The Gamble: A Novel

by Xavier Neal

  Warren bumps against me. “You okay? You've been a little off this week.”

  I look away from where I had been staring.

  Guess Luca's no sex pact with himself is over. The way he's flirting with the chick with black hair over there leads me to believe his bed will be occupied in forty- five minutes or less. Ugh. What is his cock now, pizza?

  “Alexxa.”

  “What?” I unintentionally snap.

  “What the hell is wrong with you lately? Is this a lady problem I need to know NOTHING about?”

  Drawback of having dude best friends? You get a little crabby and they assume you're fucking hormonal and bleeding like a wounded animal. Heaven forbid you're just in a bad mood.

  “No. And I don't do that. I've got an IUD in.”

  “They make twat bombs?”

  My scowl is met with a playful smirk. “You're fucking with me?”

  “Have to get you to smile somehow.”

  He has another sip of his beer out of the plastic cup while my eyes travel back to Luca and his pool side wench. “Hey, the chick Luca's talking to looks familiar.”

  Warren glances that direction before informing me, “She lives in the apartments.”

  I nod slowly.

  Of course she does.

  “She was the chick you watched him fuck last month.”

  The words spark my jealousy and arousal in unison.

  Ugh. It's not even healthy to feel those two things at the same fucking time. I'm not sure whether I wanna high five her understanding why she was screaming his name or bitch slap her for trying to work her way back into his bed. Is she already back there? Do you know?

  “Are they fucking again?”

  There's a thoughtful pause before Warren says, “Not that I'm aware of. Haven't heard heavy screaming from Luca's side of the apartment in a while.”

  I stifle the urge to smile.

  “Now that you bring it up, probably means he's just been kicking them out before I get home.”

  Turning around to face him, I down the rest of the beer in my possession and demand, “Another.”

  “Really? You've already had four and the burgers aren't even ready yet.”

  “I'm not drunk enough for your snarky judgments to warrant a response.”

  Warren shakes his head, puts his own beer down, and fills mine up from the keg.

  Once it's full he hands it back and I remind him, “Besides, it's a holiday. I'm allowed to get wasted before two o'clock.”

  Fourth of July. The perfect excuse to get drunk, eat like a pig, and blow shit up in honor of my forefathers. I'm sure their wives wouldn't have hesitated to attach a horny trollop to a cannon ball or whatever they were shooting into the sky to celebrate the anniversary of their independence. Did I just call myself Luca's wife? Fuck. Warren's right. I probably shouldn't keep drinking this fast.

  A loud obnoxious laugh grabs my attention. The dark haired bitch giggles and drops into the pool.

  If it wasn't for her inflatable wonder boobs she'd probably sink.

  “Warren,” Dave, another guy who lives in their apartment complex, calls to him. “Beer pong?”

  Warren shoots his question to me. “Wanna be my partner?”

  Anything to get away from watching the Kardashian in the making over there from throwing herself at my could've, would've, there's no way I should've boyfriend. “Definitely.”

  “Okay, but let's remember, the point isn't to get shit faced. It's to actually win,” he teases and drops an arm around my bare shoulder.

  I pull my sunglasses over my face. “Sounds like I win either way.”

  Warren lets out a light laugh and bumps me again.

  After two rounds of beer pong against Dave and his girlfriend, followed by another couple who also lives somewhere in the complex, it's safe to say I'm right on the cusp of being wasted.

  Wanna sing the song with me? Do you remember the song?! Hold on...Hold on...I remember the words...You know what? Never mind. I'm not sure I remember my fucking bra size right now.

  “Suck it bitches!” I toss my hands in the air victoriously. “We fucking win!”

  Warren double high fives me. “Yeah!”

  “Did we just get hustled?” The tall taste of chocolate gripes from the opposite end of the table. “I feel like we just got fucking hustled.”

  With a shimmy of my tits in my black tank top, I grunt, “Hustle this.”

  “Is that an invitation baby?”

  “Nope,” Warren swoops into the conversation and wraps an arm around my shoulder. “That was a drunken attempt to shit talk. I think my girl's wasted more than she realizes.”

  The chocolate delight carefully questions, “Your girl?”

  “We're friends,” he sighs and snatches up his beer.

  “Always the friend never the fuck,” I sneer and wiggle out of his grip. “On that note, I'm gonna go get wet.”

  Strolling away from the drinking area with Warren on my heels, I only make it a few feet before the change in music, abruptly stops me.

  I spin around, balance completely off. “I fucking love this song!”

  Warren tries to smile. “Drunk Alexxa is loud...”

  “Shut the fuck up.” My playful swat intended for his chest is completely missed.

  Huh. Thought he was closer than that. Eh. Whatever.

  “Dance with me?” The lyrics to En Vogue's 'What A Man' begin to slide off of my lips as I rock my hips.

  Unable to resist my charm, sways of seduction, or my tits bouncing around in my top, he drops a hand on my hip to pull me into his body. The two of us sing to each other in a round of snickers and intense drunk karaoke flare. Surrounded by the warmth of the bright sun, Warren grinds his hips against mine, bobbing along to the music, while I meet each thrust with an equally enthusiastic roll.

  Damn. Is it just me or can he really fucking move? With a body like this against me who gives a fuck about Luca or the Playboy reject he's probably finger fucking by now?

  All of a sudden, we're yanked apart, and Warren is being shoved against the brick pillar beside the keg. Luca's voice brutally shouts, “Que chingados! Bajate de mi novia! Retroceda al infiero antes de que te golpeyo!”

  The look of confusion laced with horror on Warren's face is proceeded by his now beer free hands being tossed in the air. “What the fuck, Luca?!”

  A wave of nausea washes over me.

  Shit. I was supposed to eat something. That much beer on an empty stomach definitely wasn't one of my wiser ideas. Don't talk about how it was just one of many.

  “I think I need to throw up.”

  Luca snaps his head around to me, grip on his other best friend loosening. “Baby, you okay?”

  My stomach clenches. Unsure if that's from the term of endearment or the bubbling beer inside of me, I lift a hand to my mouth. After choking back another wave of vomit wanting to escape, I rapidly nod my head and correct, “I definitely need to throw up.”

  Warren's body twitches, but Luca shoves him back against the brick. “No fucking way. You've done enough.”

  I open my mouth to attempt to argue.

  “Come on, Alexxa.” Luca rushes to me and slides a protective arm around my side. “Let's get you upstairs.”

  Another urge to up chuck aggressively grabs me as I allow him to guide me away from the pool party and back to their apartment. The minute we're across the threshold, I break away from him and rush for his bathroom.

  I drop to my knees, pull my hair to one side, and release the poor attempt of burying a week's worth of sadness. With every heave this moment becomes the cherry on the fucked up sundae of my life.

  This is exactly why I didn't wanna cross any lines with Luca! He's poisoned my conscience to the point I'm trying to poison my body to balance out the lurking insanity. God, he should require some sort of Rx label. May cause severe irritation, insomnia, loss of appetite, and extreme mood swings.

  Finally finished, I flush the toilet and shut my eyes in hopes t
he room will stop spinning.

  “You done?” His voice quietly questions.

  “Have to be,” I groan. “There's nothing left in my stomach.”

  “Did you not eat before you started drinking?”

  “No, Mom.”

  “Sure,” he grunts. “Take that fucking tone with me.”

  One of my eyes opens to scout the situation. Luca's face is stone cold though his eyes are whirling with worry. Seeing his concern clenches my empty stomach again.

  What is wrong with me? Why isn't going back to just being friends as easy as I thought it would be? It's been a week of keeping my distance, shortening the alone time we have together, and basically wearing out the damn batteries in my vibrator. I figured by now we would've shifted back to the way things were, yet as I stare into his eyes at this very moment I'm beginning to realize that's never going to happen. I've lost my best friend. Fuck.

  “Come lie in bed.” He clears his throat and slowly approaches me. “I'll go get you some water.”

  I drop my hand in his.

  The two of us make our way out of his bathroom and back into his bedroom where he helps me crawl into bed. As my head hits the pillow, I helplessly pout.

  This is not at all how I hoped I'd end up here. Wait. No. I never wanted to end up here. That's crazy. That's just...insane. Well, his ability to make me come without touching me is insane. This is mild in comparison.

  Luca offers me the cold bottle. “Why do you look pissed?”

  Still in drunk shit talking mode, I snip, “Why is the first time I'm ever in your bed it's because I'm too wasted to stay on my feet? What the fuck is that about? You can have every triflin' tramp from here to San Francisco in it but me?” I snatch the water bottle away and continue to ramble less coherently than I care to admit, “What makes their pussy so much better than mine that they get to sleep here?”

  Luca doesn't hesitate to argue, “No one's pussy is better than yours.”

  “Liar.” I gulp down some of the cold liquid, put the lid back on, and toss it onto the floor. “Well fuck you. I'm napping right here. Right now. And there's not a damn thing you can do to stop me.”

  Luca shakes his head and folds his arms across his bare chest. The chest I wanna run my hands down. The chest I wanna bite. Nibble his nipples. Trace his abs with my tongue.

  Oh yeah. Definitely need to pass out before I say that shit out loud.

  “When you wake up, we're having a talk.”

  “Stop yelling.”

  “I'm not yelling.”

  “You're at fucking megaphone level,” I whine. “Shh.”

  There's a small scoff. “Get some rest and then we're talking.”

  Mockingly I mutter, “Get some pussy and then we're talking...”

  My eyes fall closed, which doesn't cease the throbbing of my skull.

  Hungover over and it's not even five o'clock. Congratulations Luca Larson. You've managed to fuck this up for me too.

  Luca

  One weekend groping at each other like horny teenagers is all it took to royally fuck my entire life? That doesn't seem right. If I could survive my parents’ divorce going back to a simpler routine with my best friend shouldn't feel like I'm going through steroid withdrawals. Fuck. This week was supposed to be like a locker-room huddle and watching me flirt a little should've been like the half- time bitch slap she needed to realize she wants to be fooling around with me as much I want to with her. But by now you've probably guessed it wasn't.

  The front door cracks open and Warren cautiously glances around. “She okay?”

  “Yeah. She threw up and passed out shortly after. I've checked on her over the last few hours. She's breathing. Snoring.”

  He shuts our apartment door behind him and places the paper plate full of grilled food on the counter. “Brought her up something to eat.”

  Of course he did, because he's the fucking knight in shining armor. The perfect, golden player. He always does the right shit. If he would've admitted he had feelings for Alexxa when I convinced him not too, she would've taken him seriously. She would've given him a chance. An actual fucking chance without having to basically be begged. She wouldn't have pulled the mat from underneath him that he didn't even know he was fucking standing on! It's as if I don't even remember what life was like before I could have her tucked under my arm or kissing me. No fucking idea how I ever used to have meals that didn't include her or even hung out on the couch shouting at the sports announcers without her. Fucking used to help pass the time go by in the best way, but I can't even do that because of her! The only fucking person my cock even opens its eye for is her. Trust me. I tried tempting it. Tried giving it a time out pussy break. Instead it pouted. It fucking pouted. Fuck.

  Warren leans against the counter. “There's enough for you too.”

  “Thanks.” I clear my throat. “She'll wanna eat when she wakes up.”

  “She needs to,” he grunts. “She hasn't eaten anything all day.”

  “Why would you let her fucking drink so much knowing that?”

  “Let her?” Warren questions harshly. “Let her? I'm not her fucking keeper.”

  “You're supposed to be her fucking friend.”

  “Right. And where were you? That's right trying to get your dick sucked. As usual.”

  Not having had my cock sucked in weeks makes me glare. “She didn't wanna be around me. She wanted to be around you.” The words taste worse than goddamn morning breath in my mouth. “You know, Alexxa. She's not a heavy a drinker and hates to admit it.”

  He folds his arms and lets his shoulders drop. “Yeah. I know. I tried to get her to eat more than once. Hell, we were on our way to get food before I was thrown against a wall.”

  I shift on the couch, recalling the disbelief I had just a few hours ago.

  I almost knocked my best friend out for simply being the warm body Alexxa wanted to grind against. Fuck that. If she needed to grind it should've been on me. Against me. With me. Hatred of her being with the very person who possesses all the qualities and skills I don't have, all the fucking qualities and skills she used to build this wedge between us, caused me to snap. The problem is the more I think about it, the more I'm pretty sure I'm willing to train to be the kind of guy she gives a chance.

  His voice lowers, “It's fucked up to pretend to be in love with a chick to nail her, Luca. Especially when she's an innocent virgin who's only reason for even being on your goddamn radar is some stupid fucking bet.”

  There are so many words in the sentence that drop my jaw, I'm unsure which to assess first. To no surprise my cock thinks for me. “Did you say virgin?”

  Panic paints itself in his eyes.

  “You're telling me Alexxa's a virgin.”

  He drunkenly fumbles, “Uh...no.”

  Shifting around on the couch, I shake my head at him. “How is that even fucking possible?”

  Seriously? She's totally fuckable, looks wise and personality. And if she really is a virgin how much are we talking? Was that the reason she tried to pull away when I wanted her to come? Has she never had anyone touch her like that before? Was I her first her hand job? Fuck. It's like hitting the sex lottery with the jack pot higher than it's ever been. Winning the playoffs with a perfect streak.

  Warren grumbles and shrugs. “Honestly, don't know.”

  The memory of her drunkenly swinging her virgin pussy his direction tenses me again.

  Only one person should have her uncharted body that close to theirs and that's me.

  “I do know, this isn't right. Shits getting out of hand, Luca. You threw me into a fucking wall for show.”