Emma and Andy duet “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” (yes, he continues meowing) and we’re all feeling good.
The game continues and gets increasingly more ridiculous. I’m laughing my ass off at Herrera, a junior forward, who has to announce the next round of tiles like an auctioneer.
I’m laughing, that is until he reads Paige’s. “Kiss a stranger, kiss a stranger... Going once, going twice, sold to the blonde next to Briggsy,” his voice trails off as he points to Paige.
I stop cracking up because she turns to me, reaches up and kisses me like she was born to do it. As cliché as it sounds, the rest of the room melts away. I know we’re surrounded by a bunch of drunk, horny college students, but as she threads her fingers into my hair, I really don’t care. Needing closer contact, which is a little tough since I’ve got almost a foot on her, I reach down and place both hands at the base of her spine. She leans into me, craving the contact, too, and I pay no attention to the wolf-whistle that pierces the air and is surely directed toward us.
I deepen our kiss and she moans with pleasure. Pulling back, I look her in the eyes. “You’re fucking perfect,” I tell her before tasting her lips again. She melts into me, and it’s taking all the restraint I can muster not to lift her up, wrap her legs around my waist, and—
“Briggsy!” Zac shouts in my ear, startling me and breaking the kiss, “It’s your turn.”
Asshole.
Bringing Paige along with me because we’re still cuffed together, I choose a tile and the tower tilts a little, but not enough. I should have just knocked the whole damn thing over. My tile readsTwins, which means anyone who resembles me needs to drink. No one else here is a 6’ 4” shirtless redhead, but I think the fact I’m human is good enough for this crowd, because everybody takes a drink.
Chase is still nowhere to be seen, and Zac’s looking a little green, so when Paige’s friend Lily wobbles the tower, I secretly hope it crashes. No such luck. Instead, she calls out, “Dicks!” and all the guys drink.
Stillman wanders over and takes a turn, and everyone is too drunk to care that he’s not actually playing with us. He pulls and readsTop Swap. Without blinking, he peels off his shirt, hands it to Lily and holds out his hand for her sweater. The teeny tiny cardigan is bursting at the seams as he puts it on, but Stillman just nods as though his work here is done, does a shot, and wanders off again.
Zacarelli’s up, and he’s so wasted I’m sure he’ll knock down the tower, but no, not even that drunk asshole makes it fall. He pulls out the tile like he’s stone-cold sober, even though he’s looking pretty rough.Ketchup, he reads. Emma practically giggles with glee, and since everybody’s had a few, I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who sees the train wreck this is going to be.
He downs three ketchup packets in quick succession and our little crowd goes wild. Even Paige is laughing. But there’s no way this isn’t ending badly. She and I are still handcuffed, so I start to move out of Zacarelli’s way, just as he starts to sway.
Unfortunately, that puts Paige right in his path and he pukes all over her.
“Holy shit!”
“Oh my God, get me out of here! I’m a sympathy puker!”
“That’s fucking nasty”
The collective cries are nearly drowned out by Zac’s pathetic moaning, and I call Vonne over to check on him. But my first priority is helping Paige. Holy Christ, it’s everywhere, and she looks shell-shocked, but who can blame her?
Grabbing her hand, I take two steps into the kitchen. I yank my arm free of the handcuffs, and fuck me, it hurts like a bitch. I’m pretty sure I nicked my wrist getting those tiny handcuffs off. But I can’t worry about that now. My priority is washing another person’s puke off the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met. Stepping toward the sink, I turn on the water to hose her off.
“AHHHHHHHH! Cold! Too cold!”
Uh, yeah. So...it seemed like a good idea at the time, but instead of saving the girl of my dreams, and winning her undying favor, I’ve just made things worse.
She’s soaking wet, crying, and standing in a puddle of vomit in my kitchen.
“Shit. I am so sorry. I should have let the water warm up. It’s just...I… shit. Please don’t cry.”
“Don’t cry? I’m standing in a puddle of someone else’s puke and I’m fucking freezing. I’ll cry if I fucking feel like it,” she sobs, and she’s right.
“Fuck. I’m sorry. Let me— I’ll be right back. Just stay there, ok?” I call to her as I run upstairs to grab some towels. What the fuck am I saying? Like she’s really going to leave my house right now. I’m an idiot.
2
Paige
“We need to leave,” Lily says, running into the kitchen with tears streaming down her face.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s Jordy. He’s here. And they—” Sobs drown out any words she was about to say about her ex-boyfriend. Her very recent ex. They broke up like, yesterday, and I’m guessing he’s dancing or flirting with somebody new.
“Ok, sweetie, let me just—”
