DEPRAVITY: KING UNIVERSITY

by Chance, Jacob

  “Hey.” I flash a wide smile at him. If he wants to be awkward, then I’ll be overly happy and confuse the fuck out of him.

  “Hi.” His tone is reserved and questioning.

  “Where’s Joey?”

  “He went down for his nap pretty late. I haven’t even fed him dinner yet. I hope you don’t mind doing it.”

  “Nope, not at all. When should I wake him up?”

  “As soon as I leave you can grab him. He’s only been sleeping for about an hour, so he might be grouchy.”

  “Eh, I can handle it. He won’t be the first grouchy dude I’ve dealt with, nor the last.”

  Is he just going to stand here staring at me? That’s not too awkward.

  Well then, I’m going to grab the bull by the horns so to speak. Why not?

  “Miles, are you worried because we shared a kiss?”

  “No. No.” He shakes his head. “It was a fluke and won’t happen again.”

  That’s what he thinks. Judging from our chemistry, the attraction is mutual and strong. Now that we know what we’re missing out on, trying to deny the urge to kiss each other should prove interesting. No matter what, next time I won’t be the one to make the first move. He’s going to kiss me and I’m going to let him, purely for research reasons. I need to see if the second time will affect me as much as the first.

  I head to his kitchen and begin rummaging through the fridge for dinner options for Joey. I find some spaghetti and meatballs that are already made and cut up some cucumbers and peppers for him to have with it. By the time I finish, Miles has already left, and without saying goodbye.

  Shaking my head, I climb the stairs to wake Joey from his nap. I can see that Miles was just as shaken by our kiss as I was. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t be avoiding me. If it never happens again, at least I can comfort myself with the fact that I wasn't the only one rocked by it.

  * * *

  TEN DAYS LATER

  “Tell me about your friends I’m meeting.” I kick my flip-flops off and tuck one foot under my other leg.

  “What do you want to know?” He stares straight ahead, guiding us along the highway on our way to Ocean City, Maryland. We’ve been driving for a little over two hours and Joey has been snoozing in the backseat for most of it.

  What little conversation Miles and I have shared has been stilted. Things have been strained since the night we kissed and, thankfully, neither of us have repeated that error. It was obviously a huge mistake and has put an end to our easy interaction.

  Miles has practically ignored me since and he rushes me out the door as soon as he’s home. I hate the way we’re acting with one another. I miss the easy familiarity we shared, even though it was fleeting.

  “How long have you known these friends for? And where did you guys meet?”

  “I met them both in middle school. We all attended a private school that we probably shouldn’t have. Our parents had to bust their asses to send us there.”

  “Did Miranda attend there too?”

  “No, she went to public school. I’m not sure why. She’s four years older, so I can’t remember the reason. I want to say she refused to go to private school.”

  I laugh. “I can see her putting up a stink about it and standing her ground.”

  “Right? She’s always been a stubborn ballbuster.”

  “What are your friends’ names? I feel weird not knowing who I’m about to meet.”

  “Sam and Tanner.”

  “And what do they do for work? Jeez, dude, don’t make it easy on me. Conversing with you is like pulling teeth.”

  He chuckles. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be that way.” His gaze swings to me and our eyes connect. A small smile plays on his masculine lips before he faces straight ahead once more. “Sam works for the FBI, but I know nothing about what he does. He’s always been very vague about his role with them. And as one of his best friends, I don’t want to put him in an uncomfortable situation by pushing for more.”

  “Wow, he sounds interesting. I can’t wait to meet him.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” He flicks a quick glare my way.

  “Exactly what it sounds like. He has a cool job and I bet he’ll be interesting to talk to.”

  “You’re coming along to babysit Joey, not flirt with my friends.”

  Why does he sound like a jealous dick? Because I mentioned talking to his friend? I didn’t say I wanted to jump the dude. Jeez.

  “Thanks for the reminder I didn’t need. Although, I believe you sold me on this weekend at the beach by mentioning how I’d be watching Joey very little. That it would only be when you wanted to do something with the guys. And now you’re changing your tune. But don’t worry, I’m here and it’s too late for me to do anything about it.”

  His hand thrusts through his hair frustratedly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like a jerk.”

  “You seem to have a problem with not meaning to, but you seem to excel at it.”

  “Ha ha, very funny.”

  “I think you mean very true. I hate to break it to you, but you’ve been lousy company since we kissed. At this point, I’m sorry I made a move on you. It wasn’t planned. I got an urge to kiss you, so I did and you’ve been horrible to be around since. Aren’t you supposed to handle things with more maturity than I do?”

  He nods and rakes his top teeth over his bottom lip. “You’re absolutely right. I’ve handled the past ten days poorly and I’ve been unfair to you. It was one kiss between two single people. I’m not sure why I let it get between us.”

  Maybe because it was fucking phenomenal.

  “How about we forget about it and have some fun this weekend? Getting away is a great opportunity for me. I told you how my family never took vacations.”

  “Yeah, I remember. And I want this to be a fun experience for you.”

  “Then you need to relax. Don’t be so serious. You could try to loosen up a little. It wouldn’t kill you.”

  I know he can. I’ve spent time with him when he was relaxed and I really enjoyed his company.

  “I guess I can do that.”

  “Don’t sound so thrilled.”

  “You’re asking a lot from me.”

  “How so?”

  “You forget I just got divorced. We only split a year ago. She kind of took me out at the knees and I’m just getting my legs back under me.”

  “I realize that.”

  “I know you’ve never been married or divorced, but when someone leaves you for another person, it changes you. I used to be the fun guy, but I lost some of my natural inclination to joke as a casualty of my failed marriage.”

  “That doesn’t mean you can’t return to that fun-loving guy you were. It just takes time to heal.”

  “I know it does and I’m getting there. You and I only met a few weeks ago, but I want you to know that being your friend has been helpful to me.”

  “Aww, we’re friends? Are we besties, Miles?”

  He growls. “Don’t make me regret telling you this. I’m trying to confide in you. Why must you make it so hard?”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  “All I wanted to say is thank you. Being around you has made me realize not all women are like my ex.”

  “How did I do that?”

  “You follow through on what you say and you don’t play games. You’re not trying to flaunt your sexy body at me all the time.”

  “You think I have a sexy body?”

  “Your body is fine.”

  I roll my eyes. “Fine? What kind of a compliment is that? Tell me it’s banging or something, anything is better than fine.”

  “Fine is good.”

  “Yeah, but you mean it the wrong way.”

  “How is there a wrong way?”

  “The way you’re saying it is like when you ask a woman how she is when she’s mad at you and she says ‘fine’. It’s not a good fine.”

  “You’re making me dizzy with this roundabout lo
gic.”

  “Okay. Let me try to explain this so you’ll understand it.”

  “Don’t make me out to be a dumbass. This is some female word interpretation thing that no man would understand.”

  “Well then, you’re lucky I’m going to make it clearer for you. There’s fine and there’s F. I. N. E. fine.” I look at Miles and nod, prompting him to agree. He doesn’t.

  “How about we table this conversation for another time? We’re here.” He turns into a condo complex and drives down to the last building on the left before parking. Stepping outside, I breathe in the fresh saltwater tinged air. Stray pieces of my hair waft around my face from the sea breeze. Glancing at the smooth sand on the beach and the waves crashing into the shoreline, I’m more excited to be here than I expected to be.

  “This place is gorgeous. Do you guys come here every year?”

  “Yeah, it is. Sam’s uncle bought it thirty years ago when they were first built. The three of us have been coming here since our college days.”

  “Nice. I bet you have some funny stories to tell. Some drunken stories.”

  “No comment.” He grins. “Why don’t you wake Joey up while I start unloading the back?”

  “Sounds good.”

  * * *

  “Tell me all about you, Sophie. Don’t leave any details out. At least not the good ones,” Tanner suggests with a flirtatious grin. His green eyes reflect the glow of the citronella candles lit in the middle of the table.

  “Back off, Tanner,” Miles snarls.

  “What?” He shrugs innocently. “I’m just curious.”

  “Sophie, you don’t have to tell him anything.”

  I tauntingly smirk at Miles and then look to Tanner. “I’ll tell you all the good stuff if you reciprocate and tell me something juicy about Miles.” I lean forward on the patio table with my eyebrows raised in a ‘how about it’ expression. “But first I have to ask if you watch Game of Thrones?”

  He grins. “I do.”

  “Okay, then you must know you’re a dead ringer for Tormund. I might have to call you that.”

  “I’ve heard that before. And you can call me anything you want.” He smirks.

  “So do we have a deal? You’ll give me the dirt on Miles?” He holds out his hand and I slip mine against his for a brisk shake.

  “Hell, Sophie, you don’t even need to make a deal with Tanner. I’ll answer whatever questions you have about our boy for no reason,” Sam says.

  “How old are you?” Tanner fires off the first question, ignoring Sam.

  “Almost twenty.”

  “Damn, not even legal to drink yet. Better give me that beer back.” He reaches toward my bottle of Corona.

  “Get lost.” I slap his hand away and hug the bottle to my chest. “My precious.”

  “Favorite band.”

  “Band?” I tap my lips with my index finger. “I like a lot of older stuff. I don’t really have one favorite.”

  “How do you feel about weed?”

  “I’ve never tried it.”

  “For real?” His expression is one of incredulity.

  “Yep, I’m not the only one. My best friend hasn’t tried it either.”

  “That’s a good thing,” Sam chimes in. “Don’t let this donkey pressure you into smoking some.”

  “I’m not pressuring her to do anything.”

  “He’s not. I’ve thought about it many times. Just didn’t like the situations where it was offered. Do you have some?”

  “Of course, I do. There’s nothing better than chilling on the beach late night and smoking some Northern Lights.” Tanner wiggles his eyebrows up and down.

  “Hmm, I might be up for a little experimenting while I’m here.”

  “When you say experimenting, what are you referring to?” Tanner asks, a lecherous grin on his face.

  “Knock it off.” Miles glares and turns his gaze to me. “You don’t need to feel pressured to do anything new.”

  “I don’t, but it might be the perfect opportunity for me to smoke. You can look after me.” I smile at him. “I know you won’t let anything bad happen.”

  “I think you should wait until later in our trip to decide,” Miles cautions.

  “What difference is a day or two going to make? Would it be better if I wait and try it once I’m at school?”

  Miles presses his lips tightly together and shakes his head.

  “Then it’s decided.” I spring to my feet. “Let’s go.”

  Miles catches my wrist. “Not so fast. You’re not going anywhere.”

  “Why not?”

  “Did you forget that Joey is asleep? We can’t leave him here by himself.”

  “Oh shit. I’m a horrible person for forgetting about him.”

  “No, you’re not. I’m his father, I have to remember. Someday when you have children of your own, you will too.”

  “We can stay here. Makes no difference to me,” Tanner says with a slight lift of his broad shoulders. “The windows in the condo are closed and the air conditioner is on. Little man won’t be breathing anything in he shouldn’t be.”

  “Okay then, we’re good to go.” I fall back into my seat and bounce up and down. I don't know why I’m so excited about trying weed. I’ve never wanted to before. Is it because I’m not afraid to let my guard down with Miles? As much as he can piss me off with his behavior, I trust him implicitly.

  Tanner pulls a joint from above his ear and winks at me.

  When did he put it there?

  He shifts in the seat and removes a lighter from his front pocket. Slipping the joint between his lips, he holds it in place with one hand and lights the other end with his lighter. He sucks deep as the flame hovers over the tip and pauses before releasing the breath.

  He hands it off to me and I take it between my index finger and thumb, raising it to my lips.

  "Slowly," Tanner warns with a smirk.

  I inhale and try to hold it in my lungs like I’ve seen them do in hundreds of movies, but I end up coughing so hard it hurts.

  “Ugh, why does anyone do this if it makes you cough so bad?” I try to pass it to Miles, but he waves me off and so does Sam. I hand it back to Tanner.

  “Trust me, it’s worth the coughing. And you won’t have that reaction every time.”

  “You guys don’t smoke?” I ask the two of them.

  “I did when I was younger, but I’m a father now and I always need to be ready for Joey.”

  “And with my job, I can’t. Hell, I shouldn’t even be sitting here while you guys do,” Sam explains.

  “Pfft, that was a waste anyway. I don’t even feel anything.”

  Miles rubs my forearm, sending tingles climbing up to my shoulder. "Sophie, it will hit you in a little while. Give it time.”

  Three more times, Tanner passes the joint to me and each time I take a hit. By the end I’m feeling pretty good and I have to say I like it. I like it a lot. This feeling of relaxation might be worth hacking up a lung. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so carefree in my life. No wonder they say weed kills motivation and gives you couch lock.

  Resting my head on the back of the chair, I stare up at the midnight sky. “Okay, I want to hear some dirt on Miles. Give me the goods.”

  In my periphery I see Sam rub his hands together. “One time when we were in college Miles got caught fucking his professor’s wife.”

  My head snaps upright and then takes a sharp right to stare at Miles beside me. I know my mouth is hanging open in a giant ‘oh.’

  “Is he serious?”

  Miles shakes his head and mouths ‘fuck you’ to Sam. “Yes, it’s true. But in my defense, she pursued me and I didn’t know she was my professor’s wife. She told me she was single. He had an affair with a student and she wanted revenge. I just happened to be her chosen method.”

  “Damn. You’re lucky you didn’t get your ass kicked or get expelled.”

  “I’m a lot bigger than her husband. Believe me, he didn’t want any pa
rt of a fight. And how could I get expelled for doing something with his spouse? She wasn’t a professor, so there was nothing they could do.”

  “And it worked out well for him. He became a legend on campus and all the girls wanted a shot,” Sam says.

  “Alright, enough of this conversation. Maybe we should talk about the long list of ladies you two racked up between you.”

  Tanner chuckles. “Ah, the good ole days. If only we could go back.”

  “Hell no. You couldn’t pay me enough to do it all over again. I’m in the best time of my life right now with Joey.”

  “You wouldn’t want to go through all those years with Sandy again?” Sam questions.

  “Sandy’s hot,” Tanner interjects and I find myself scowling.

  Miles runs his hand over his short beard. “She’s ugly on the inside.”

  “Her outside could make me forget for a little while,” Tanner laughs.

  “Hey, we had some good years. I don’t regret them. What I regret is that I didn’t catch on to her infidelity sooner. And that I didn’t get to beat the shit out of Scott.” He cracks his knuckles. “But in the end he’s stuck with her and that’s payback enough. I wonder how long it will be before she’s spreading her legs for someone else.”

  Crap. His ex’s name is Sandy and she’s beautiful. I learn so much more when his friends are around to spill the details. I wonder if he’d get back together with her if the opportunity presented itself. I could see it happening. He’s the type of father who’d do whatever was need to ensure the best for his son. Even if that meant sacrificing his own happiness.

  14

  Miles

  Glancing at my watch, I notice it’s after one a.m. Joey will be up in six hours. If I want to get enough sleep, I’d better go to bed now.

  The metal chair legs screech against the wooden planks when I stand. “I’m out of here, guys. Joey will be up bright and early and I need some sleep.”

  “Party pooper,” Sophie teases.

  “You might want to go to bed too. You’ll be watching Joey sometimes, so you need some rest too.”