by Tay Marley
“Sheesh. Fine.” He rolled his eyes but stepped back, giving me the space I’d ordered. I put the tap in my mouth, rested my hands on either side of the barrel and kicked off the ground.
“Yes, bitch!” Gabby shouted as I started swallowing beer. I paced myself, knowing that if I didn’t chug it too fast, I might be able to stay up longer. Eventually, the blood rushing to my head became an unbearable weight. It hurt, blurring my vision and making me feel ill, so I dropped one leg at a time and spit the hose out.
“Forty-seven seconds.” Maxon slapped me on the back, hollering with excitement along with Gabby and a few other watchers. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and did my best to stop the kitchen from spinning.
I’d just had a lot of beer.
“What a legend!” Gabby screamed, standing next to me with the phone in front of us. She was recording a Snap video. “Forty-seven seconds. How do you feel, babe?”
“Like I’m going to throw up.” I hiccupped. It was aggressive. “I need water.”
I headed for the fridge and found a bottle. I wasn’t sure how, but I finished the entire thing and then I felt worse. “I want bread,” I mumbled and began to go through the cabinets. I found a loaf of gluten free and decided that I’d rather chew on cardboard.
“Maxon!” someone, maybe Austin, shouted from the kitchen entrance. “Drayton’s birthday present is here.”
Maxon’s expression became alight with smarmy glee. He dashed across the kitchen, disappearing as he literally rubbed his hands together like a creep. I was curious to know what required such devious and excited behavior.
“Come on.” I tugged on Gabby’s wrist and we followed them, pushing through the crowd to get downstairs. It was harder than it had been earlier.
When I finally made it through, it wasn’t hard to find Drayton. He was in the center of the room, sitting on a chair while some bitch gave him a lap dance. Loud shouts of approval almost drowned out the sound of Little Mix coming from the ceiling speakers.
I watched, aggravated, hating every second that I saw another girl all over him. He was smiling an awkward smile and his hands were at his sides. Instead of watching the massive set of boobs that were bouncing around in front of him, he was scanning the room and I wondered if he was looking for me.
“Hey.” Josh tapped my shoulder. I hadn’t noticed him approaching, so I turned and attempted not to take my frustration out on him. “This wasn’t his idea. It’s something the guys do to each other at birthdays sometimes. He was hoping they wouldn’t do it to him this year.”
“Some warning would have been nice,” I mumbled before I turned to leave, ignoring the pitiful expression that Gabby threw me.
I was drunk. And history revealed that I wasn’t the most level-
headed when I was under the influence. The best thing that I could do was leave and calm down. I was proud for realizing that before I pulled someone’s fucking weave off . . . although it was tempting.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
I stumbled when I was intercepted. It took me a moment, but I realized that it was Melissa with her gorgeous skin and intimidating stare. Why did I feel like I was in trouble?
“I’m going upstairs.”
“Ain’t that your man?” She gestured her head behind me but I didn’t need to turn around to know who she was pointing at. “You know what I’d do if I were you? I’d go do her job for her.”
“What?”
“Girl, you can dance. You’re hot as hell and he’s damn near obsessed with you. Go and take her place. Give him a dance.”
“In front of all these people?” I slurred and stumbled forward. She couldn’t be suggesting what she just suggested. I couldn’t be considering it either.
“You cheer in front of people all the time.”
“This is a little different.”
“I wouldn’t put up with that shit. Show him how a real woman does it.”
I was considering it. She pointed an orange manicured finger at the stripper. “Full disclosure: that’s a real woman. She’s fine. I’m just giving you hype.”
“You give good hype.” The room swayed. I was sure it was the room. Not me.
“Go.” She gave me a little push.
I turned around, and the girl was wearing even less than before. Mustering up the few fucks that I actually gave and throwing them out the window, I adopted confidence and beelined toward them.
Drayton saw me over the girl’s shoulder. I ignored the guilt-
ridden grin on his gorgeous face, palmed Barbie’s shoulder, and pushed her off Drayton’s lap. She landed in a heap on the floor.
She shouted something about doing a job. Which was cool. She could earn that coin—there was no shortage of people in this room who’d accept her services—but before she could stand up and attempt to continue, I slung a leg across Drayton’s lap and straddled him.
“Cheer?” he murmured. I held his shoulders, kept a straight back, and rolled my hips. It was slow and sensual. “Dallas?”
“Happy Birthday,” I shouted, encouraging the crowd to join in. A symphony of slurred happy birthday songs began. There was a cloud of cigarette smoke in the air, bottles clinked, and people shouted. Whenever I closed my eyes, I lost all sense of surrounding and Drayton’s hands had to stop me from toppling over more than once.
I giggled and decided that I had better remain eyes wide open. I lifted my leg straight into the air and spun around so that my back was to him. Still grinding against his crotch, I slowly unzipped the front of my dress, earning enthusiastic encouragement in the form of clapping and cheering.
“Dallas.”
I stood up and bent over, hands on the carpet, ass in the air. I whipped my hair and slowly stood up with rolling hips. It felt good to be appreciated.
I circled the chair that Drayton was sitting on, dancing seductively as I strategically dropped the dress from my shoulders. When I’d come full circle and was in front of him again, I was in nothing but a thong and bra. The dress landed on the floor just as the stripper had earlier.
The crowd was loud.
“Take it off!”
There wasn’t a lot left to take off, but it didn’t matter because Drayton bolted up out of the chair. His hand wrapped around my biceps and he dragged me through the den, picking up my dress as we went. A collective sound of protest and disappointment followed our departure. I turned around and saw a lot of people watching. There hadn’t been that many there before. I swear.
Drayton acted as a bodyguard, shielding me as he pushed through the crowd. Shoulders bumped mine. Feet were stood on. Sweat joined the stench of cigarettes and alcohol.
“What the fuck are you doing?!” He pushed me into his room and slammed the door. “What was that?”
“It was a lap dance,” I mumbled. He tossed the dress at me but it fell to the floor before my arms registered that they needed to catch the object flying at my face, and that was when I started to feel a rage of my own. “Oh, so that artificial bitch that they got from the back pages can dance on you, but not me?”
“Do you think that’s what this is about?!” he yelled, walking toward me with rigid movements and a thunderous glare. “Do you think that I’d rather have her than you?! That’s not the fucking problem!”
“What is the problem, asshole!?” I shoved his chest but he barely moved. This was not a conversation that we should have been having right then. Both of us were far too drunk to be arguing. It wouldn’t end well. “Ya know what, fuck you.”
He bit his lip with frustration. “That would be more preferable,” he muttered under his breath. He exhaled and locked me in a piercing stare. “Look, the problem is that I don’t want those perverted assholes staring at my girlfriend while she dances around in her fucking underwear.” He clenched his jaw and pointed at the door behind him. “I know how their si
ck heads work.”
“Your—your girlfriend?” I stammered.
His gaze narrowed as he stared down at me. “That’s what you got from that?”
“Yeah.”
He sighed, and ran his hands down his face. We stood in front of each other and I knew that I was wobbling. Life would be so much easier if I just didn’t feel how I felt. He let his fingertips travel the length of my arm. His hooded lids fluttered as he looked me over. I was still half naked.
I don’t even know what’s happening.
“I didn’t mean to be an asshole. I’m not going to tell you what to do. But I’ve heard how they talk, Dallas. Fucking Austin and Derek. Even Maxon. They are filth. I can’t stand the thought of them seeing and thinking and being just fucking—gross.”
He’d just called me his girlfriend and I knew that it seemed like a bad time to get hung up on such a minor detail, but I was feeling some sort of way and I couldn’t stop it.
I swallowed. “You’re not that drunk, are you?”
“No. Not that drunk.”
“Why? Wasn’t that the point in tonight?”
“It used to be,” he said as his hand came to rest on my hip. I shivered when his thumb circled. Somehow, we’d backed up and I felt the wall, cold, behind me. “I found a more effective source of comfort. She’s a damn good dancer.”
His lips brushed mine. Warm as usual. There was alcohol on his breath but no cigarettes. What he told me was true. I’d become a vice. Not one that gave him a buzz or helped him to forget. But one that he could trust, talk to, and relax around.
He kissed me. It didn’t start out slow. It was hot and desperate, and I was burning with need. His hands lifted mine and pinned them against the wall above my head. Desire budded, pulsated, and began to consume me. His mouth was fast and wet, tasting and taking. But he was so giving.
He gripped either thigh and hoisted me into the air. My lace thong didn’t protest when his fingers slipped past the thin fabric. My legs became tight around his waist as his mouth dragged down my jaw, throat, and chest.
“You shout at me like that again,” I gasped, feeling his fingers. “I’ll slap you back to birth.”
He chuckled and nodded, the top of his head tickled my neck. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled between our kisses.
We collapsed into a heap on the top of his bed. Who knew if we’d make it downstairs again? It wasn’t even a concern at this point—not when he discarded his clothing and removed what was left of mine.
The morning brought a headache. It brought cotton mouth and most notably, embarrassment. I should never have done that keg stand. It had all gone downhill from there.
Melissa. She’d convinced me that doing a striptease in front of the entire grade and more would be a good idea. Melissa and I would be having words on Monday.
Drayton and I brushed our teeth and got back into bed. Morning breath was never pleasant, but after a night of alcohol, it was even worse. We snuggled naked under the throw, swimming in soft sheets. We were on our sides, Drayton’s arm draped across my middle, his fingertips creating tantalizing circles on my waist.
We’d been discussing the events of last night’s party and there had been a significant amount of cringing going on, mostly from me. We’d both apologized for our part in the drama that had unfolded, but when we came to the fact that we’d ditched his own celebration to argue and have make-up sex, he frowned.
“I’m sorry for the way that I made you mine.” His biceps flexed as he ran his hand up and down my back.
“It doesn’t matter.” I leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss. Without missing a beat, he grabbed my waist, rolled backward, and lifted me so that I was straddling his firm torso.
“It does matter,” he mumbled, his fingers gently massaging my hips. “I should have asked you properly.”
“What’s properly?”
“Well,” he sat up and leaned against his headboard. “I should have said ‘Dallas, I think you’re gorgeous, you’re funny’”—he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my neck—“‘you’re beautiful’”—another one—“‘you’re strong and smart’”—another kiss—“‘and you make me happier than I’ve been in a long time. Please be my girl?’”
“And I would have said ‘Sure, babe.’”
Suddenly, the door swung open and hit the wall with a dull thud. Drayton pulled the sheet up behind me, creating a protective curtain. I looked over my shoulder to find Gabby and Josh at the threshold, throwing dollar bills into the air.
“Ayyyy-oooo!” they sang, shimmying into the room while they continued to make it rain. If I hadn’t been naked, I would have dived out of bed and stolen the cash.
“What the hell are you two doing?” Drayton asked as I repositioned myself beside him.
“Dallas left too fast last night,” Gabby laughed, throwing a handful of paper over the bed. “She didn’t get to collect her tips.”
“I wasn’t actually there.” Josh shrugged, his hands resting on his hips. “Gabby made me leave when you started unzipping your dress. I’m just here for the aftermath. The regret must be killer.”
“I’m blessed with great friends,” I said sarcastically.
“You are,” Gabby sighed with satisfaction as she dropped onto the bed, earning a curt glance from Drayton.
“Well.” Josh began to back out of the room just as I noticed that he was wearing satin boxer shorts and a matching T-shirt. It was a Star Wars pj set. “I’m going to eat leftover pizza for breakfast.”
“I’m coming.” Gabby jumped to her feet. Just watching the movement gave me second-hand nausea. “By the way, Dallas, your dance last night was hot! It wasn’t what you’d expect from someone who was so drunk. But you actually looked great. If all else in your life fails, I think you’d be a very successful showgirl.”
“She’s not wrong,” Drayton agreed once she was gone. “You definitely gave the stripper a run for her money.”
“Did she get paid? I feel sort of bad.”
“She would have been paid when she arrived. Don’t stress.”
I nodded and sank farther down. The sheets smelled like lavender and pine, but after last night, they were going to need to be washed.
“What are we doing today?” He pulled me into a spoon. His elbow kept him propped up so that he could feather kisses along the side of my throat.
“Hmmm.” I contemplated our options for a moment. “What about a ride?”
“Sounds perfect,” I felt his smile against my skin. “Then later, we can take the motorcycle out.”
Monday was interesting. Until someone at school could top the striptease that I’d performed at Drayton’s party, I was going to be the subject of teasing jeers and suggestive comments. It was a good thing that I had thick skin and the childish drama rolled right over me. At lunchtime, Drayton and I stood in the gymnasium before practice. The cheer squad had to get a routine together for the charity game next month, but knowing Emily, she’d recycle one that the entire team could do in their sleep. Whatever she could do to lighten her workload—that was why I was patiently waiting for her to show up, so that I could ask her the favor that I’d mentioned at Drayton’s.
He stood behind me with his chin on my head and his arms wrapped around my middle. I was a small girl, below average height, and when he held me, I felt like he could wrap right around me and I would disappear. It was such a safe feeling. I loved how well we fit.
“What up, Cheer,” Derek sauntered past us with his fingers wrapped around a football. “What’s the going rate? You makin’ good coin?”
As if I hadn’t heard that one this morning. I rolled my eyes but felt Drayton straighten up behind me. I held on to his arms and squeezed. It was futile. If he wanted to get past me, it wouldn’t be hard.
“What’s your going rate, Derek?” Drayton’s chest rumbled as he spoke behind me. “Enoug
h to fix that face when I rearrange it?”
Derek scoffed and tossed the ball into his other hand. “Relax.”
He wandered over to join Austin, Maxon, and Mitchum, who were warming up. Austin might have been the only person who hadn’t said a word to me about the dance. I had a feeling that he’d learned his lesson.
I turned around and looked up at my man, who was scowling in the direction of his friends. It wasn’t as if I didn’t love how protective he was—I did—but even he had his limits. There was only so much trouble that his parents could keep him out of.
“It doesn’t bother me,” I reminded him, fingers clasping at the back of his neck. His taut shoulders were tense. “At all.”
He pushed a piece of hair behind my ear and his gaze moved over each inch of my face. Seeing me. Hearing me. He was so present. “I know. But I’m not letting anyone talk to my girl like that.”
My stomach turned over itself and then flew into my throat.
“Drayton.” We both looked over at the other side of the room, where Lincoln was gathering the football team. He shot us a warning look—likely because I had been about to mount my boyfriend—and gestured that Drayton join them.
That was when I saw Emily slipping in from the foyer where the office was located. I sighed and went on my tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Got a little scruff there.” I ran a hand across his jaw before I backed up. He had the faintest shadow of stubble.
He grinned. “You like it?”
“Love it.” I winked and spun around so that I could join the squad. I beelined straight for our captain.
She folded her arms and began the conversation. “I heard that you and Drayton had sex in front of the entire party after I left. Gross.”
“It was a striptease,” I sighed. “We did not hav—forget it. How are you?”
“What’s it to you?”
“I’m being nice.”
“Gross. Don’t. Get on with this favor request and don’t hold your breath.”
“Fine.” I couldn’t keep up with her moods. “I was wondering, hoping, actually, that I might be able to captain the team for the charity game. I have a routine. I have ideas. It would be a little different. More dance, but still cheer. I would really love to give it a go.”