The Gamble: A Novel

by Xavier Neal

  He tugs me tighter. “I could say the same thing about you....”

  A soft hum leaves me seconds before I hear what I assume is the front door open and close. Instead of lifting my eyes to acknowledge Luca's late arrival to the evening, I readjust myself against Warren's body and begin to drift towards sleep with thoughts of the scene I witnessed earlier dancing across my brain.

  The two of them had been stashed away in there for hours. How many more times did she come? How many more times did she make that face? Did she make him come too? Did he fill her to the brink? Did he groan something heavy and hearty when it happened?

  Thoughtlessly a moan roams through my body as I wonder what the sight looks like.

  I guess watching and wanting was just my virgin curiosity getting the better of me. Just the simple boredom with self-given orgasms and wonder of what it would be like to have someone break me, the way Luca broke her. To experience a new level of pleasure I literally can only imagine. That's all that wanting to be that chick was about....Right?

  Luca

  I shove another bite of the protein bar into my mouth and try to keep my anger from seeping out.

  What the fuck was that last night? Why the fuck was Alexxa moaning in his arms? Moaning. Goddamn moaning. And while I hate to admit it was probably the hottest fucking sound I've ever heard in my entire life, why the fuck was she making it for him? Why the fuck was she even that close to Warren? When did that fucking start? Why did that fucking start?

  The thoughts make me even more livid and I have another bite.

  Why am I not the only one whose arms she falls asleep in?

  All of a sudden, Warren opens his bedroom door on a wide yawn.

  Unable to hold back my bubbling rage any longer I bark, “What the fuck do you think you're doing?”

  He tugs at his nuts. “Scratching my shit and hating myself for waking up in the middle of a sex dream about Margot Robbie.”

  My mind briefly flashes to the vision of the hot blonde.

  Nice tits. Sexy accent. There are a few ways I wouldn't mind seeing her under me.

  Almost as quickly as the thought comes it's burned away by the irritation of yesterday. The thoughts of someone else possibly being in his dreams. Someone else who should remain a fantasy just like the actress “What the fuck was that last night?”

  Warren tosses a hand up in the air for me to continue.

  “With Alexxa.” Not receiving a change of expression, I snap, “What the fuck were you two doing last night on the couch? Why were you like that?”

  He shrugs. “She fell asleep.”

  “And what the fuck were your arms doing around her? Protecting her from the coffee table possibly attacking?”

  Warren tilts his head at me and folds his arms across his bare chest. “What the fuck does it matter if she fell asleep with me?”

  I toss the half eaten bar on the counter top.

  It matters because she shouldn't ever be that close to him. The only guy she should be around like that is me. I don't fucking care how long they've been friends or how close they are. Alexxa's not meant to be with anyone else but me. Fuck. Not like that. Just. I don't know. Maybe like that? Fuck it. Whatever. I just don't want her body against his. I don't want him fucking holding her. And I damn sure don't fucking want her moaning unless I'm the reason. No fucking moaning at all if I am not the goddamn reason.

  “Is there a problem here?”

  Defensively I bite, “Yeah there's a fucking problem.”

  “And what exactly is it?”

  You're cock blocking. It's a technical foul.

  “You're trying to cheat.”

  “Really?” He states in an even tone. “You think I'm trying to cheat?”

  “No. I fucking know you are.”

  “Because out of the two of us, I'm the one more likely to cheat?”

  His implication causes me to grip the edge of the counter to prevent myself from wrapping a hand around his throat.

  I've never once even considered attacking Warren, but fuck me. Right now it's the most tempting idea I've ever had.

  “Last night, Alexxa just fell asleep like she always does after an enchilada beer combo. It wasn't a big deal,” Warren starts. “But having her there, having her next to me, got me thinking...Maybe...Possibly-”

  “You don't,” I cut him off. “You don't have feelings for her. It's just a masturbation fog.”

  His face scrunches in confusion. “A what?”

  “A masturbation fog. It's when you've spent too long masturbating, so you turn to your closest female companion and begin to wonder about it. You just need to knock the dust off your dick and it'll pass.”

  Annoyed, Warren snaps, “Because everything has to revolve around sex? Because there's no possible way that maybe the chick I've spent the last few years of my life hanging out with could possibly be the one?”

  The audacity of his questions twists the foreign feelings to the brink of combustion.

  There's no fucking way she can be 'the one' for him. What the hell is that? 'The One'? How can anybody wanna fuck one person for the rest of their life? No, it's really not about more than that. But for the sake of argument let's pretend. Alexxa still wouldn't be the right chick for him. She's...It....It wouldn't be a good fit. It's not his team she would best fit on.

  Letting out a long exhale, I stand up straight. “Look, whatever you think you feel for her you don't.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I just fucking do!” My outburst lifts his eyebrows. “You're both my best friends. I know you both pretty well. Putting the bet aside-”

  “Words I never thought I'd hear you say.”

  “I'm telling you it wouldn't work. You're...lectures and long walks on the beach. She's day dreams and water gun fights. It would be like trying to play soccer with a basketball or ping pong with a tennis racket.”

  “We like a lot of the same shit. Movies. Shows. Books.”

  Fucking books. Never thought my hate for reading would come back to kick me in the ass.

  “Yeah, you're right. Sometimes you meet in the middle, but in the longevity of things it would probably fail. You're all fucking wrong for each other. You need a librarian or a feminist who protests for an animal's right to vote. Alexxa needs someone like....like....”

  Warren whispers, “Like you?”

  His question yanks on the abnormal feeling I'm trying to ignore.

  Gonna need whatever the fuck that is to fucking go already.

  “Maybe you're right.” He shrugs. “Or maybe you're wrong...Guess we'll see.”

  I'm not wrong about this. Alexxa doesn't belong with Warren or anyone remotely like him. She doesn't belong playing tennis. She belongs in the field or on the court. She belongs setting up the shot. Helping run the ball. Making the final point. She deserves the attention. The recognition. She's fucking special and if she's gotta be on anyone's team, she needs to be on one where she would be appreciated. She doesn't belong with Warren, but I can't exactly declare she belongs with me either.

  Luca

  Fuck the zoo. It's hot. It's humid. And all I've smelled for the past two hours is various types of animal shit.

  “Mr. Luca, I'm out of food,” Clare whines. “I wanna feed more penguins.”

  “Can't help you there.” I flash her empty hands. “Don't have anything to give you. But you know what? If you hang out by Marcus he'll probably give up feeding them before his bag is empty.”

  She nods and rushes off the direction of the other students. Once she's out of ear shot, Alexxa asks, “Do you really think he'll give it to her?”

  “Probably. He's got a little sister he loves. When he gives up the bag, which he will because feeding any animal for too long 'isn't cool', he'll see her with empty hands, think of his sister, and hand it to her.”

  “A win, win.”

  “I'm all about winning.”

  Keep your comments to yourself.

  My eyes wander around the other fam
ilies at the zoo. The sight of mainly mothers without fathers around reminds me of my own childhood.

  I'm sure their husbands are all too fucking busy too.

  Unconsciously I sigh, “When I was a kid my mom never took me to the zoo.”

  Alexxa turns her face towards mine. “Mine didn't either.”

  “Really?”

  “Five children, Luca. Even the most patient mothers have their limits.”

  Her comment makes me smirk.

  Five fucking daughters. They deserve some sort of goddamn medal for craziest parents alive. A house of nothing but women? Make up and tampons and chasing assholes off for decades? Nope. Fucking pass. And I've met Alexxa's sisters. Keeping dick heads away would've been a necessity. I think Alexxa's the hottest, but the others under any other circumstances would be invited into Casa De Luca.

  “I did end up going with friends though. Jordan Mills. He had a shark obsession. According to Facebook he now works at Sea World with them.”

  “Guess some people get to turn childhood dreams into adult ones.”

  Then again, some of us get an injury and it fucks up our entire ability to exist. Don't. Ask.

  “What about you? Who'd you end up going to the zoo with?”

  “Couple players on my baseball team. Nothing special.”

  Alexxa offers me another smile. “Did you just come out of the womb demanding a bat?”

  “Bat. Glove. Ball.”

  She lets out a giggles and asks, “How come I don't know more about little Luca? Or your parents? I mean...I know they got divorced, but what are they like? What were they like?”

  Hate talking about them and their divorce. It's like having to discuss with the press the worst injury of your career. You're worried it'll make you look weak. You're worried they'll wanna dig up more skeletons. None of that shit is anyone's business. Not even Alexxa's.

  Clearly uncomfortable, I clear my throat. “I don't know what you want me to say. She's my ma, ya know? Her full time job was raising me.”

  “Talk about a job with a shitty retirement plan.”

  I give her a hard nudge in the ribs.

  “Even after they got divorced?”

  “Yeah. He provided her with enough income to be a stay- at- home mom and raise me while he...just kept working. That's my father for you. Work first and everything else fucking later. Didn't matter if I was winning a goddamn award for player of the year, work always came first.”

  Shit. I never told anyone that before. See what she's doing. She's fucking with my head. I gotta fuck her out of my system so we can get back to normal.

  “He's now one of the best divorce attorneys in the state. Possibly the country.”

  Sensing the raised tension, she tries her best to kill it. “Explains how he can afford to still give you lunch money.”

  I cleverly flash her the finger and she playfully sticks her tongue out at me.

  Without another word, Alexxa bounces over to where the students are still trying to feed the penguins. While she mingles with the crowd, I stand back and continue to admire the pair of jean shorts she's squeezed her ass into for the day.

  Fuck. Why can't they be shorter? Why can't they be just short enough to show me a sample of something I find myself stroking off to more and more? Wait. Never mind. The idea of anyone else looking at Alexxa's ass that long and hard vaporizes my sanity. Tests my self- control. This'll all fucking pass once I've had her. I know it will.

  Alexxa glances at me over her shoulder and playfully pokes her tongue out again before turning back around. The annoying tingle in my chest tightens.

  Fuck.

  I scrub my face.

  I hope it passes.

  After a few more minutes our turn at the penguin exhibit is over. The two of us help guide the students away from the secluded area, out to the main path, and give them firm directions on where we're headed. Once they all agree they understand, they link up beside their buddies and continue to wander the direction of our next unfortunate animal adventure. With Alexxa in the front and me in back, we continue to stroll by the hippos, who are bathing, and other aquatic creatures. Helplessly, my eyes find themselves locked on her body again. Studying her curves. The way her beautiful brown legs flawlessly flow into an impeccable handful of ass.

  It's so perfect it makes my palm itch in anticipation. The more I fucking stare at it, the more I wonder how the fuck I let three years go without trying to get a taste of it sooner. We could've made working and sleeping together possible. Hell, I think together we can make anything possible. Shit. No. That didn't come out right. Give me a time out to come up with better phrasing.

  “Mr. Luca,” Marcus's voice breaks the runaway train of thought. “When are we gonna see something cool?”

  “You mean like the exotic snakes?”

  “Yeah!” His brown eyes widen. “Think we'll get to see a boa constrictor? Or an anaconda?”

  Nicki Minaj's song starts thumping in my head as my eyes drift back to Alexxa's ass.

  The timing of his question couldn't have been more fucking perfect if I planned it.

  Hiding my chuckle, I toss my head forward. “We're about to find out.”

  “Yes!” He exclaims loudly. Without a care about possibly looking uncool, he lunges forward forcing his partner to stumble in an attempt to keep up. “Move.”

  The moment we're inside the closed area, I post up against the wall beside the only visible exit and allow them to explore at their own pace. It takes a couple minutes before Alexxa's lapping of the room forces her to cross in front of me.

  “There's staff members around like every corner to keep them from bothering the reptiles an unacceptable amount.” She leans her body on the wall beside mine. “I noticed only one more door for employees only. Needed a key card to get in though, so it's safe to assume I can breathe for a minute.”

  “Didn't think the zoo would be this exhausting, did you?”

  A harsh groan comes out. “No. This was a terrible idea.”

  “It was yours.”

  “No, it wasn't.”

  “Yes it was.”

  “No. It. Wasn't.” Her hands fly into the air as something hits her. “Oh! It wasn't your idea either! This one was one of Lori's suggestions.”

  All of a sudden I recall the way she slid one hand across my crotch under the desk while Alexxa's back was turned to fill out paperwork.

  Sleeping with your boss is never a good idea, especially when she's married. That's why I only let her give me a blow job. Came with a helluva raise too.

  Attempting to steer the conversation away from anything related to one of the least pleasant blow jobs I've had in my life, I ask, “Do you have plans Friday after work?”

  She pushes her lips together in contemplation. “I don't think so.”

  “Wanna go to your first hockey game?”

  Intrigue turns her body to face mine. “It's not hockey season.”

  “It's not. Credit for knowing that, but there's a charity game going on. All proceeds go to help disabled vets.”

  I watch her brown eyes soften. The sight instantly makes me smile.

  Dude brain. Chick heart and body. She really is fucking perfect, isn't she?

  “So?”

  “Yeah. That'll be fun.”

  “It's a date.”

  As my smile curls, Alexxa immediately shakes her head. “No. Not a date.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because we don't date each other.”

  “I think we should try.”

  “I don't.”

  “Why not?”

  “You know why not. I've explained this to you before. And while you may pretend to be dumber than you are, you know exactly why this,” she motions her finger between us, “is not gonna happen.”

  “How about this?” My planned counter attack flows freely from my mouth. “We go out on an actual date and you can spend the entire time telling me everything it is I'm doing wrong. Play by play.”

  Her e
xpression doesn't change.

  “Think about it. An entire night of telling me why I suck as a date and what I could possibly be doing better. It'll be like an NFL game, and you can be the commentator letting the fans at home know why their favorite team won't be bringing in a win.” The playfulness in my tone starts to sway her thoughts by the way her body shifts. Ready to strike at the weak, I throw myself under the bus for the greater good of my cause, I turn my body to mimic hers. “Come on, Alexxa. It'll be fun. A night filled with dudes pounding on each other and you pounding on me. Just like I dream about.”