,” she sighs as she wraps her arms around me. “She’s Hitler, James. She’s a bitch and you shouldn’t give her the privilege of banging you.”

  I snicker and rest my chin on the top of her head. Lola’s right, though. I shouldn’t hang out with Kelsey anymore. She’s acting like I’m her boyfriend, even though I’ve made it pretty clear that we’re just fucking, and she’s letting her bullshit insecurities make her crazy enough to lash out at the person I care about most. I’m definitely not into that shit.

  “I’ll take care of it,” I say, taking her face in my hands and planting a big kiss on her forehead. She giggles and I give her a warm smile. “Go back to class, young lady!”

  “Alright, Mr. Laird,” she rolls her eyes.

  “I’m coming over tonight … and don’t let that bitch get you down, Lo,” I say before I give her a wink and turn to go back to my stupid math class.

  I can’t fuckin’ believe Kelsey did that shit. Why the fuck would she be rude to Lola? Is it just because I danced with her? Lo’s my best friend and it was her first high school dance, of course I’m going to dance with her. What was going through that bitch’s head when she thought it would be ok to confront my friend at her locker like some kind of teen soap opera? I definitely need to have a chat with my annoying cheerleader this afternoon.

  Chapter 5 - Lola

  It’s really nice outside, so I’m sitting with my friends Naveen, Jacob and Zoe on the soccer field out behind the cafeteria. There are clusters of other kids all enjoying their lunches under the sun and I’m loving the delicious sandwich I made from James’ leftover grilled chicken. He cooked dinner at his house last night and he’s a tremendous cook, so I tend to love everything he makes.

  “The photos we got from the dance were crap,” Naveen shakes his head, “so now I have to try to create some kind of article that will make up for it. Frankly, I’m debating even putting anything on the front page about it.” Naveen Patel is the editor of our school paper and he wants to work for CNN someday. He’s so smart and charismatic that I’m sure it won’t be too difficult for him.

  “You know the populars will freak out if you don’t talk about their stupid formal,” Jacob rolls his eyes. Jacob Blum is the biggest computer genius I know. He learned HTML before he was in third grade and he’s written all kinds of scripts and codes for fun little programs. He’s the kind of kid that can solder a motherboard together.

  “Besides,” I quip, “if you don’t put in pictures then that means Kelsey got all dolled up like a three dollar hooker for nothing.”

  My friends laugh. I’ve told them about The Kelsey Incident this morning and they all hate her as much as I do.

  “Maybe you should write something about her giving blowjobs in the locker room in the middle of the dance,” I add.

  “Is that true?!” Zoe, my free-spirited, bohemian, artistic buddy, giggles.

  “So I’ve heard,” I slyly grin.

  “She gave James a blowjob in the locker room?!” Jacob’s eyes are wide with surprise.

  “Yep. And apparently she has no gag reflex and she swallows,” I smirk.

  “Yuck!” Zoe laughs.

  “Maybe we could do a feature story about that,” Naveen chuckles.

  Suddenly I see Zoe’s eyes grow wide as she looks behind me. Jacob looks equally shocked when he looks over my shoulder. I turn my head to find out what they’re staring at and see Kelsey Vaughn approaching with James a few steps behind her. He’s got a very stern look on his face and she looks like a little kid who’s just been grounded.

  “Hi, Lola,” she sighs with exasperation. Clearly, she didn’t elect to talk to me. “Um, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry I said that stuff to you at your locker today.”

  Her apology is so insincere it’s almost comedic, but I nod my head and give her a polite smile.

  “Even though no guys wanted to dance with you, it was wrong for me to tell you that,” she ads with a scoff.

  “Kelsey,” James authoritatively warns, crossing his arms over his chest with disapproval, “be nice.”

  “Fine!” She huffs. “I’m sure some guys wanted to dance with you.”

  “Anything else?” James says coldly from behind her.

  “I’m sorry I called you pathetic,” she reluctantly adds.

  “Ok,” I nod, “apology accepted.” I’m trying my hardest not to bust out laughing. I can only imagine the conversation between Kelsey and James that brought about this strained apology.

  “Can we go now?” Kelsey whines at James.

  “You gonna be rude to my best friend again?” He raises a stern eyebrow.

  “No,” she pouts.

  “You’re gonna behave yourself from now on?” He warns.

  “Yes! God!” She scoffs.

  “Alright, we can go,” he nods to her, his lips curling into an amused smirk. “I’ll meet you at your locker
after school, kid,” he grins at me and gives me a little wink.

  I snicker to myself as Kelsey petulantly stomps away like an angry toddler. Once she’s out of earshot, I flop back on the grass and crack up.

  “Holy shit, Lo!” Naveen chuckles. “James just made Kelsey Vaughn apologize for being a bitch. Someone actually held her accountable for being the worst human being of all time.”

  I laugh even harder.

  “Oh my God!” Zoe laughs. “Did you see how he walked her over here like she was a bratty little kid? And how he was standing there with his arms crossed in that t-shirt and his muscles were all out like that?”

  I snicker and give her a look.

  “Whatever, dude,” she chuckles, “he’s super sexy.”

  “He’s a little bit sexy,” I admit, feeling my cheeks flush slightly.

  “What do you think he said to her to make her apologize?” Jacob wonders.

  “I can’t wait to find out,” I laugh.

  The rest of the day is rather uneventful, but every time I pass by Kelsey, she gives me a nod instead of a scowl, so that keeps me pretty amused. Seventh period finally ends and I head to my locker to find James already waiting there with my friends and our mutual buddy Dave Keegan, who is one grade above me and one grade below James.

  “Did you like that at lunch today?” James grins wide to me and wraps his arms around me.

  “Oh, I liked it very much!” I laugh and curl into him.

  “She was getting so out of line,” he shakes his head and holds me closer. He knows Keegan likes me and I know he’s subconsciously being more physical with me to draw a proverbial line in the sand. “I can’t believe she confronted you in the hallway like some kind of teen movie! Seriously, who does that?” He snorts.

  “Bitchy popular girls,” Naveen volunteers.

  “How’d you get her to apologize, man?” Jacob inquires.

  “I told her that I’d never fuck her again unless she said she was sorry,” he shrugs.

  “And that worked?!” Jacob’s face is alight with surprise.

  James laughs loudly.

  “So, let me get this straight,” Jacob says, “I should be telling girls I’m not gonna fuck them and that’s how I can get them to want to fuck me? Reverse psychology?”

  James snickers and pats Jacob on the back. “It’s confidence, dude. Chicks dig confidence.”

  “True,” I chime in, nodding my head.

  “You’re a smart dude, Jacob,” James says sincerely, “you’re funny and you’re probably gonna be the CEO of Microsoft or some shit in the future. You’re a computer nerd, but you’ve gotta own it. If you believe you’re the coolest dude in school, girls will believe it too.”

  Jacob smiles and his face lights up. All boys take advice from James very seriously and that’s doubled when it’s nerdy boys like Jacob.

  “I’m sure this doesn’t hurt when you’re chatting up girls,” I smirk, slapping my hand over James’ six-pack and squeezing his bicep.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, did you say something?” He jokes. “I couldn’t hear you over all this hotness.” He pretends to stretch and lifts up the bottom of his shirt to reveal his finely chiseled abs.

  I roll my eyes, but I notice that Zoe practically swoons. She’s had a crush on him since middle school. I can only imagine what she’d say if I told her I cuddled with him for almost an hour the other night.

  “How about you put those muscles to good use and carry my backpack?” I smirk, putting my hands on my hips.

  “Alright,” he chuckles. “Any of you guys need a ride?”

  They all shake their heads, but I can tell that Zoe wishes she could ditch her mom in the parking lot and drive off with James Laird like something out of a John Hughes movie.

  James turns his gaze back to me and gives me that mischievous smile I’m so fond of. In one motion, he grabs the strap of my backpack and wraps his arm around my thighs, hiking me up and tossing me over his shoulder.

  “Is this how you get girls?” I laugh, looking at my friends from my upside down position over his back. “You just scoop them up and drag them caveman-style off to your bed?”

  “You know me well,” he chuckles and uses his free hand to smack my butt.

  I squeal with laughter and spank him back as he carries me down the hallway. I can hear my friends laughing back at the lockers.

  We arrive at his old Honda Civic and he opens the door for me like a proper gentleman, though I know from his kinky stories that he is most definitely not proper. He hops in and backs out of the parking lot.

  “I’ll never let anyone be mean to you again, kid,” he sweetly says.

  “I know,” I reply.

  I smile broadly because I know it’s true. James cares about me deeply and I care about him just as much, so I know no bitchy cheerleaders can shake our bond. He’s protected me from bullies for most of my life and I know we’ll always be bonded like superglue.

  ###

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  Vice, Virtue & Video Coming Soon!

  James and Lola will return in Vice, Virtue & Video, book one of a full-length series that follows the duo in their adult lives. James has become an adult film superstar and lives two doors down from Lola in the San Fernando Valley. Everything seems to be great for these two best friends until a crazy porn producer sets her sights on Lola and James learns the difference between kinky fun and real danger.

  Enjoy this free sample of the first chapter and find out what James and Lola are up to ten years after First Dance in Vice, Virtue & Video.

  “There you are, Lola!” My best friend James says as I walk in the door of my apartment. It smells delicious in here and I know he’s been slaving away on a tasty meal for us. He cooks for me most nights and he has since I moved out to California after graduating from college a couple years ago.

  “Sorry,” I shake my head with frustration, “of course they asked me to make, like, a zillion copies as I was walking out the door.” I’m an Ivy League grad whose only job opportunity is as a glorified secretary in an accountant’s office. Thanks, economy!

  “It’s ok,” James says, walking his tall, chiseled body over to give me a hug. He’s about a foot taller than me and built like Michelangelo’s David, so he’s all firm and muscly as I wrap my arms around him. “I figured I’d wait until you got home to put the pasta in so it wouldn’t get all soggy,” he adds sweetly.

  “Did you do the alfredo tonight?” My mouth waters at the thought.

  “You know it!” He smiles, flashing me his perfect, pearly whites.

  “Last night it was that delicious mustard-thyme chicken and the amazing banana bread, today it’s creamy fettuccine. I think you’re trying to fatten me up,” I grin back up at him. James in an incredible cook and has been since he was a teenager. Though I’m petite and generally pretty lithe, I’ve gained ten pounds since moving out here and I’m certain he’s to blame.

  “You’re, like, 80 pounds soaking wet, kid,” he teases. “Somebody’s gotta help you put some meat on those bones.”

  I smirk and roll my eyes with a laugh.

  “Want a glass of wine?” He offers, heading back to the kitchen.

  “Yeah, lemme take this skirt off, the zipper’s digging into my hip,” I reply, heading towards my bedroom.

  My apartment is small and cramped, but it’s cheap enough for me to afford and it’s two doors away from James’ place on the second floor of our complex.

  I kick off my stilettos, bringing me from 5’6” to my natural 5’2”, and peel off my pencil skirt. I pull my blouse off and change into some yoga pants and a racerback tank top. I twist my long, brown hair into a bun and dart into the bathroom to wash off my makeup. I look a little tired from the long day, but I’m just hanging out with James tonight, so no need to b
e a glamazon.

  “Here you go,” James says, handing me a glass of red wine as I sit at the counter and watch him finish up the cooking. He looks nice in his worn out jeans and white v-neck t-shirt as he leans over the stove to stir the pasta.

  James is handsome. Very handsome. Aside from having the body of a Greek god, he’s also got a square jaw, full, pouty lips and hazel-green eyes. He wears his hair long, but he usually pulls it back in a short ponytail or messy bun when he’s just chilling at home. I’ve heard people compare him to hunky actor Jason Momoa more than a few times. I understand that James is a hottie, but he’s been my best friend since I was six and it’s hard to picture getting sexual with someone you knew since they were a third grader. Apparently I’m the only girl who doesn’t see him as a sex god, because James has been the ultimate ladies’ man since middle school. He’s three years older than me and everything I’ve learned about sex came from him because he was my next door neighbor and he’d accrued a library of experiences before I’d even got my braces off.

  “So, how was work?” I ask, taking another sip of wine.

  “Good,” he nods, “I had a threesome scene, but it was a quick one, which is why I went out and got the stuff to make alfredo tonight.”

  James is an actor … of sorts. He moved out to L.A. with stars in his eyes after dropping out of college at age 19. With his good looks and charm, he was hoping to become an action star or some kind of Hollywood heartthrob, but his career took a little turn and he’s currently a huge superstar in the wild world of adult films. Most of his friends from back home dropped him when the word got out and his parents basically disowned him. Sometimes I feel like the only person from his past who doesn’t really care about his job. He’s my best friend and always has been, so who gives a shit if he bangs chicks for a living? It’s not like he wasn’t screwing hundreds of girls before he started doing it on camera.