I looked into her eyes to confirm what I suspected. Her eyes were shining, glassy, and red. I smelled alcohol fumes on her breath. She was loaded.
“You’re having a good time?” I said, like an idiot.
“I’m Mona,” she said again, saying her name as if it were Moan-a. Very MTV. I wondered if she was sixteen yet. I didn’t wonder if she was a virgin. She was pretty out of it.
She giggled and put her arms around my neck. She leaned forward. “You’re so cute. I adore you.”
I turned my head to avoid sucking face with her, despite the screams of every inch of my body. I peeled her arms off my neck.
“Mona. You’re a goddess, trust me. Don’t think I don’t appreciate the attention. God. I do. But the thing is, I kind of came here to talk to someone. Can you let me by?”
Her mouth dropped open. Her eyes flashed. “You don’t know what you’re missing,” she slurred.
She stumbled a little. I reached out my free hand to steady her, and she collapsed into my arm, giggling and staring up at me, pulling me close to her face.
“I give the best BJs in Jefferson High,” she confided in a loud whisper. Her breath smelled like a dropped bottle of booze smashed on the kitchen floor.
“I’m sure you do,” I said, wishing for a moment I’d never laid eyes on Jane Parker.
“Do you want to find out?” she whispered.
Yes. There was movement in the nether regions. I’m a teenager. My hormones tend to rage.
“Whoa. Mona. I think you need to chill.” I shook her off my arm. I leaned down to remove her while I still had some control.
She giggled again, and as I opened my mouth to say something more, she kissed me. She slid her tongue into my mouth, and moved it around in a most seductive and promising way. God. It had been awhile.
I wanted to resist, I really did, but man, she was so sexy and willing and all the things I hadn’t experienced in so long. I wanted to just bury myself inside her. I put my hand on her sexy, firm waist and her scrumptious soft body pressed against mine. Good sense flew out. I gave in. I kissed her back, deeply, like I meant it. Because for that exquisite moment, I really, really did. I wanted her. An easy thing for the virginal Zack Chase. Jane didn’t even like me anyways. Mona, well, she did.
I pushed her against the wall and she jutted her hips against mine. She reached down and actually grabbed me, you know, there. I groaned. It felt so good. I needed this. I did. All the old frustration from Claire resurfaced. Claire who did it with some other guy the minute she found out about me moving away.
Jane. She meant work. A lot. Not Mona. Mona was a sure thing. I needed that. Badly.
“Let’s find a room,” she moaned into my ear.
I groaned again and kissed her deeper. I reached down, wanting to touch her everywhere, wanting to let her take me where I’d never been before. Away. And then she did it.
She hiccupped. Not a little demure lady-like sound, but a gross, wet, “oh my God I’m going to throw up” moment. Her hand clamped over her mouth with sheer force; I stepped back and straightened up.
She made a horrible retching sound again and her body kind of heaved. She panted with her hand over her mouth. She closed her eyes, swallowing and mumbling to herself.
As I watched her trying not to spew, my brain began unfuzzing from hormonal overload. I realized what the hell I’d just done.
My eyes immediately shot to the couch. There was no one there. Jane was gone.
CHAPTER FOUR
YOU REALLY ARE A HOCKEY PLAYER
I scanned the living room, but Jane had disappeared.
Great. Mona, meanwhile, seemed to find her mojo again. Her hand left her mouth and a gleam came back into her eyes. She giggled.
“Come on. Let’s go find a room.” Mona pulled on my arm, staggering a little as she tried to tug me towards the stairs. “Can you get me a drinkie first?”
I pushed her back gently, then dragged my hands through my hair. “God, Mona. You don’t need another drinkie. I’m an asshole and you’re completely wasted. You need to go home before someone takes advantage of you.”
Someone like me. Damn. What the hell was wrong with me? I looked around to see if there was a friend of hers nearby, but no one paid attention to her. Even Hailey had disappeared. Thank God. I prayed she hadn’t witnessed what I’d just done. I was an asshole.
I stepped away from Mona, ignoring her drunken fuss behind me, as she sputtered and stumbled around.
I walked out of the kitchen, sipping my drink for courage, and searching around the house for Jane. I wondered how much she’d seen, and how I was going to get her to forgive me. I didn’t spot her in the sea of bodies in the hallway or in the foyer. I squeezed by Hailey in the hallway, as she talked to one of the defensemen wearing a Ninja outfit. Her arms waved animatedly in front of her. I guessed she was giving him tips on how to improve his game. If he was sober enough to listen, she could probably help. The girl could talk serious hockey.
I spotted Josh in the dining room. He was wearing a tight pair of jeans that made my private parts wince. Thick gold chains wound around his neck like pet snakes and he chewed an unlit cigar.
I guessed he was supposed to be a pimp or a gigolo in that outfit. Candy danced around him in a tight wispy dress that reminded me of something a genie would wear. Her eyes were closed, her head back, her long blonde hair swaying across her back. She ran her fingers through her hair and along her sides, tracing her curves seductively while Josh howled like a werewolf. It looked like she was seconds away from an orgasm of self-love.
Josh turned his back to me and I smiled when I read his shirt. In large white letters it spelled out TEAM STALLION.
A shirt to make his mama proud.
I bolted two by two up the stairs and scanned the room below. Still no sign of Jane. I continued up the stairs, squeezing past bodies draped over the railings. By the time I reached the top, I decided it would be a good time to find a bathroom. I spotted a closed door down the surprisingly empty hallway.
I hurried towards it and reached out to jiggle the knob, hoping it was the bathroom. I heard angry voices on the other side of the door and stopped turning. Great, a couple having a fight. The usual teenage drama at drinking parties.
“Shit.” I said under my breath.
I stood in front of the door weighing my options, moving back and forth from one leg to the other and trying not to think about how badly I now needed to pee.
It was no use. I needed to pee. Badly.
I knocked on the door again. I heard a yelp, then some scuffling, followed by a deep voice: “Go screw yourself, we’re busy in here.”
I recognized Mac’s voice. With one of his groupies?
“Hey, man. It’s Zack. I really need to pee.” I banged on the door for emphasis.
“Zachary?” A small voice in the bathroom called my name. “Zachary. Let me out.”
“Jane?” I stared at the door, puzzled.
I heard low voices and then angry swearing. Mac.
“Get the hell out of here, man. This is none of your business.”
Definitely Mac. “Open the door.” My entire body tensed. My free hand formed into a tight fist. I bent and put my drink on the floor and stood, ready to break the door down with my bare hands.
“This is personal. Beat it.”
“Open the door, Mac. I mean it.” I pounded it with my fist for good measure.
“Chase. Beat it. This is none of your business.”
“Zachary, you jerk, open the door.” Jane sounded closer to hysterics.
I banged on the door with both of my fists. “Open the freaking door, Mac, or I’ll open it for you.” I shoved my shoulder against it with everything I had. It hurt, but it didn’t budge the door.
I was about to crash into it again when I heard another commotion--and then the door opened. Mac’s face was a mask of anger. His eyes were slits, his face even more sinister with the red he’d painted on to go with his red pants and shir
t. A devil costume.
Jane shrieked in anger as she ran out with her head lowered. She bolted down the hallway and down the stairs.
I stared at Mac. “What the hell were you doing to her?”
“It’s none of your business. Stay out of this. It doesn’t concern you. Say anything to anyone and I’ll kick your ass.” He stepped out of the bathroom.
“With whose foot?” I thrust my shoulders back so I appeared bigger. I had an inch or so on Mac, but he had about fifteen pounds on me.
I was mad enough to give him a good fight though. I wanted to find Jane and make sure she was okay, but I needed to deal with this asshole first.
He took a step towards me. We stared into each other’s eyes. I glared at his tiny slits and my breathing accelerated. My body was in attack mode. I reached my hand out and pushed his chest. Hard.
“You leave Jane alone,” I barked.
His eyes narrowed even more. “What’s it to you? You freak.”
I ignored him and he smiled. It was the coldest smile I’d ever seen. “Touch me and you’ll never play hockey in this town again.”
If I hadn’t been so pissed, I would have laughed.
“What the hell does this have to do with hockey, Mac?” I spit out his name like it was a dirty word. “Leave Jane alone, or I will make you very, very sorry.”
He pushed on my chest and my adrenaline raced.
“Who the hell do you think you are? Jane’s protector? And this has everything to do with hockey, trust me. You’re new around here. You don’t know anything. That chick doesn’t deserve to be protected or fought over. Just so you know, she was about to blow me. She’s a bitch who likes rough foreplay. It turns her on.”
I sucked in a breath. I glanced over my shoulder towards where Jane disappeared. I shook my head. Her voice, the way she scurried off. Definitely not foreplay.
Mac took advantage of the moment. He grabbed me and pulled me into a headlock. I struggled to get free but he held me down.
I heard male laughter behind us.
“Whatsamatter, Zack Attack? You trying to tackle the captain “C” off Mac?”
Josh. With my head upside down, I made out a liquor-enhanced, inverted smile.
Eddie and Cole, Mac’s best buddies, lined up behind him. Mac breathed into my ear. “Say a word about Jane to Parker, and you’re dead meat.” To the guys he called, “Why would he even try for captain, when I am so clearly the man?”
In my ear: “You’re a loser. A nothing. The only reason you’re on my team is because your dad was a big deal and the coach liked the idea of your name. Too bad your daddy liked whores and got so drunk with them that he killed himself.”
He threw me down to the ground. I stumbled and righted myself. Josh and the guys were watching with amusement.
“Testosterone is such an interesting chemical,” said a voice from behind them.
Hailey took up the width of the entire hall behind them in her hockey puck costume.
I ignored the audience, leaning forward so only Mac could clearly hear every word I said.
“My dad is none of your business, Mac. And for your information, if I wanted the precious captain “C” on my uniform, I’d have taken it. It was already offered to me. I said no as a favor—to you. So push me again and I’ll take it. Oh, and touch Jane again, and I’ll make you sorry you were ever born.”
I turned back to the guys and Hailey. “Mac was just explaining why his daddy likes to hold drinking parties for underage kids.”
The faces of my fellow hockey players shifted, except for Josh’s. He was too drunk to feel tension. He whooped it up, laughing and slapping at his leg. “Zack’s attacking Mac.”
“Josh. Go and find your sister. Right now.” I ordered. “She needs to go home.” I looked pointedly at Mac.
Josh’s smile faded and confusion clouded his features for a moment. He looked around the hallway as if searching for Jane. “Where’s the she-devil? Is she okay?” His voice wobbled.
Mac stepped closer to the boys. “Hey. Josh and I were talking the other day about how your mom likes to have sex with the ladies. Maybe that’s why your dad drank so much? Maybe that’s why he picked up women when he was on the road? Trying to deal with the fact he married a lesbian?” Mac’s voice was cold and low. The air in the hallway seemed to still.
My muscles froze rigid. I saw nothing except Mac’s sinister face. I wanted to punch it more than I’d ever wanted to hurt someone in my life.
“I’m going to be sick.” Hailey pushed past the guys, grabbed my arm and made some loud, rude choking noises. The guys, even Mac, all automatically moved back.
“Take your groupie slut and get the hell out of here,” Mac called.
“Groupie?” Hailey stopped pulling on my arm and turned. “You moron, that’s more insulting than slut.”
She dragged me down the hallway, grumbling and swearing under her breath. When we started down the stairs she hissed, “You do not want to get into a fight with Mac at his own party, Zack. Let’s get out of here.”
She practically pushed me down the stairs. In her costume, she took up the entire hall behind me, so I couldn’t even attempt to look back at Mac.
She chatted randomly to people we passed as she pushed me down the hallway through the party and towards the front door.
“Gotta go. See you all later. Nice costume, Tiffy. Great look for you, Sandy. You do French maid well. It’s especially fetching.“ She continued to mumble and make comments as she pushed me along.
I stopped before we reached the door and she crashed into me. I turned.
“We have to find Jane before we go,” I shouted over the music.
“Zack. Give it up. She’s never going to crush on you. She really hates hockey players.” She pushed at me, trying to get me out the door.
She didn’t know how much worse I’d made it. Making out with Mona in the hallway like a dog in heat. Man, I’d really messed up. Still, I wasn’t leaving without knowing she was okay.
“No. I’m serious. I’m not leaving without seeing her.”
I wasn’t going to tell Hailey about Mona or say anything about Mac and Jane in the bathroom. Far as I could tell, Jane deserved to hang on to her dignity. Me, well, I’d fend for myself.
Hailey rolled her eyes. “This party totally blows,” she yelled. She leaned forward on her tippy toes and spoke in my ear. “I saw Jane head outside. Go see if she’s still there. I have to pee. When I come back, we’ll go.”
She turned and waddled off in search of the bathroom on the main floor.
God, I needed to pee, too. Badly at this point. But I had to find Jane first, to make sure she was okay. My bladder threatened to explode, but I pushed my way out the front door. A vacuum of silence surrounded me when I stepped out into the night air and closed the door behind me. The cold fall air hit. I shivered and looked around. I spotted her.
“Jane?” I called softly. She stood at the end of the driveway, her back towards me.
She didn’t turn to look at me. I hesitated for a second, then started walking towards her. She didn’t move.
When I reached her I put my hand out to tap her shoulder, to let her know I was behind her. She pulled away.
“Go away.” She didn’t turn to look at me.
“Are you okay?” I didn’t move.
Her shoulders went up and then slowly down, as if she’d inhaled a big breath of air.
“What happened?” I asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it. Not with you, not with anyone.” She spun around to glare at me, her eyes flashing. “Don’t tell anyone what happened,” she ordered.
Surprised, I shook my head. “I won’t. I would never. But I mean, come on, Jane. It wasn’t your fault. You can talk to me.”
“Why? So you can broadcast the news to the guys in the locker room?”
I put my hands up in defense.
She checked out her feet and peered up again at me, her eyes unreadable. “Please don’t say an
ything, Zachary.”
I nodded, wishing I could find the words to make things right between us. “I’m on your side, just so you know. I’ll kick his ass if he ever touches you again. He even blinks at you, you tell me, okay, Jane? I mean it; you tell me if he even breathes in your direction.”
She didn’t say anything, but her features softened a little. “You’re a pirate,” she said.
Her eyes were red and she’d wiped away all of her usual make-up.
“You’re beautiful,” I said, without thinking.
Her eyebrows crinkled, her forehead furrowed. She took a small step back from me. “Tell that to Mona, Romeo.”
I shook my head, about to try to exonerate myself in some way and spout some romantic garbage to her when a voice bellowed out from the front door.
“Jane, Jane, you big fat pain,” sang out a drunken voice.
I turned. Josh was wobbling at the front door, his face blurry and unfocused.
“Jane, Jane, you’re ruining my fun again,” he continued happily into the night air.
A breeze rippled my arm hair as Jane rushed past me towards her brother.
“Josh! You’re being an asshole. Cut it out,” she called, as she hurried towards him. She didn’t sound mad, just resigned. “You’re drunk and I need to get out of here. We’re going. Are you taking Candy with you?”
“Candy, Candy, my sweet Candy,” he bellowed back into the house.
“I’ll go find her,” Jane said.
I started walking towards them as Jane hurried past Josh, disappearing into the house.
Josh punched me on the arm when I reached him. “Hey, man. Come with us. Party at my place. Parents aren’t home until late. Mona wants to hula you.”
At the door, Hailey poked her head out from behind Josh.
“Shelly,” Josh yelled happily to her face. “I think I love you.” He grabbed her by the cardboard, pulled her in and kissed her on the cheek.
“Parker. You’re drunk again,” Hailey said.
“And you’re jealous he’s all mine,” a smooth voice said from behind Hailey.
“Oh, Candy. You’re so sweet,” Josh sang in his off-key baritone voice. “Come to me, babe.”
PLAYING FOR KEEPS Page 4