Double Threat My Bleep (22 page)

The taste of the melted chocolate mixed with the hot gooey marshmallow is to die for.

“Are you making out with your dessert, Meggie?” Josh asks me jokingly.

“Yes, I am. This is the perfect partner. The gift that keeps on giving and doesn’t talk back,” I tease, taking another bite of heaven.

“I’m gonna tell Alex you’re cheating on him,” Josh says back.

“Go for it,” I mutter through crumbs of cracker. He leans back in his chair and stares at me. “What?” I ask him.

“So what’s up with you hiding that smokin’ body from us?” Josh asks. Just like that. Ben spits out a mouthful of water. Travis’s eyes look like they’re about to pop out of his head.

And Keesh says, “What the fuck, Joshie?”

I’m speechless.

“What’d I do?” he asks. “I’m serious, Meg. You never wear a bathing suit in front of us, or you wear one of those competition suits with shorts on. You look great, I mean more than great, in that two-piece thing you had going on. You should wear it more often.”

My face is sizzling, and it’s not from the fire. “Thanks, I think.”

The drive home is not without comments about my bikini. Josh is going to have to die soon if he keeps talking about it. Ben actually tells him to give it rest or he’s going to leave him on the side of the freeway. I’ll have to remember to thank him later. I was hoping they’d notice I looked different, but I wasn’t expecting it to be a major event or anything. Hopefully Josh will forget all about my new look before Monday.

When I finally make it home, I toss my things on my bed and begin digging around for my cell phone. It died around lunchtime and I’ve been impatiently waiting to plug it in. The lights illuminate and I wait for it to turn on completely. No messages from Alex.

I’m showered, feeling refreshed, but ready to relax and talk to my boyfriend.

I grab my phone and start dialing. After a few seconds, I hear the voice of the most beautiful boy I know.

“Hey, babe,” he says.

“Hi.”

“Did you have a good time today?”

“Yeah, it was fun.” I fight the urge to tell him it would’ve been better with him there but he knows that already and I don’t want to make him feel bad.

“I hear you’re cheating on me and I need to kick Josh’s ass.” Wow, word travels fast.

I let out a quick laugh. “Oh gosh, you heard about me sexing up my chocolate and marshmallows, huh?”

“Yes, and I’m pretty jealous. If you’re gonna be sexing up anything, it should be me,” he teases.

“I’ll remember that the next time I see you.”

“Will you also remember to wear your bikini?” Omigod.

“For you babe, anything,” I say, smiling.

“Anything huh? Are you still wearing your bathing suit?” he asks. I can almost picture him raising his eyebrows up and down.

“No way. I already showered. I’m in my nice cozy soccer shorts.”

“Just shorts. Nothing on top?”

“Uh, yeah, Alex. I have a tank on. You’re funny. Have you been drinking?” I ask him. He’s not usually this suggestive. Not over the phone anyway.

“No, I’m not drinking. I just heard how you looked hot today. I’m not sure how to react to my best friend telling me my girl was sexy, but I’m gonna try not to beat his ass when I see him. Josh, though...I might have to punch him just once for not taking his eyes off you.”

“Ben told you all that,” I tell him, embarrassed he would even mention it to Alex.

“He told me I better get home before a ton of guys start hanging around you.”

“Too late for that. Half of my close friends are guys, and you know you have nothing to worry about.” I pause for a second. “Dang, it was just a bathing suit. If I woulda known it’d cause all this talk I woulda kept my hoodie on.”

“Babe, once you show skin to a bunch of guys, all sense is gone. A bikini on someone as beautiful as you is gonna have us all talking. For a long time.” Oh, I love this guy. He called me beautiful.

“Well, I guess you’re pretty lucky you landed yourself such a hot young thing,” I tease.

“Right,” he says.

“Well, I guess we’re gonna have to take a dip in the pool when you come home again.”

“The suspense is gonna kill me,” he says. I might just die too. Alex doesn’t have plans to come home for another week.

“You’re still coming home for your break right?” I ask.

“Hell yeah,” he cries. “Only one more week, and then we can hit the pool. Promise me something though?”

“Sure babe, what is it?”

“Finals aren’t too far off once break is over for us, so I’m only coming home for a few days. I’m gonna stay here to study. But when I come home, promise me I’ll get you all to myself one of the days. I wanna see everybody, but I really just want to spend time with you. Is that okay?”

“It’s more than okay. It’ll be just you, me…and my bikini.”

Chapter Twenty Nine

“Good
morning Mother,” I shout over the voice of Ryan Seacrest whispering sweet nothings to my mom. Okay, so he’s not really talking to her but by the look on her face you would think he was speaking directly to her through the radio. I always thought this crazy fascination with the overpaid host-gig king would lose its thrill. Nope. Mom still hangs on his every word like it’s the last one she’s going to hear.

She doesn’t respond, so I ask her, “So what’s on Seacrest’s mind today?”

“Oh, honey, good morning. He’s giving this woman some advice about her cheating husband. He’s so good, he has the answer to everything,” she says.

I take a string cheese and water out of the fridge. “Really? Since when did he become a woman, or married, or a cheating husband? How is he the expert? And what is he? Like thirty? Why don’t you listen to Dr. Laura or something like all the other women your age? Or how about Dr. Drew?”

“Bite your tongue, missy,” she barks at me. “You’re starting to sound like your dad.”

“So Dad still thinks you’re gonna cheat on him with the blondie, huh?”

“Your dad’s crazy.”

“Sounds like someone else I know.”

“Shouldn’t you be off to school now?”

“Yeah, I’m leaving right now. I’m gonna stay the night at Steph’s. We’re gonna go to a party and then kick it there.”

Mom raises a brow at me. “Is her mom okay with this?”

I smile at her. “Of course.”

“Isn’t Alex coming home tonight?” she asks, turning down the commercials on the radio.

“Yes he is,” I screech. There’s no hiding my excitement.

“And, is he going too?”

“Sure he is. Why wouldn’t he?”

“Well, doesn’t he feel a little awkward going to parties with a bunch of high school kids? He’s almost in his second year of college already. He’s starting to get a little too old for...” At the sound of Seacrest’s voice, Mom loses her thought and turns up the radio.

Thank you, Ryan Seacrest. I’m not about to have this conversation with my mom right now, just hours before Alex gets here. I grab my bag and I’m out without her even noticing.

“It’s party time,” Keesh hollers as we make our way around the corner. Tonight’s festivities are just up the street from Steph’s house so here we are, skipping along, quite literally.

By the time we reach the party, I’m already out of breath. I feel like I’ve been dancing for half the night already. Whose idea was it to skip like a bunch of six year olds? Oh yeah, it was mine. The excitement I’m feeling about seeing Alex makes me do some strange things.

“Dang, it’s packed already,” Steph cautions. “I wonder if there’ll be any room for all of us.”

“We’ll make room,” Keesh says.

“I feel kinda weird.” Steph is always worried about something.

But this time I agree with her, my Alex-high coming down. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

“Come on, chicas, it’s not like we’ve never been to a party without the guys.” Keesh rolls her eyes and plants her hands on her hips scolding us.

“Uh, not since last year. And I mean, the beginning of last year. We always go to parties with the boys,” Steph says.

“Well, we might not be showing up with them, but I’m not gonna be alone for long,” Keesh declares.

“Whoa,” I cry. “What happened to Jon?” Sure he’s a couple thousand miles away, but I didn’t really think it was over, over.

“We had a little chat last night and let’s just say we’re both free to see other people,” she explains.

“Whose idea was that?” Stephs asks.

“Does it matter?” Keesh turns her back on us, pushing her way into the party.

This should definitely be interesting. Keesh is on the prowl. The guys aren’t here yet to save her, and I know there isn’t anything Steph or I can say to her to make her change her mind. I feel sorry for the poor sap who falls for her insincere show of interest tonight. She’s just going to blow off the dude tomorrow.

It feels good to hit a party. We’ve been couch potatoes at my house lately. The music is pulsing through my veins, and it feels so natural that unconsciously my head starts to bob and my hips begin to sway. It’s time to dance.

“Let’s go bust a move, girls,” I shout to them over the music.

“Already,” Steph looks at me like I’ve just asked her to rob a bank.

“Yeah. Already,” I tell her.

Keesh stops a guy walking by with a tray full of shots.

“Wait, Jello shots first.” She snags three tiny plastic cups and hands one to each of us. “Slurp it baby.”

I use my tongue to loosen around the edges of the Jello, then suck the whole thing out in one big gulp.

“Dang, girl, you sure know how to suck.” Keesh kids with me. “You gotta show me how to do that.”

“Yeah, can you show me too?” Of course, Travis shows up right when she says that.

“You wish,” I yell at him, smacking him in the arm.

“Are you sure? You can use me to demonstrate.” He looks down, swiping his hand across the front of his jeans.

“Travis,” Steph scolds.

“All right, knock it off. Dance with us,” Keesh says, pulling Josh out to dance.

“Shall we?” Travis asks.

Steph and I look at each other and shrug. Why not. One minute we’re complaining about coming to the party alone, and the next the guys show up unexpectedly. So much for independence. Although, it feels good to have them here.

The five of us are dancing like it’s nobody’s business. One song passes, then another and another, before I lose track of time. Sweat trickles down my back, and I pull my hair into a loose pony to get my damp hair off my neck for a little air. Steph and I play around and shake it till we’re all the way down on the floor and then shimmy our way back up. It’s then that I feel hands wrap around me from behind.

I don’t need to turn around. I know exactly who it is. The clean scent of soap and fresh hair gel, and minty gum wafts into my nose sending tingles through my body. I put my hands on his, sinking into him as he squeezes me tight.

Ah, I sigh. My man is home.

Steph practically tackles Dominic at the sight of him, covering him with hugs and kisses. I allow myself to enjoy this quiet embrace for a few seconds longer before I turn myself around to see Alex’s dreamy eyes. It’s like they’re saying
I’m here, come get me
. If I could, I’d strip him down and kiss every part of his body from the longest strand of hair on his head all the way down to his pinky toe. God, I missed him so much.

“Hey, babe, good to see ya,” Alex says, eyes still gazing into mine.

Even with the blaring music in the background, it’s like static. It’s like no one else exists. All I can hear, feel, smell, is him.

My hands slide up the front of his chest and cup the back of his neck, and he lowers his head to kiss me. It’s like no time has passed, our mouths fit together perfectly. His soft full lips gently cover mine, and our tongues dance. The mint flavor of his mouth cools the heat that penetrates the rest of my body. This is my idea of a party.

“Let’s do another shot,” Keesh yells, interrupting my perfect reunion with Alex. She shoves a little gelatin cup in my face. I take it from her and wait for everyone to be ready. “I’d like to make a toast.” She pauses and takes a quick glance at all of us. We hold up our shots. “To friendship. To our crew. To Alex being home so now we’re
all
here tonight. Now, let’s party.”

Each of us slurps up the shot, without acknowledging her deliberate dig on Jon. I know what she’s doing, even if nobody else does. Maybe it’s her way of coping with him being gone. Maybe she feels like she can’t wait around for him to graduate, and maybe come out here for college. I guess it’s time for her to move on.

And moving on she is. But I just wish she wasn’t…with Josh.

Sure, they’re only dancing, but not like how friends dance together. Keesh’s ass is fitting snugly into Josh’s lap. His hands are on her hips, moving her from side to side, from front to back. He may as well bend her over and do her right here in front of everyone. They’re pretty much dry humping and they don’t care who’s watching.

“Relax, Meg, don’t trip. They’re just having fun,” Alex tells me.

“What are you talking about?” I try to play dumb.

“I know what you’re looking at. Maybe they’ll be good for each other. They’re both lonely with Jon gone.”

“Oh really. So should I hook up with Travis or something when I’m lonely? Who are you hooking up with?”

“Are you serious? That’s not even the same thing. We’re together. We have a relationship. Keesh and Josh are single.” He looks at me with that wrinkle between his eyes, showing me he’s irritated by my reaction.

“Well, whatever. They’re like a million other guys here. She doesn’t have to pick Jon’s best friend. And he shouldn’t be rubbing up on his best friend’s ex-girl,” I yell.

“Amen to that,” Steph says. I guess our little conversation hasn’t been just between us.

“You know we can here you,” Josh says, backing away from Keesh.

“Good,” I tell them, giving them a stink eye.

But that doesn’t seem to work. A few songs and a lot more shots later, not only are they still dancing, but now Keesh and Josh are kissing.