Every Kiss

by Tasha Ivey

  He gently places his hands on my shoulders and looks down at me. For the first time since I met him today, I see sincerity in his gaze. “I owe you an apology.”

  “You don’t owe me anything. I don’t even know you.”

  “You know me enough to think I’m an asshole.”

  I shrug. “You’re having a bad day. Happens to the best of us.”

  “But I took it out on the wrong person. I’m sorry for that.”

  I look up into his kind, aquamarine eyes. For just a second, I can see a glimmer of the person that Makenna described. I take a deep breath and sigh audibly. “Apology accepted. I’m sorry your birthday has sucked.”

  “I owe you another apology, too. You just don’t realize it yet.”

  Cryptic much? “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  He releases my shoulders and walks to the edge of the balcony, pointing down at the ground. “I was down there, on a private phone call with my dad, and I just happened to look up here and saw your feet dangling over the edge. I went around the other side of the house to finish my conversation and then came up here to ream you out.”

  “Why? Did I break a house rule or something?”

  He smirks. “No. Nothing like that. I thought you were listening in on my conversation. I said some pretty mean things to you before I realized you were listening to music and couldn’t hear me. So even though you didn’t hear it, I still said it. And I’m sorry.”

  This must be the Wes that Makenna was telling me about. I’m still not ruling out his bipolar tendencies though. There’s something endearing about him admitting something he said to me that I’d never know about otherwise. Honesty is a rarity these days. “Well, since you’re being honest, I should tell you that I did hear part of your conversation. You told your dad not to patronize you and then something about him telling her where you live. At that point, I cranked the music up. I know that wasn’t meant for anyone to hear, so I’m sorry, too.”

  His phone rings, so he pulls it out of his pocket to check the screen. Whoever the caller is, he relaxes after seeing their name. “I have to take this.” I nod at him, and he walks to the other side of the balcony toward his room. “Hey, Allie. What time will you be here tonight? I really need to see you.”

  I step back in my room, guessing Allie must be his girlfriend, but before I can shut the door, a hand slaps against it to keep it from closing. I jerk it back open to find Wes standing outside, still holding the phone to his ear.

  “Hang on a sec, okay?” He lowers the phone and surprises me by reaching for me, pulling me into an awkward hug. “I’m sorry and thank you.”

  “Mmmhmm.” My response is muffled by his chest.

  He looks into my eyes for a split second before he puts the phone back to his ear. “Okay, I’m back.” Just before I shut my door, I hear him say one last thing. “Oh, I was just talking to one of Shane’s little friends.”

  He may not have meant some of the ugly things he said to me, but it’s clear to me that he wholeheartedly believes the babysitter statement. Something about that makes me want to prove to him that I’m not a child.

  “SEE, I TOLD you I’d end up alone. I’m so glad you came with me.” Makenna nibbles on a chip and nudges a bowl of car keys under the bed with the toe of her shoe. “Help me keep an eye on the stairs. Most people know they aren’t allowed up here, but that may not stop a drunk from trying. We have to make sure no one finds the keys.”

  “If I have to sit at the bottom of the stairs, no one will be getting up here.” Just another reason I adore Shane. Everyone knows his party rules. You either a) have a predetermined sober driver or b) bring your sleeping bag to sleep over. If you plan to sleep over, your car keys go in the bowl when you walk in the door. The bowl is then hidden until the next morning. After losing a friend to drunk driving, he takes it very seriously.

  I follow her back down and help her put the doggie gate up at the bottom step. An adult can easily step over it, but we’re hoping it sends a message that it’s off limits. Deep bass echoes throughout the house along with the mixture of voices, laughter, and clinking glasses. Bodies are crushed together in the living area, which has been transformed into a dance floor. The dining area has become the bar, so quite a crowd is gathered there, waiting their turn for a drink of their choice. The kitchen island has a few gifts and a large sheet cake, still in the box. This is a birthday party unlike anything I’ve seen before. Who knew Tall, Dark, and Moody could have so many friends?

  Well, speak of the devil. He appears through the back door, and I’m just about to walk over to officially give him my birthday wishes, but he drags a tall brunette in the door with him. I’m assuming this is the girl he was on the phone with earlier. She’s not the kind of person I’d imagine him with. Her wiry, curly hair could use some styling product to control the frizz, and she dresses like a slut. Okay, maybe it’s just a little tinge of jealousy talking, but she’s definitely not what I’d expect.

  Hmm. Jealousy? Is that what that is? Maybe I’m just still aggravated that he considers me a child, but let me tell you, I look like more of a real woman than she does.

  “I don’t think we’ve met before. Name’s Jake. You?”

  I turn to the mountain of man approaching me. Whoa. Talk about sex on a stick. With a face, body, and voice like that, this guy isn’t melting hearts when he walks into a room . . . he’s melting panties. “Pleased to meet you, Jake.” I hold out my hand to shake his. “I’m Callie.”

  He lifts my hand to brush his lips across my knuckles before releasing my hand. “The pleasure is all mine, gorgeous.” Yep. Definitely panty-melting. “Wes and I have been best friends since we were playing Kiss Chase in first grade. We’d take turns helping each other corner the girl we wanted to kiss. How do you know him?”

  “Really, I don’t. I just met him this afternoon. His brother is dating my best friend, Makenna.”

  “Oh, yeah? I saw him with her earlier. Cute girl. So, which lucky guy are you here with?”

  I open my mouth to answer, but I’m silenced by the appearance of Wes at my side.

  “She’s here with me,” he says with a slight chill in his voice. His words stun me, and I can’t figure out what the hell to say to that.

  Jake belly laughs and punches Wes’ shoulder. “Oh, man. Does Allison know that? Because I have a feeling she doesn’t like to share. She certainly doesn’t look too pleased with you right now.”

  I whip my head in the direction of Jake’s gaze and see Allison perched on a bar stool, glaring in our direction. Her too-pink lips are tightly pursed, and she’s shooting daggers at him. At me. I’m not sure which.

  “I don’t mean ‘with me’ in that way,” Wes says, shaking his head. “I mean she’s off limits to you. She’s off limits to all of the assholes here. You make sure and remember that.” He points his finger at his chest.

  I clamp my hand around his wrist. “Excuse me. Can I talk to you for a second? In private?”

  He jerks his head toward the stairs and stalks over to Allison. “Be right back,” I hear him grumble. He follows me across the room, occasionally grabbing my shoulders to steer me around the crush of bodies or a staggering drunk. I hear his footsteps following mine up the stairs, and I’m thrown into the sudden realization of what this looks like to everyone watching. If the cat calls and whistles are any indication, I’d almost bet the rumor mill is already circulating. Great.

  I turn down the corridor toward my room, but he grabs my elbow and pulls me into his instead. Shutting the door behind us, he sits at the edge of his bed and looks up at me, waiting.

  “What the hell was that down there, Wes? I’m with you? I appreciate your help and all, but I don’t need you cock-blocking for me.” I feel my pulse firing rapidly in my chest, but I can’t figure out if it’s because I’m angry at him or if it’s because I’m alone with him. In his bedroom.

  “You may not know those people down there, but I do, Callie. I’ve been watching them looking at you,
and I can promise that every single one of them is going to try to get you out of those tight ass jeans tonight. And Jake is probably the worst one. I’m just trying to protect you.”

  I place my fists on my hips. “Protect me? Are you freaking serious? Jake was being nice to me after you’ve been an ass to me all afternoon. Why don’t you start by protecting me from you? I’ll handle the rest.” I turn to the door and jerk it open, but his hand appears beside my head, slamming it shut again.

  “Callie, I’m serious. Not with him. Jake may be a good friend of mine, but there’s no way in hell I’d let any girl I know have anything to do with him. He’s a player. I’ve seen the way he treats women, and I don’t want to see you treated that way. And Shane would kill me if I allowed that to happen. I know I treated you like shit today, and I’m trying to make up for it. Please, just promise me that you’ll stay away from him.”

  I turn around to face him, and he presses his other hand to the door, effectively pinning me to it without physically holding me there. “I’m not going to promise you anything of the sort. Who are you to tell me who I can or can’t talk to? If you want to protect somebody, why don’t you go protect the girlfriend you left alone down there? She’s the only woman here that you need to be worried about.”

  “Callie.” He stares at me for a long moment and finally groans a sigh. “Fine. Suit yourself.”

  I spend the next hour dodging the accusing stares of the other partygoers. I don’t want to know what’s being said about my little trip up to Wes’ room. I busy myself with refilling appetizer trays and picking up empty cups and beer bottles from every flat surface in the house. Only an hour in, and the place looks—and smells—like a seedy Vegas strip club, so somebody needs to try and maintain a little order and cleanliness.

  “There you are! I guess I lost you when we came downstairs earlier. Where have you been?” Makenna grabs the rest of the empty cups on the table I’m clearing. “I just heard that you and some guy went upstairs earlier. Please tell me you didn’t already hook up with somebody.”

  “Jeez, Mak! Do you even know me at all?” I drop everything in the trash except for a cocktail napkin, which I wad up and toss at her.

  She bats it away with a look of horror. “Eww. You don’t know where that napkin has been. And yes, I do know you. That’s why I’m asking.”

  “I do have some standards. Pretty sure I need to know someone for more than a minute or two first.”

  “Who was it?” She backs into the pantry, crooking her finger for me to follow. “I saw you talking to that Jake guy earlier. Was it him? Ooh, what about Tucker? Wren? Come on, Cal. No one can hear us in here. Give me the details.”

  “Wes.” I never realize quite how big of a mouth she has until I watch it practically hit the floor. I know what must be going through her mind, and there’s some part of me really deep down that is disappointed that I’m going to have to set her straight.

  “You and Wes? Oh my goodness.” She squeals and jumps up and down. “Upstairs? Omigod . . . where? Wait a minute. How did that even get started? So many questions, not enough answers. Spill!”

  “First of all,” I begin, clamping my hands on her shoulders to stop her bouncing, “sorry to burst your bubble, but nothing happened. When Jake came up and talked to me, Wes got all ‘protective’ and told him that I’m off-limits to all the guys here. I had to set him straight, so we went upstairs to talk.”

  Her face falls and her shoulders slump. “I was hoping for a little juicier story than that. But why would Wes intervene? I would think his girlfriend or whatever she is would keep him busy enough. I’m telling you, he’s just not himself today.”

  I open the pantry door and shrug my shoulders. “Don’t know. Don’t care.”

  “Well,” she says, twisting her mouth, “I have to get back to Shane. I just told him I needed to check on you. Want to come with?”

  I scan the crowd for Jake and see him leaned up against the wall by the kegs. Wes is no more than ten feet away, kissing Allison. Hmm . . . I don’t know what his angle is, but I’m feeling a little rebellious tonight. “No, I think I need a drink. I’ll catch up with you in a little while.”

  “Okay, I have my cell phone with me, so just call if you can’t find me.”

  I stroll toward the table of booze, pretending to contemplate my choices. I try to seem as nonchalant as I can be, waiting for Jake to notice me and waiting for Wes to come up for air to see me. Oh, but the stars do align oh-so-perfectly. I’m just walking past Wes and Allison’s tangling tongues when Jake approaches me.

  “I see the troll finally stopped blocking the bridge,” Jake jokes, perhaps a little too loudly. On purpose. “I think we just might need to drink to that.”

  “We sure do.” I wink at him. In my peripheral vision, I see Wes whip his head toward me, but I don’t acknowledge him at all. Jake takes my drink order, and I watch him carefully as he mixes my drink—a cola with a little whipped cream vodka. Well, he pours a lot of whipped cream vodka, but I’m not complaining.

  I follow him to a remotely quiet corner of the living room, and we talk for a while. I talk to him about college and my family, and he talks about himself and . . . himself. He sure is nice to look at, but I can only listen to how much he can bench for so long. He must be one of the dullest people on the planet. Wes made it out like he’s a womanizer; however, I think the bigger threat is that he just might bore someone to a very painful death. But as long as he keeps the drinks coming, he gets a little easier to listen to. A little.

  Even half-drunk, I still think I’d rather talk to a tree.

  “Why don’t we go outside and get some air? It’s getting awfully loud and stuffy in here.”

  “Sure,” I say, swaying a little after standing too quickly.

  Jake hugs me against his side and chuckles. “Hang on, gorgeous. I won’t let you fall.”

  Once we make it to the back door, I let go of him, determined to walk on my own. If the damn ground would just be still long enough for me to step on it, I’d be just fine. I finally make my way to a soft spot in the grass and sit down. Okay, no, I didn’t exactly choose to sit here. The ground chose that spot for me on its own, and my stupid body went down without even asking my permission first.

  Damn, I’ve had too much to drink. And tomorrow is going to hurt. Bad.

  “You okay?” Jake laughs at my less than graceful landing. “Told you to hang on.”

  I lie down in the cool grass and stretch out. “I’m all good now. It’s so quiet out here.” A gentle hand caresses my stomach, and I look down at Jake’s fingertips circling my belly button. “That feels kinda nice.”

  “Yeah? How about this?” His hot mouth finds my neck, and the gentle sucking under my earlobe gives me chills.

  “Mmm.”

  “And this?” His face appears in front of mine, and the soft whisper of his lips trail along my cheek until they find my mouth, delivering a toe-curling kiss.

  At least, I think it is. Once I have a second to process it, all I can really register is the nauseating taste of beer coming from his mouth. It’s truly vile and disgusting. I hate both the taste and smell of it. I shove at him, trying to push him away, but he only kisses me more deeply, no matter how much I bang on his chest with my fists. Then, when I grab onto his shirt, he somehow takes it as an invitation for more.

  The sobering moment for me, though, is when his hand shoves into the front of my pants. Without even thinking about it, I shove him back with everything I have and rear back and pop him right in the eye with my tiny, but effective fist.

  He flinches and falls over on his back, covering his eye with one hand. “What the hell?!”

  “If you’re smart, you’ll leave before Shane or Wes comes looking for you.” I start to walk away, but I can’t help but feeling a little vindictive. I step over one leg and bend to face him, trying to maintain my balance while my equilibrium plays on a merry-go-round. “Listen to me very carefully . . .”

  “Get lost
, bitch,” he spits out, still sprawled out on the ground, holding his eye. But his focus quickly changes when I gently nudge him in the balls with my foot. Okay, I straight up kicked him with the toe of my shoe, and he’s damn lucky it wasn’t with my heel. He’s coughing, groaning, and gagging, and you can call me sadistic if you want, but I can’t help but feel a little satisfaction in that.

  “As I was saying, you might want to think twice about forcing yourself on a woman again. Drunk or not, you never know when she might kick your ass.”

  I walk—or stumble—back inside, kick my heels off at the door, and head to the stairs. I’m pretty sure this party is over for me. I barely manage to get over the doggie gate without falling on my face, but I climb up the stairs fairly uneventfully. Since I’ve failed to be a good watchdog, I peek under the bed in the master bedroom to make sure our bowl of keys hasn’t been discovered, and while I’m already in the floor, I decide to crawl the rest of the way to my room.

  I slide my hands and knees across the plush carpet of the dim hallway, freezing when I hear a door open. I flounder for an explanation of why I’m on the floor, and I watch a pair of familiar shoes leave Wes’ room.

  “I, uh, lost a contact.” I follow the shoes up to a hideously short skirt. One that only a slut would wear. Allison.

  She sneers down at me, but then smiles sweetly when she dangles some thin fabric from her hand. “Almost forgot.” Stretching it out in front of her, she bends down and steps into the purple lace and slides it up her thighs and under her skirt. “Hate when that happens. Good luck with the contact.” Her ugly shoes scuff along the carpet as she walks away, something I find terribly annoying.

  I grumble to myself the rest of the way to my room. I know she wanted to throw it in my face, but why should I care that she just had sex with Wes? He’s not anything to me, so she’s more than welcome to him. I can’t help but feeling like she’d make a much better girlfriend for Jake, though. Something about her nauseates me. Well, her or the overage of alcohol coursing through my bloodstream. Maybe both.