“Cool. Me, too. Let’s walk together. Hey, Jon told me he ran into you at work last night. He said the Harry Potter shot was pretty cool.” Our conversations slowly transformed into my favorite parts of the week. Harry Potter, jobs, cigars—it didn’t matter. She was the most intriguing person in the world to me.
“Yeah, it’s one of my nerd specialties. I can make shots and name them after fandoms. Those suckers fall for them every damn time.” Jenna snorted.
“I want to try the Goblet of Fire. Whiskey? Please. It’s the best.”
“Anytime. I work again tomorrow night.”
“I may be stopping by. What other shots do you make?” I probed, desiring to learn every single thing I could.
“Being a fellow nerd, I’m sure you want to try them all.”
“Well, duh!” I laughed even though my mind was still on the research topic.
“Let’s see. I have Goblet of Fire, Chamber of Secrets, Deathly Swallows—and yes, I know it sounds like a knockoff porn title—a Trekkie shot, a Whovian shot, a John Green shot, which is really just green dye in vodka, and an Ice and Fire shot.”
“Hell yeah. I need to try all of these.”
“Anytime.” She shrugged. “Hey, we’re having a pregame Saturday if you and some of your friends want to stop by for a little bit. I’m pretty sure Maya and Kennedy are going to drag me to some party, so I’ll definitely need to pregame to survive.”
“I’ll ask Jon and some of the guys, but I’m sure we’ll stop by for a bit. We also have some frat party we have to attend.” I chuckled lightly at her eye roll. “So on another note, why cancer research?” My sudden change of topic had her stopping in her tracks for a second.
“Well, back to my sad childhood, my grandma passed away from cancer when I was incredibly young. I don’t remember the specifics as much as my grandpa does, but I remember how sudden, unfair, and devastating it was for our family. I was always driven to do whatever I could to not have this happen to other families, I guess.”
I put my arm around her and squeezed. She put hers around me, too, even though I was a foot taller than her, but it worked. “That’s definitely motivating. I’m sorry to hear it happened to you. I know words don’t mean a lot.”
“Thank you.”
She opened the building door, and I swore she sniffed me before she walked inside. It made me smile, though.
“Let me know about Saturday night, okay? I’ll even make some of those shots for you guys.”
“Fo’ sho’. I’ll be there. Have a good night, shorty.” She gave me a small smile and headed into her apartment. I turned back around to head toward the house, then heard her shout.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Maya! Put a sock on the damn door!”
She ran back outside with a wild look on her face. I decided to help her out because I was a nice guy like that. “Need somewhere to hang out for a bit?”
“How’d you know?” She tilted her head, eyes wide.
“I mean, your voice is kind of loud.”
“Shit, yeah. I can’t go in there. They were going at it like little monkey porn stars. It shouldn’t be too long, probably an hour to be safe, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. Let’s go chill.”
It was sick how happy I was she wasn’t able to go back into her apartment. I was starting to crave being around her. It was annoying.
“Want a drink or something?” I asked once we got to the house.
“Sure, seeing as my plans to have a bottle of wine to myself are shot to hell.”
“I don’t have any wine, but I have some good local beer.”
“Anything’ll do. You know what I like.”
I handed her a bottle of peach ale and grabbed one for myself.
Jon walked in and saw us chilling on the couch. “Hey, Jenna. What’s up?”
“Same old. One of the roomies was going at it, so I needed somewhere to hang. How you feeling after last night? You were hilarious.”
“Better now. I couldn’t move this morning. I don’t even remember getting home.” He grinned sheepishly.
She laughed and offered her beer. “Wanna sip?”
He put up a hand. “God, no. Too soon. I have to write this damn paper for McGuire’s class. I put it off too long. I want to pay one of the freshies to do it. Is that allowed?”
Jenna looked at me and shrugged. “You should ask the whipped lawyer?”
“Knock it off,” I barked.
“Okay, sorry.” She held her hands up in surrender, but the fire was still in her eyes.
Jon gave me a weird look. He was the only other one who knew the issues I was having with my dad.
I shook him off but shrugged. “Yeah, it’s illegal and against some code in the frat rules.”
“Fuck me.”
“What’s your topic?” Jenna asked. “I took one of her classes last year.”
“How are you in these classes with us? Aren’t you a sophomore?” Jon was puzzled at the coincidence.
Jenna blushed but waved her hand, avoiding the question. “If you did less partying and more studying in high school, then you’d be in advanced classes, too.”
“Burn,” I chimed in, getting a middle finger from Jon.
“The topic is gender studies. We have to pick a theme and defend it. I have no idea what to choose, though.”
“McGuire is a huge feminist. Like extreme. Pick something in that area. She’ll love it,” Jenna said, matter-of-fact.
“How do you know this?” Jon asked the question in my mind.
“Students aren’t the only ones who visit the bar. I know a lot of shit about a lot of professors.”
Jon’s and my curiosity was piqued, and I was once again impressed.
“Like what?” Jon smiled and sat on the couch near her. My eye twitched in irritation, which he saw. He smirked.
She set down her beer and pulled up both legs to sit crisscross. “Okay, let’s see. Do you guys know Thompson?”
“Yeah, hated him,” Jon grumbled.
“He’s sleeping with at least three of his students.” She bit back a smile and laughed.
“No fucking way.” I gasped.
“Yup. Also, his wife knows and doesn’t care.” Jenna flashed a half smile at our reactions.
“What the hell? How do you know this shit?” I begged.
She shrugged and took a swig of her beer. “Think about all the stupid shit you’ve done in a bar.” I felt my face turn red and saw Jon blush. “Exactly. Guess who always sees that? The bartenders. We’re never drunk, remember everything, and we know way too much.”
“I want to be a bartender. This sounds so useful and sneaky. Part of me doesn’t want to know all the things you know. About us, professors…Who else you got dirt on?” Jon asked, already forgetting about his past mistakes.
“Hmm…Wilson’s an alcoholic. Matheson’s on probation, but I can’t figure out why. Oh, and Jackson, our biology teacher, loves vodka with olives.”
I laughed and held out a fist for a bump. “You’re too cool for words. Makes me want to call you champ or boss.”
“Um, I prefer neither. Oh, Maya just texted me the coast is clear. Thanks for letting me hang out here. Let me know about the pregame for Saturday.”
“Will do, champ.” I watched her close the door.
Jon stared at me with a knowing grin. “She’s awesome.”
Chapter 23
Can a Tiger Really Change His Stripes?-Jenna
“MAYA! What kind of list is this?” I demanded as I looked at the list of food I needed to get. It was unfortunately my turn to get groceries, and there was nothing but beer and vegetables.
“We need beer. And I’m trying to do this diet where I can only eat vegetables for a week. Then I’ll lose ten pounds.”
“How many times must I tell you? You don’t ever need to lose weight! You are perfect the way you are. I’m not buying baby carrots and celery. If we spl
it the cost of the grocery bill, then I’m buying food meant to be eaten!”
She pouted but accepted what I said. “I just…I don’t know. I thought things were going great with Steve, but I haven’t heard from him since we slept together.”
“Then stop sleeping with assholes,” I chided, instantly hating myself.
Her face fell. My crassness hurt her feelings. Damn it. “Maya, I’m sorry.”
“No, you’re right. I need to stop picking guys who don’t respect me. I need to be more like you. You have such high standards, and you have someone like Aiden falling at your feet.”
I smiled but shook my head. “You don’t want to be like me. I’m a mess inside. I can barely say I love you to my grandpa without getting itchy inside. I’ve never had a real relationship with a guy, besides a strong like. As far as Aiden, I see glimpses of a guy I could fall for, but then I get sharp reminders he’s a player.”
“Why? What happened?”
I shook my head. “Nothing really. I was just at the bar when one of the other waitresses showed me a picture some girl put online.”
She scoffed. “A picture doesn’t mean shit. It could’ve been taken months ago.”
I sighed. “I know, but it doesn’t change the fact that girls are always going to try and show me he’s still hooking up with them.”
“I’m not so sure. I’ve heard different rumors…ones where he hasn’t been seen at a party outside the house for a while.”
“Either way. Our friendship is what I need.” As if on cue, my phone went off.
Aiden: Sorry I’m just getting back to you. With my dad all yesterday. We’re coming over tonight.
Jenna: Who's we?
Aiden: Jon, Zeke, and Nate. Kam wanted to but is on DD duty.
Jenna: Poor guy.
Aiden: It’s his turn. We all have to. We’ll be there around seven?
Jenna: Cool. I’m about to get beer now. Any specifics?
Aiden: I need whiskey tonight.
Jenna: Dad piss you off?
Aiden: When doesn’t he?
“Aiden and some guys are coming over tonight for a pregame. You down?”
Maya widened her eyes and then smiled. “Hell titties, I’m down. Which of his friends is coming?”
“Jon, the lumber-sexy one. Hot. Then Nate, surfer hair, and Zeke.”
“All of his friends are hot, but yeah, they were cool last time. I’ll let Kennedy know when she gets back. She’ll be thrilled.”
My eyes automatically rolled.
“Don’t I know it? Now go get the beer.”
“And real fucking food!” I shouted, already excited about our plans.
* * * *
“Welcome to the casa de chicas, gentlemen. Beer is in the fridge. Aiden, I have a glass of whiskey ready for you on the counter. And I hope you’re ready to party.”
“Looking good, J-Money. Thanks for the invite,” Zeke said as he walked in the door.
“Anytime, Zeke.”
Aiden patted me on the head before going straight for the whiskey. I followed them in and saw Maya and Kennedy already hitting it off with Jon, Nate, and Zeke.
Aiden eyed me over the rim of his glass.
“Wanna talk about it?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Nope. I want to get drunk and forget.”
“Not going to help. Just tell your dad how you feel.”
“I wish I could. He’s just such a pompous ass.” He slammed his fist on the table and then looked apologetic. “Listen, I’ll tell you about it, but not right now. I need a distraction, okay?”
“Absolutely.”
I saw how tense he was. His head hung low, and he was in serious need of a pick-me-up.
“All right, Maya, do you have the old Jenga game?” I yelled through the apartment.
“Jenga? Oh! God, we haven’t played since high school.” She squealed.
“Well, bust it out and give everyone a couple blocks.”
“How does this game work? I mean, I’ve played Jenga, but I’m assuming there’s a twist here,” Nate said, eyeing Kennedy from the side.
“Right you are. You all have to write a dare on the wood. So when you take one out, you have to do the dare or take a shot,” I explained.
“We got into some crazy shit in high school doing this,” Kennedy admitted and then blushed.
“Care to share what kind of crazy shit, blondie?” Nate asked.
“Ah, maybe after a few more drinks.”
He winked at her, and she blushed even harder. “I’ll remember to ask you later.”
Maya came in with the blocks, and we all got five to create dares. Depending on the crowd you played with, things could get weird.
“We all ready?” I asked. Aiden smirked, and I panicked. His would be bad. “Okay. May the odds be ever in your favor.”
Maya went first. It said, Remove one article of clothing. “Really? I know it was one of you guys. Ugh. Fine. If you want to play it this way…” She did something I’d never seen her do. She ripped off her shirt and sat there in her bra, looking confident as hell.
“Damn. This got heated really fast,” Jon muttered under his breath, but I did notice a pink tint to his cheeks.
“Get it, girl,” Kennedy said before her turn. “Okay, mine says take three body shots off the person to your right.” She looked to her right and saw Nate smiling at her. “Oh dear. Okay. Shit.”
I burst out laughing because Kennedy wasn’t one to back out of a dare, but she was sure as hell shy around guys.
Nate lay on the table, and Aiden passed him the bottle. “Whiskey okay, Kennedy?”
“Yeah, I like whiskey.” Her eyes were glossier than normal, and I realized she was attracted to Nate.
I made eye contact with Maya, and we were both smiling. Good for her.
She poured one shot, and like the boss she was, she took it right off his stomach and the lemon from his mouth. She did two more without dripping a single drop.
“Impressive. Well done,” Aiden cheered, making her blush all over again.
Nate’s turn was uneventful. He was instructed to talk in a British accent the rest of the night. “Bloody hell, you sodders.”
Aiden laughed at his attempt, and I nudged him to go. “Okay, let’s see. Mine says…Oh God, really?” His face blanched.
“Yeah, you have to or you take a shot.” I tried to see what it said, but no luck.
“Oh, then I’ll just take a shot.”
“I think the rules are like eight shots, actually.” Jon chimed in, clearly curious what the piece said.
“Fucking hell. I have to give a strip tease to the person across from me.”
Zeke’s eyes widened, and I burst out laughing. “Oh God. This is the best game ever. Go ahead then, champ.”
He sighed and changed the song on the iPod to “Womanizer” by Brittney Spears. He began swaying side to side while Zeke closed his eyes, repeating, “No,” over and over. He ripped off his shirt to the beat of the song and swung it around Zeke’s neck, making the rest of us whoop and holler. He turned around and shot a death stare at me as he shook his ass in Zeke’s face. After a minute, he sat back down and put his shirt back on.
“Good enough?” he asked, unashamed and a little smug about his performance.
Zeke shouted, “Yes. More than enough. I need to drink to forget.”
“You should take lessons from me,” Aiden said to everyone.
“Fuck off, dude. My eyesight’s been violated.” Zeke cringed again.
It was my turn, and I grabbed a piece. I was nervous. Clearly, the game was rigged for embarrassment. “Jesus, we really amped the game tonight, eh?”
Aiden leaned over and read the piece, cussing under his breath.
“All right, Jon. I don’t have a choice, but I have to plant one on you.”
He nervously looked at me and then Aiden.
“Hey, I’m not that bad of a kisser.”
I leaned over and grabbed his face in my hands and planted a kiss on him, no tongue. It lasted a good ten seconds before we pulled away. “Right?”
“Not at all. You taste like whiskey.” He blushed and quickly grabbed one for his turn.
I could feel the frustration wafting off Aiden, but I chose to ignore it. I focused on Nate. It was his turn.
Nate barked out a laugh after snatching up his piece. “I have to beg someone to spank me.”
I chuckled because I wrote it.
Aiden leaned down and whispered, “Good one.”
“Okay, Jenna. Spank me, please.”
“What the hell? You weren’t supposed to choose me for this!” I demanded.
“Backfired, little bartender. Spank me. Spank me real hard. Get into it, baby. I like it rough.”
I put my hands over my ears but stood and walked over to him bent over. I took a breath and was proud of myself for following through on the dare. I smacked him on the ass twice, then went back to my seat.
“Kinky. I liked it, J-Money.”
“I’m sure you did, surfer boy,” I quipped.
He held out his fist for a bump, and I obliged. I had to admit they were a fun group of guys.
Aiden drew out his piece and sucked in a breath. “The person to your left must give you a hickey somewhere visible.”
I felt the temperature in the room spike about a thousand degrees, and both Maya and Kennedy smiled at the situation. It was dead silent. My heart was racing, but I turned to look at him, his gaze intense. I couldn’t tell if he was pissed, turned on, or happy.
“All right, party boy. Where do ya want it?” I tried to be playful to hide the erratic beat of my heart.
“Right here.” He pointed to his neck, right below his ear, and I blushed five times darker than a tomato.
“Jesus.” I swallowed audibly. I bent forward, putting my mouth on his neck, and he stiffened. I began sucking, and his taste overwhelmed me. He was kind of sweaty, so the flavor of salt was an amazing mixture. I bit down a little before releasing.
“Thank Christ I didn’t draw it,” Nate said, causing the tension in the room to float away. I was forever grateful because that moment surpassed intense.
The rest of the game went by without anything too crazy happening. After an hour more, the guys had to head out to a mixer with a sorority.
Let Life Happen Page 16