Contemporary Nights Volume One

by C. J. Ellisson

  “We’ll have the nerd bring both of us as his dates. He’ll be the most popular guy there. Besides, then when you two do this fake breakup or whatever, I’ll be there to pick up the pieces.”

  “I don’t need you there,” I snap, irritated she’s found a way to invite herself into something else she’ll steal from me. Being in another person’s shadow all the time gets really old. For the first time in a long time, I’m finally the center of attention. If Britt so much as bats her baby blues at Ryan, I’ll lose. I always do.

  “I’m not talking about you.” She grins and even winks. “Your little project is going to be devastated. It’s the perfect time for me to swoop in and rescue him.”

  I can’t believe she’s so casual about this. I’m close to having a stroke from my stress level and she wants to rescue him. From me. Like I’m such a terrible person to be stuck with. I don’t want to talk about it anymore and push out of my chair to go talk to a green vest. “I have to get my password reset.”

  “Again?”

  I bite my tongue from saying anything else. As I approach the counter, I notice it’s Brandon sitting there, the same guy who gave me such a hard time last time. I don’t even want to deal with his attitude. “Is Ryan available?”

  “He’s busy.”

  “Can you let him know it’s Emma?”

  “He’s busy,” Brandon repeats with a little more force.

  I hear a familiar, deep chuckle and smile as I turn around. My smile melts into shock as Ryan walks out of some room with none other than Nancy Pettigrew. He’s got her giggling. When she flips her hair and gives him a playful slap on his shoulder, my stomach twists so tight I swallow to keep my coffee down.

  What is he doing with her? We haven’t even broken up, yet. He’s not supposed to be a player until he dumps me. My chest hurts. I can’t breathe. My emotions threaten to surface, but I fight them with everything I am. He’s only doing exactly what I taught him to do.

  “I guess you really did turn him into a Delta dick.” Britt appears next to me and nods at Ryan, flirting away with Nancy the fucking TA. “Looks like you got played. I thought you were supposed to break up at the party.”

  I’m numb. “We were.”

  “Wow. So he’s stepping out on you. What a douche.” She crosses her arms under her breasts.

  Now he has two women pissed at him. His odds aren’t improving. He spots me and gives me an odd smile. When Nancy whispers something to him, he completely disregards me and looks at her. I drop my jaw. He did not just blow me off for her.

  Enough is enough. I march up to him and grab his shoulder, whipping him around to face me. Anger and betrayal bubbles inside, fueling my actions. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “I, uh…” He takes a step back, his hands up. “Um…”

  Why is he back to stuttering? He hasn’t been at a loss for words with me since the first night we met. Something else is going on.

  “I’ll take care of this, Ryan.” Nancy steps between us and narrows her untrusting little eyes on me. Her nasty coffee breath is in full bloom and forces me to breathe through my mouth. “He dumped you, Emma. And now that you aren’t holding him back, he’s moved on to better things, like me. Accept it.”

  My mouth falls open so far I swear my jaw unhinges. I dart my attention to Ryan, waiting for him to say something. He looks as shocked as I feel. “Well?”

  When he squares his shoulders and thrusts out his chin, I shake my head. This is not how I wanted the breakup to happen, if it has to happen at all. “I told you, babe. It’s just not working.”

  “No. Ryan, don’t do this. Not here.” My voice shakes as I struggle to keep my control. The entire lab is now looking at me.

  He shrugs and settles into his role. It has to be a role. He can’t really be doing this, not to me. Not after everything. “Sorry. It’s happening.”

  No fucking way. No fucking way! He’s breaking up with me in front of my entire lab, in front of the entire computer center. Humiliation burns into my cheeks as I blink back tears. This can’t be happening. He can’t be breaking up with me. And for who? Nancy fucking Pettigrew! As if I didn’t have reason enough to hate her.

  “What about the DASH?”

  Nancy slips her hand in his and rests her head on his shoulder. “He’s taking his real girlfriend.”

  “What?” I jerk my gaze to him as the pain of his betrayal hits me full force. Holy shit. I really did groom him into the perfect player. I didn’t even see this coming. “That was not part of the deal.”

  His eyes fill a mixed emotion I don’t even want to read. His expression falls slack. He’s even managed to manipulate his features. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he actually feels remorse, but players don’t feel remorse. They feel nothing. “Em—”

  I put my hand up to stop him. The asshole totally played me. I knew it! Why didn’t I trust my instincts? My faith shatters as my heart transforms back into the hard beating mass of unfeeling muscle. This, right here, is why I never let anyone close to me. I let him have sex with me. Not only that, but I let him in. I told him personal stuff about me, shared my feelings with him. I thought he really cared about me. God, I’m such a fucking fool, and now everyone knows it.

  I push at his chest, the sudden need for violence overwhelming. “You are so full of shit. All your talk that you weren’t playing me? Why, Ryan? Why would you fucking lie to me like that?”

  “Emma, I didn’t mean…” He stiffens when Nancy clears her throat. His expression hardens and the way he looks at me, with such coolness in his gaze, has me ready to collapse from the weight of my devastation. “It’s just the way it has to be.”

  I refuse to cry. No player is worth my tears. Jesus, I thought he was different. The joke is on me. “You want to take Nancy to the DASH? Fine. Take her. I wouldn’t go with you now anyway. I can’t believe you’d fuck me over like this, but then again, you are a Delta. Congratulations, Ryan. You’ve done your house proud. You’re transformation is complete.”

  I spin on my heel and run out of the computer center. As I round the corner, I slam into someone and fall right on my ass. I look up to see who I have to apologize to and suck in a breath. This day just keeps getting better and better.

  “Hey, Red.” Brad grins down at me. When he offers me a hand, I take it. “What’s got you on the run?”

  “Take me to the Delta DASH,” I blurt out before my self-esteem comes back. “Take me to the party and I’ll bring my friend. You know, the pretty one.”

  He stiffens and narrows his eyes, clearly baffled. “But we hate each other.”

  I blow my bangs out of my eyes. “I don’t care. I need in to that party.”

  “Why wouldn’t you just go with your boyfriend?”

  “We broke up.”

  He puts his hands up. “Whoa, dude. Bros don’t do other bro’s hos.”

  I so hate him, but I suck it in for the greater good. “Brittany can be your date. I’ll just tag along.”

  When he grins, I know better than to trust him. He’s definitely scheming. “A chick on each arm. We can have a Brad sandwich.”

  Oh, my fucking God, is this man delusional. Just the idea of a Brad-anything has my stomach turning. But I have to at least let him think he’s got a chance. “Exactly.”

  “Okay. I’ll let you and your friend come to the DASH on one condition.”

  Here it comes. I brace myself for him to ask me to have a threesome or something else equally disturbing. “What?”

  “I already know you aren’t going to let me tap that.” He pauses to rake his heated gaze up and down my body. I shudder. “So I’m going to need some other form of payment.”

  This man’s disgustingness is epic. “Like?”

  “Come over and clean the Delta house after the party.”

  That doesn’t sound so bad. I’ve had to clean up my own house after parties before my parents got home. I could easily clean the Delta house. “Okay.”

  “In nothing bu
t a little apron. Maybe one of those see-through ones. Oh, and speak in a French accent.”

  “Don’t make me kick you in the balls.”

  He laughs and I ready my foot. “Okay, okay. Wear whatever. You and your pretty blonde friend can come to the Delta DASH. If blondie doesn’t want to clean, I know of another way for her to pay me.”

  “You’re disgusting, you know that?”

  “Yep.” He wiggles his brow. “Do we have a deal?”

  Brittany is going to kill me. “Deal.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Emma

  “How’s my hair look?” Britt asks me for the umpteenth time. I stare into the mirror at the perfect blonde waves cascading down to her shoulders and give her a nod. How does she do that? She spent maybe ten minutes on it and it looks like she had it professionally done.

  “Great.” Her hair always looks great. Mine, on the other hand…

  She slumps her shoulders and turns to me. “Em, cheer up. You got exactly what you wanted.”

  Did I? I don’t feel like I did. I know Ryan and I had to break up. I just hate the way it all went down. I couldn’t control any of it. I still don’t understand why he did it the way he did. The only explanation is that he knew what he was doing all along. That’s the only way he could have gotten as good as he did in a week’s time.

  I hate how easily I fell for it all. I lowered my guard and finally trusted him. I trusted him more than I’ve ever trusted anyone in my life. What does he do? He goes and rips out my heart. “I still can’t believe he played me.”

  “Yeah, about that. How did you not see that coming?”

  “I did,” I say quietly as I stare at my pathetic reflection. After crying myself to sleep last night and then catching myself wiping a tear out of my eye off and on all day, I think I may have finally run the well dry. Now I’m just numb. I’m so stupid, falling in love with a player.

  Britt hugs me from behind and plays with my hair. I haven’t done shit to it and probably won’t. I just don’t care. “You’re going to the DASH anyway, which is what you wanted in the first place, right? So what does it matter how you’re getting there? It’s not like you really had feelings for the nerd.”

  “I think I did, Britt.”

  “That’s just it. You think you did. You spend a week straight with anyone and you’re going to think you have feelings for him. Take Mike and me. I think I may love him. Then again, I think I’m in love with every guy I date. Truth is, I don’t even know what love is. I’m twenty-one, for Christ’s sake. I’m not ready to fall in love and neither are you. You didn’t love him, you only think you did. You let your hormones take over. It happens. It’s a rookie mistake, but it happens.”

  I try to smile at her attempt to make me feel better. Yes, Britt has experience in the art of playing that is far beyond my years, even though she’s younger than me. It doesn’t help. I feel like I’ve lost my best friend. Beyond the incredible sex. Beyond the grooming him into a player. We became real friends. Not just head nods when we see each other friends. True, can’t wait to laugh at something stupid when we see each other friends. I had at least a dozen things happen today that I wanted to tell him about, just so we could laugh about it.

  I want to stay home on Friday nights, eat hoagies, and watch movies with him. I want to kick every zombie’s ass on Saturday nights. I want to wake up at the butt crack of dawn and run with him. Sweet Jesus on a horse, what’s the matter with me? A week ago I planned my schedule around my social life. And now? Now I’d rather stay home, watch TV, and play video games.

  I’m in serious, serious trouble. Without my permission, Ryan has transformed me into the female version of him. And truth be told, I like her better. Not that it will do me any good now. He’s with Nancy fucking Pettigrew and I’m sitting in my dorm, staring at my makeup, not wanting to put the effort in to even wear mascara.

  Britt spins me around to face her. “Listen up. You want to get back at the nerd for doing this to you? Go to that party. Be the hottest piece of ass there. Rub it in his face he’s stuck with that slut Nancy while you’re there to play the field. Sitting here moping about it is exactly what he wants. Don’t let him do this to you, Em. You’re the strongest person I know. He has no power over you, bitch.”

  I smile. Her abrasive reasoning makes sense. “When did you get to be so smart about breakups? Isn’t it usually my role to be your shoulder?”

  “I’ve had a lot of experience in the breakup department. Look at me. I’m still functioning. Besides, it’s about time I get to return the favor. Now, put on your makeup and then let’s raid your closet.”

  We crank the music and jam as we dance around our dorm in our underwear, singing into hairbrushes. By the time I have my hair in a fancy shmancy updo, my makeup perfect, and the outfit of the year of an ass-hugging skirt and a shirt that really shows off the girls painted on, we’re ready. I’ve got my fuck-me pumps on to complete the look. They make me feel even sexier than I already do with the makeup and hair. I do feel better and can’t wait to get to the party and rub my awesome look in Ryan’s face. He gave this all up. It’s time for me to do a little playing myself.

  Never wanting to commit the ultimate party foul of showing up first and appearing desperate, we decide to hit the CUB and get a couple hoagies before we head to the Delta house. We’ll need the food in our stomachs to soak up the hefty amount of alcohol we’ll be consuming. It’s now nine and we spot people we recognize heading toward the house, so we follow.

  “I’m so goddamn excited I could just shit,” Britt declares under her breath. “It’s the Delta DASH, Em. We are going to the Delta DASH.”

  Hearing it out loud from her gets my heart pumping. That’s right. Despite Ryan fucking me over, I’m still going to the party of the year and I’m going to it single. We follow a group into the yard and up to the front door. After giving each other quick glances, we walk into the house like we’re supposed to be there.

  Within seconds, one of the Deltas hands us each a red Solo cup. I sniff it, not sure what it is. “Isn’t this supposed to be a kegger?”

  Britt shakes her head after taking a drink. “It’s a spodie. Holy shit, that’s good.” She takes another drink, this one longer.

  “You’d better pace yourself.”

  “Quit being a prude. It’s the party of the year.”

  “And one I’d like to remember.” I sip my drink and have to agree. It’s really good. Very fruity, like peaches. I take another drink and pull in a breath to relax. “Do you see Ryan?”

  “Oh, no you don’t. You are not allowed to seek him out. Make him come find you. Come on. Let’s find our date.”

  Ugh. Brad. Knowing I can’t avoid the inevitable, I follow her through the house, weaving in and out of hoards of people. Some I recognize, most I don’t. We get looks from the upperclassmen and I keep my head down in case someone brings up the mall incident with Ryan. Or the handholding on campus. Or the fact he’s here with a date and I’m here as Britt’s shadow.

  “Are you two lost?” A guy stops us from moving into the kitchen. I know him. He’s one of the Delta dicks from the bar the night I met Ryan. “Hey, aren’t you the chick HP just dumped? Oh, wait. He’s going by Ryan now because of you. He’s here with that TA bitch. I wouldn’t tap that unless she can bounce my grade up a few, which he doesn’t need since his GPA is already carrying the house. Wow, you really fucked him over.”

  My mouth falls open and I take a breath to say something that would get me kicked out of the party, but Britt speaks up. “You’ve got that backwards, handsome.”

  “Do I?” He leans on the doorframe, his arm over his head, his entire focus on Brittany. She bats her eyes and snares him in her web. “Why don’t you tell me what happened, beautiful.”

  “Why don’t you refill my drink first?” She hands him her empty cup. He takes it, grins at her, and disappears into the wave of people surrounding the spodie. I’ve never actually seen what goes into a spodie so I push my way fo
rward until I’m standing face-to-face with the giant clear garbage can-looking thing.

  “What goes in it?” I ask no one in particular.

  “A little of this, a little of that.” A male voice sounds in my ear. I glance over my shoulder. Brad’s way too close to me. Clearly, he’s already had quite a few taps at the spodie.

  Still, he’s paying attention to me, so I play along. I glance into his eyes and hold him there. “So, tell me, Brad. What goes into a spodie?”

  He curls his lips into a grin. I hate that it makes me smile, too. He’s seriously gorgeous, but I know how ugly he can be on the inside. Right now, I don’t care. I just want to be noticed for a change. Britt is off with a guy who not more than a minute ago was ready to kick us out. Ryan is off with Nancy doing shit I taught him and probably getting lucky because of it. And I get to be Brad’s conciliation prize. Awesome.

  Fuck everyone. I’m doing whatever the hell I want. Tonight, that just might be Brad.

  He leans in and I hold my ground. When his lips barely whisper across mine, I stop breathing. He pulls back and smiles at me, and I have to admit, he’s even cuter up close. I hate that I’m attracted to the complete douchetards of the world and Brad is their king.

  “Hey,” he says.

  “Hey,” I say back.

  “I’m glad you made it.” He stares into my eyes. He doesn’t ask me about Britt. He doesn’t ask me about Ryan. He just stares at me and I fucking love it. I’m the center of his attention right now and it feels amazing.

  “You are?”

  “Why do you seem surprised?” He leans into me again and I inhale, taking in his scent. Sweet Lord with a licorice rope, he smells good, like musky male and a hint of mouthwatering cologne. When he kisses me, this time darting his tongue out, I open my mouth and welcome him in. And, oh my God, does this man know how to kiss. I never knew a kiss could be like this. He totally schools me. I learn more in this single kiss than I could have ever imagined.

  I learn that a kiss could slam into my stomach, twist in my womb, and liquefy me from the inside out. Holy shit, am I wet now. One kiss! One electrifying lip-fuck and I’m ready to have him take me to the nearest bedroom. How do these Deltas do that?