by Sara Hess
“I feel like I need to cover my girlfriends’ ears whenever you two get together.” Nic grumbled making Carrie giggle.
“Just think of it as free cable.” Seth mumbled around his food.
“I was wondering if you were doing anything tonight?” I left out the ‘besides me’ part because it was time to make my move.
Shaw’s brows pinched. “Not you, if that’s what you mean.”
She thought I was throwing out a line. “No, I really want to know if you want to do something with me tonight.” Sure, I was calling myself out in front of my friends, but I felt pretty certain of her positive reply. The girl threw off a snarky, bitchy manner but I could see flares of interest in her eyes.
Silence reigned over the table for a moment and the embarrassment I thought I wouldn’t feel began to wash over me.
Shaw’s brows were nearly touching as she looked down at her plate. “Uhhhh...no thanks. I’m really busy with other stuff.”
Huh. Cut off at the knees. I knew by the way she phrased her rejection that she meant all her days were busy so don’t bother asking about another night. Disappointment was swift and surprisingly strong. I didn’t get turned down often and when I did I normally didn’t care all that much, but my lust for Shaw was stronger than I’d ever felt before.
“In fact, I’ve got to get going and get started on those things. See you guys later.” Shaw jumped up and stalked away.
Before I knew it I was calling out. “Hey Shaw, you forgot something.”
She turned with a confused, edgy frown. “What?”
“Me.” Slouching back in my chair casually I gave her a cocky grin that showed I wasn’t at all affected by her rejection. I had my pride. “What time do you get off? And can I watch?”
Her uncomfortable expression cleared and she stared at me with intent dispassion. “I’m sorry, I don’t speak Herpes.” Turning, she strode away.
“Smooth.” Seth remarked.
“Yeah, you covered yourself pretty good there. It almost appeared as if you didn’t give a shit that she shot you down.” Nic raised his brow in a questioning arc, but I didn’t have any kind of answer for him because I was still processing.
Carrie was looking down at her food like she was afraid it might disappear if she looked away from it. She probably didn’t want me to see the sympathy in her eyes.
“Hey, she’s hot and entertaining. I had to try.” I smiled to cover my frustration and restlessness.
Carrie head shot up with a frown. “Is that all it is?”
She was wondering what I felt for her friend. As with Nic, I didn’t have an answer for her. “That’s how it typically is, Carrie. You feel an attraction and you go for it. If the other person’s not feeling it then you move on. There are no hard feelings and we go back to what it was before.”
Now my dick could move on and find someone else to get wet in since it wasn’t going to get wet with Shaw.
However, I found myself glancing back toward the doors she’d disappeared through with a disappointed frown.
CHAPTER ONE
Ten Months Later
SHAW
EARLY AUGUST
“Please come, Shaw. Please, please, please.” Carrie pleaded from my bed. “We’ve been friends for almost a year and a half and you haven’t hung out with any of my friends.”
I punched away at my computer keyboard. “I’ve hung out with them.”
She slapped at my bed cover. “You spent time with them during lunches. That’s barely hanging out, and that was only with Seth and Evan months ago.”
My heart did a little jitter at Evan’s name, which I totally ignored. “Sam and Blake come over all the time, and I’ve met all your other friends.”
“Met, that’s the operative word. You haven’t truly hung out with them, interacted with them. The only person you’ve really interacted with is Evan and that was just to sling barb’s.”
My heart skipped again. After Evan had asked me out, for real, and I’d passed, he’d gone back to his pick-up lines and I’d gone back to my harsh rejoinders. Evan might make my heart feel something it hadn’t in a long, long time, but I didn’t trust him or that stupid organ. That’s also why I didn’t hang out with Carrie’s friends, even the females. I didn’t trust anyone. I was more comfortable around a computer.
All people did was let you down, lie to your face or behind it, and rip your heart out. Computers didn’t do that.
I’d let Carrie in but that was because I’d seen something of myself in her. She’d gone through something horrific, and people had been treating her like shit as if it was her fault. That had totally pissed me off. Carrie also had the sweetest and purest soul I’d ever come across so it had been easy to let her in my little bubble.
“Carrie, you know I’m not the most social person. I will probably say something sarcastic or inappropriate and cause someone to slap me or kick my ass.” I used to care about the shit that came out of my mouth, but after years of no one else caring I’d said screw it.
“You are exceedingly blunt but you aren’t mean…unless someone is mean to you. I find you honest and funny and so will everyone else. Please, please, pleassssse.”
We were back to the pleading again. “I don’t know. Can I think about it?” Absently I stroked Rosie, my Calico cat, who’d fallen asleep like usual in my lap.
“No, it’s today. There is no thinking, there’s only agreeing.” She huffed.
She was so adorable when she got huffy, and that I agreed with Nic on that jammed my crank. When I’d found out that Carrie was going out with Nic I did not think he was good enough for her. He was a man-whore athlete and cocky as hell. She needed someone who treated her like a princess. Therefore, I’d utilized my skills in an attempt to prove he was cheating on her so I could get him out of her life before he could completely destroy her, but all my in-depth investigating had yielded nothing. After a while I realized that Nic treated Carrie better than a princess. I have never seen devotion like what those two had for each other.
“What’s going on exactly?” I sighed, knowing I was caving. She had been at me for months to go out with her friends. I couldn’t take seeing the disappointment in her eyes again. And maybe if I did this she’d leave me alone for another several months.
She squealed softly. “Well, you know Landon and Maya are getting married next weekend, so tonight both Maya and Landon are having bachelor parties.”
“I’m not going out to see strippers.” I complained. Guys dancing around naked swinging their junk in my face did not sound fun at all.
“We are not seeing strippers.” Carrie rolled her eyes. “Like Nic would be okay with that. Landon would probably have a fit as well.” She snorted.
I’d met Landon a few times on UVA’s campus when I was with Carrie. He’d been with Nic and hadn’t said all that much. In fact, he’d been downright grim. I’d only met Maya once when I was out with Carrie. She was part-African American and part Caucasian, and absolutely beautiful. We’d run across her at the grocery store. Carrie had told me some of the couple’s story, and even though my heart was buried in ice I still felt for what each of them had gone through and was glad someone was getting their happily-ever-after.
I moved through computer space as Carrie related the plans for tonight. “Landon has leased out the top floor of the Grand Hotel for Maya’s party. He asked if she could have anything what would she want, and she said a day off at the Spa. I think she was being facetious but he took her seriously, so that’s what he made happen. He got her an open bar and rented out the Spa facilities of the hotel for the party. They are going to bring everything up to us; facials, massages, pedicures, manicures, and whatever else they have. I’ve never had any of that stuff done and it sounds amazing. Maya was blown away when he told her.”
She probably blew him in thanks. I knew Landon’s dad owned an electrical company and other shit that made him one of the richest men in Virginia, so dropping the money for Maya’s party was like a drip
in a bucket to them. Must be nice.
“That does sound amazing.” I had never had any kind of spa treatment in my life either. Growing up with no money in a white trash neighborhood kind of made that unattainable.
“I can’t believe Nic hasn’t treated you to something like that since he has a huge trust fund.” I taunted knowing that she got quite peeved when he spent too much money on her.
She rolled her eyes. “With him being a guy something like that never crossed his mind, but now that Landon’s done it for Maya I’m sure it’s been implanted.”
I snorted knowing she was probably right.
“So you’re going, right?” Carrie pressed in a hopeful tone.
I spun away from the computer screen, careful of Rosie in my lap, to lock eyes with her. “Are you sure that I’m invited? Maya specifically said that she would like me to be there?” It was hard to believe since I’d only met her the one time.
Carrie nodded. “When we saw her at the store she told you to come.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, but she was just being polite because you two were discussing the party in front of me.” A lot of people did that. ‘You can come too if you want to.’ That’s not really an invitation, that’s just the uncomfortable tension nice people experienced when they were talking about an event around a person that hadn’t been invited.
“Maya told me yesterday that she hoped you would to be there. She thought you were really nice, and funny.”
Maya had thought I was nice? I don’t remember being especially nice. I’d made a remark that the few times I’d met Landon he’d reminded me of constipated mafia boss. Maya had laughed when I’d relayed that fact. He was always dressed impeccably, but he wore the most irritable expression on his face. The man was very good-looking, but did he ever smile? He had been going through a lot of crap during that time so I guess his dour expressions had been earned.
I twirled my chair back to my computer and expelled a long drawn out sigh. “Okay, okay, count me in. When are we leaving?”
“Awesome! This afternoon at three.” Carrie yelled, and then her arms were hugging me from behind excitedly. “You’re going to have so much fun that you’re going to want to hang out all the time after this.”
My stomach clenched in foreboding. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
Just having those lunches with Nic, Seth, and Evan had been anxiety inducing. I’d begun to feel a connection to Evan that had made my stomach want to revolt, and I didn’t even want to acknowledge what had been going on in my empty chest cavity. Thankfully, fall term had ended and we’d moved into winter. Courses had changed and shared lunches had also ended. I still felt this pang in my chest at the mention of his name, as well as at the thought of him, but it was a good thing I didn’t have to see him every week. Seeing him…well, it had been doing something to me I wasn’t comfortable with.
∞ ∞ ∞
I looked around the suite Carrie and I stepped into with dumbfounded awe. “Shit, is this where Donald Trump stays when he comes to town?”
The room was the size of a small house with a dinning room and two lounge areas containing luxurious furnishings, and one wall was all windows displaying an awesome view of the city. I didn’t even know they had hotel rooms this size, and I’d never seen one this posh. I’d worked as a maid in a motel one summer but that had been a shack in a hovel compared to this.
Squeals and females suddenly flew in our direction from all sides. Before they hit us I recognized Maya and Amanda, but the other two were strangers; though there features rang a bell.
“Carrie, Shaw, you’re here.” Maya exclaimed with a happy smile, and then she embraced the both of us…together…in one hug.
I stiffened automatically not accustomed to being embraced, and then I smelled peach schnapps on her breath which accounted for the exuberant welcome, but at least she didn’t look put out at seeing me. While still in Maya’s clinch we were also hugged by Amanda…a tall-blonde California looking girl…making it a four way embrace slash huddle.
“More people. Let’s get this party started.” Amanda yelled. New alcohol smells wafted over my face.
How long had these girls been here, and how much had they had to drink? As happy as they were it looked like just enough.
They both pulled away, but then Amanda seized Carrie’s biceps and leaned in really close to her face. “Girlfriend, we are so going to pop your cherry tonight.”
My brows rose. I knew for damn certain that Nic had already done that because the walls in our apartment were frustratingly and embarrassingly paper-thin. I’d had to invest in ear plugs.
Carrie blushed. “What are you talking about, Amanda?”
Amanda’s arm went over Carrie’s shoulder and she led her further into the room. “You haven’t ever had alcohol. Well, tonight is the night, and we are going to get you so wasted.”
Carrie glanced back at me like I would help her. I just smirked. She was on her own since she dragged me to this. In fact…I trailed after them because a drink sounded pretty good right now. Alcohol and I weren’t best friends, but I knew when to call her up.
Maya tottered along next to me, hooking her arm unexpectedly with mine. “Since Carrie’s been shanghaied I’ll introduce you. Gabby come say hola. Gabby’s my bestest, longest friend.”
When Gabby stepped up Maya slung her other arm around her. Gabby was a short, cute as a button, curvy, Hispanic.
She held out her hand to me. “Hey Shaw. It’s nice to meet you. I’m sorry to say I’ve heard too much about you except that you work a lot.”
My lips twisted. That was Carrie’s nice way of explaining why I didn’t hang out. Although, she didn’t stretch the truth too much, I did work a lot.
“Nice to meet you, Gabby. Carrie’s told me everything she knows about you so it feels like I know you already. You are Maya’s closest and dearest friend. You’ve been married four years and have an almost four year old baby girl. You’re a cosmetologist. And you have some really big, tattooed cousins.”
Gabby laughed. “All true.”
The other female stepped up; a tall, gorgeous strawberry blonde with aquamarine eyes who had to be Nadia, Seth’s Russian girlfriend. Maya had explained her to me and there was no way I wouldn’t recognize her.
“Zdravstvuyte, hello, I’m Nadia.” She greeted, hand out in welcome.
I was into the handshake so much more than the group hugs. With a brief shake I smiled. “Shaw.”
She quirked her brow and grinned. “Carrie spill all the details on me, too?”
“Seth’s girlfriend, two siblings that live with you, plumber, card shark, math genius, and knife ninja.” I dispatched swiftly.
She snorted. “Knife ninja. I love it.”
The things Carrie had told me this girl could do with a knife had my brows disappearing in amazement.
I realized suddenly that even though I didn’t personally know these girls, I did know them pretty well through Carrie’s stories, making it seem like we were almost old pals being reacquainted.
“What do you know about Amanda?” Nadia asked as we moved closer to the bar.
Amanda swiveled, eyes bright with alcohol and enjoyment. “Yes, what has Carrie dished about me?”
“Noah’s girlfriend for almost four years, majoring in advertising, two brothers, starts Grad school this fall, has a job interview for a part time internship in three days, loves red nail polish, and gives great head.”
Amanda’s mouth dropped open.
“Shaw! I did not say that.” Carrie yelled horrified.
I snorted. “Yes, you did. Remember when you said she brushed and blow dried your hair almost making you fall asleep. That sounds like the best head job I’ve ever heard.”
Everyone busted out laughing. At least I was earning my invitation as the funny girl. I asked the woman behind the bar for a beer. It was slightly bizarre ordering alcohol from this lady who looked to be in her early thirties when I was only twenty.
&nbs
p; “You know, I’m not too bad at the other one either.” Amanda boasted. “Noah waits to fall asleep after I’m done though.”
Maya sighed in wistful drunkenness. “Landon doesn’t. He knows how excited I get when I do it to him so he always takes care of me. I love his cock.”
The other three girls snorted out laughter again. Carried laughed as well but with a little less alcohol induced hysteria. Uhg, men talk. I met the eyes of the bartender whose expression remained pretty impassive for a conversation about blow jobs. I wondered if she hosted many bachelorette parties where these discussions became old news.
I drank my beer as several other dick comments were bandied about. I learned Seth was hung like a horse. Lon, Gabby’s husband, had a piercing…Ouch! Noah liked it best doggie-style. And Carrie even contributed saying timidly that Nic loved her hair wrapped around his. I knew that guy had some weird fetishes.
Suddenly everyone’s eyes were on me and my beer froze on the way to my mouth. “What?”
“Do you have any stories to share, Shaw?” Nadia grinned.
“I saw a bent dick once. The angle of it had to be at least forty-five degrees.” I rattled off and even crooked my finger for demonstration.
They all stared at me in astonishment.
“Shut up, you did not.” Amanda exclaimed looking both horrified and intrigued.
“Did you run away screaming, or try it out?” Gabby asked wide-eyed.
“I hit the scroll left button.” Sorry girls, I don’t share my personal life with just anybody. These women seemed perfectly nice, but nice could turn on you quicker than nasty sometimes.
Nadia gave me a light shove. “That’s cheating girl. No internet stuff.”
I laughed. “Hey, after hung like a horse, piercings, and hair fetishes, I felt put on the spot. It was all down hill from there.”
Maya pouted. “I’m bummed now. That bent dick was good stuff.”
I snorted out the beer I just drank, which had everyone laughing uncontrollably. I ordered up another. From there the spa treatments started. There were six of us and six female staff to assist us, and the first order of business was the massages. They had us strip down to our panties to lie down on the massage tables and then spent an entire hour working our bodies. Let me tell you, it sounded like an orgy was going on with all the moans, groans, and heartfelt ‘oh my god’s’ exploding out of everyone.
