For Love or Money (18 page)

When
the alarm goes off I almost forget where I am. I swat at the wrong side of the
bed, desperate to stop the noise. In my squinted and hazy vision, I see my cell
flashing and reach for it, dialing the number in redial after I turn off the
alarm.

“Dr.
Brine’s office. How can I direct your call?”

I
clear my throat but I still sound groggy. “Hi. It’s Lana Webber. I got a phone
call yesterday—“

“Just
a minute!” She interrupts me and puts me on hold.

Dr.
Brine answers a second later. “Lana, how are you?”

Like
I want small talk. “Fine, how are you?”

He
chuckles. “Great. You and the young man are both clear. So I will schedule you
in for six months?”

I
nod, thankful yet again. I close my eyes. “That would be great.”

“Have
a great day.”

I
hang up and sigh, sending James a text saying we need to talk. My eyes are shut
again as I hit send and fall back into a deep sleep.

Pussy
Cat Dolls

James

We
land in Chicago with a two-hour delay, thank the gods. Brandon is still drunk
and stinking to high heaven and Simon looks like he was raped. His clothes are
tattered, but it’s the shell-shocked look on his face. Leo nudges me. “You
think she hurt him?”

I
shake my head. “Eva is known for being very gentle.”

Leo
looks worried and whispers, “We need to get them changed and showered and shit.
This is bad. Lana said get them laid, not give them PTSD.”

Brandon
slumps into a chair and is snoring in seconds.

Simon
sits tenderly.

“Oh
shit. She played with his ass. Look how he’s sitting.”

I
start laughing. “You sure he was with Eva?”

Leo
shakes his head again. “I’m sure of nothing. I was drunk as shit.”

“You
might need to back off that. Lana’s dad is a little intense. He doesn’t think
drinking and working mix.”

Leo
nods. “I know. He’s like my dad.”

“But
more open-minded?” I ask as I pull my phone out.

“Considerably
more open-minded.”

I
nod, seeing Lana has left me a cryptic message. I hate those kind of
cliffhanger messages. Scowling and annoyed, I dial her number. I don’t want to
do the whole ‘we need to talk’ by text.

“Hello?”
She sounds groggy.

“Hi.”

“Hey!”
I can hear a smile in her voice and it makes me smile.

“You
texted me some kind of coded message?”

She
moans and I can tell she’s stretching. “Yeah. I talked to the doctor today.”

“And?”
My heart is in my throat.

“I’m
clear but—“

“What?”
I’m panicking until she giggles, making me growl. “Not even funny.”

“We’re
both clear. So if you kept it in your pants last night with the strippers and
whores, we should be good to just have regular sex.” She pauses. “I mean, if we
have sex.”

My
lips curl up into a grim smile. “Oh, we are having sex. Lots and lots of sex. At
the end of summer, of course. When we’re not partners in crime anymore.”

She
moans. “This is complicated.”

“I
know how to uncomplicate it. You like me and I like you and we make beautiful
music together. That’s what matters. Everything else is just the nonsense you
get hung up on.” She is such a stressful person.

She
yawns. “You tired?” Changing the subject . . . 

I
nod and sit back down next to Leo. “Beat. I can’t wait to be at the hotel and
just sleep forever.”

She
yawns again, killing me. “Did you manage to solve our little virginal
problems?”

I
glance at the two wrecked guys, sitting across from me, and nod. “You could say
that.”

“What
did you do?” Her tone becomes urgent.

I
pause and look at Leo. “Lana wants to talk to you.”

“JAMES!”
She shouts into the phone but Leo takes it, sounding soothing when he speaks,
walking away from me.

I
watch as he paces next to the men’s washroom, shaking his head and snarking
back at her.

If
anyone is going to wrestle with her over the fact we might have damaged the guys,
it’s going to be the guy in charge and not me.

Nick
comes strolling over with a bag of pastries. He hands me a bear claw. “The
coffee is just getting put on fresh. She said come back in ten minutes. They
didn’t have espresso. I guess some flights got mad delayed with a spring storm
and they are waiting on more beans.”

 
“I hope we don’t get delayed. I’m going
to pass out any second.” This is not great news.

He
yawns and shudders. “I still have whiskey burps.”

I
look down at the erection in his pants and groan, “That’s not all the whiskey
side effects you have going on.”

His
eyes join mine, staring at his dick. “Shit. I thought it went down finally. I
banged that girl for two hours and finally said fuck it and went to sleep.”

“You
might want to try sticking to beer next time.”

“Dude,
you okay?” Nick ignores my comment and gives Simon a weird look.

Simon
shakes his head, adjusting his sitting position again.

Nick
cocks an eyebrow and looks at me. I shudder and look for Leo. This is a
conversation for a man more comfortable with anal play than I am. Leo brings me
my phone and takes my bear claw, eating it. “She is so stressful. Everything
has to be perfect or she’s going to commit murder.”

I
sigh and nod at Simon. “Let me handle her. You need to have a
conversation—”

Nick
interrupts, “Away from the rest of us.”

“Come
on.” Leo rolls his eyes and walks to Simon.

Simon’s
face flushes and he’s obviously confused, but he doesn’t fight Leo.

They
enter the men’s washroom with Nick and me following them with our gazes. “You
think he got butt fucked?”

“No.
Eva is missing some of the key ingredients for that.”

He
gives me a look like I’m an idiot. “Strap on?”

“I
really hope not.” The thought makes me wallow hard.

“Imagine
losing your v-card to a bossy hooker who makes you take anal?”

I
shake my head. “He’s never going to forgive us.”

Leo
comes back first, looking like he’s annoyed as he slumps into the chair across
from me.

“Well?”
Nick asks.

Leo
shakes his head. “I don’t kiss and tell.” We both make a face, earning a dirty
look from him. “You know what I mean? If he wants to talk about it, he will.
You nosey bastards need to leave him alone. Him and his bum.”

Finally
Simon comes out of the bathroom looking a little more relaxed. He sits,
cautiously, and when it obviously doesn’t hurt, he sighs, looking relieved.

“I
have to know what the hell that was?” Nick asks loudly.

Simon’s
face is red instantly. “We had a bath and she put the wrong oils in and burned
us both. It’s being chafing against my jeans. Leo gave me an ointment that
takes away feeling.”

I
wince at the word ointment and fight a chuckle, but Nick lets his go. He’s
almost crying, “Shit, man, I thought she hurt your ass with a dildo.”

Simon
doesn’t laugh or smile, just gives Nick a deadpan stare. “Really?”

“It’s
not so bad. When they stick their fingers up there it’s called milking the
prostate.” Nick shrugs but I grimace, grateful Simon didn’t get tortured in
there, at least not enough that he didn’t enjoy himself.

Nick
looks at Leo. “You carry ass ointment in your carry-on?”

“No.
I have a soothing balm that’s for burns in my pocket. I got one on my arm.
Pervert.” Leo rolls his eyes and lays his head back on the seat.

Simon
still looks mortified.

When
we finally land in LA, I am nearly in a coma. I need some sleep. A car picks us
up, taking us directly to the Hilton in West Beverly Hills. We stumble into our
rooms and I pass out on my bed, face down and fully dressed.

When
I wake I’m having a dream about someone banging a board with a hammer, and I’m
in a hallway but I can’t find them.

I
open my eyes to see the room is completely dark and the banging is on my door.

“James,
open up!”

I
blink and lick the drool off my lip, pushing myself to standing. I stagger to
the door. Lana is holding a huge bag of clothes. “Seriously, take your time.
It’s cool. I got this.”

She’s
got attitude, that’s what she’s got.

I
take the bundles of clothes and bags and drop them on the other bed. “What are
you doing here?”

She
stops, giving me a look like that was the wrong thing to say, but I’m exhausted
and a little nauseated.

I
wrap an arm around her waist and pull her into the bed, curling myself around
her. “I need sleep.”

She
spins around, facing me and kissing my nose. “You had sleep. You’ve been
sleeping all day. Come and meet everyone else. I heard that my ex, Bryce, is
here. So I just wanted to make sure you were prepared to be called my latest
boy toy—“ I put my hand over her lips. “Sleepy.”

She
makes a sound like she’s annoyed but I’m dying.

I
must have passed out again, because when I wake it’s five thirty in the morning
and I’m wide awake and alone. The sun is rising and filtering in between the
curtains.

I
send her a text, certain she’ll be sleeping but she responds instantly with a
meme of Mark Walberg and Ted (the bear in the movie Ted) giving the camera the
middle finger.

I
sigh and roll over, looking at the massive bundles of clothing she brought in.

Simon
texts me a moment later asking if I want to go for breakfast at six.

Everyone
is awake with jet lag. The time difference is annoying as hell.

I
shower, dress, and am in the hallway walking next to Nick by six. He rubs his
eyes and moans. “This time difference is shit.”

I
moan in agreement.

In
the elevator he smiles. “Lana came to my room last night.”

I
turn and stare him in the eyes, attempting a badass Chuck Norris stare down
that wills him to tell me why.

He
rolls his eyes. “She just wanted to give me my wardrobe selections. She and Leo
have been busy.”

“Wardrobe?”
                                   

He
nods. “Apparently, we don’t get to wear our own clothing.”

“Great.”

Simon
and Brandon are in the restaurant at a table when we get down there. I am the
only country bumpkin. Everyone else has dressed for breakfast. Even Brandon
looks better. I’m the only one getting the evil eye for my jeans and tee shirt.

“How’s
the head, Bran?” Nick jokes.

“Still
taking pain killers but the prognosis is good.” The way he answers is
weird–mechanical almost. Brandon doesn’t seem less virginal, at all. I
cock an eyebrow at him and Simon. “You did have sex with the hookers, right?”

Brandon
nods and shrugs. “Yeah, what did you think we were doing—playing chess?
But I prefer to call them experts in the trade of ejaculation.”

Oh
God. “Were you virgins when you got to the brothel?”

Simon
shakes his head eagerly, smiling for no damned reason. He’s just fucking happy
at 6:00 in the morning.

Brandon
seems more confused by the question and shakes slowly, looking leery.

“You’re
like this WITH pussy in your system?” Nick grimaces.

Brandon
gives Simon a look. They shrug simultaneously as Simon asks calmly, “Like
what?”

“Like
this? Pussy makes you cool and calm and addicted to getting more of it.”

Simon
wrinkles his nose. “This is sort of vulgar for breakfast table talk, don’t you
think?”

Nick
sighs. “You need to be more badass band member and less schoolgirl crush. We
aren’t going to appeal to the ladies if you two are acting like a couple of
nerds.”

“But
we are nerds.” Brandon scowls.

I
point. “That face is perfect. Can you do that the whole show?”

“You
want me to play more angrily?”

“Yeah.”
Nick nods.

Brandon
genuinely look offended. “NO!”

It
makes me smile. True nerds don’t change for anyone. My sister is a true nerd,
through and through. She wouldn’t change if you paid her. “Fine, but can you at
least not be so polite? Be indifferent.”

“Indifferent
works.” Nick nods.

Simon
looks confused. “But, I’m not indifferent. I’m stoked.”

“Next
time I’m paying for her to give him anal play.” Nick rubs his temples.

I
laugh and Simon sneers.

The
server brings us the single piece of paper with five items for breakfast. None
of which sound appealing. I hate eating at places like this. I like IHOP.

Simon
orders, annoying me with his girlie order. Brandon’s is worse, but the real
surprise wanker is Nick. His meal sounds like it belongs to Lana.

Egg
whites only?

I
give the server the most charming look I have and lay the country on thick.
“Honey, is it possible to get some pancakes, bacon, eggs, and sausage?”

She
looks deep into my eyes, nodding. I don’t know if she even heard me. She leaves
and Brandon scowls at me. “You’ll have a heart attack eating that.”

I
shrug. “I’d rather die happy than eat like a rabbit. I don’t eat like this
every day. And I work out pretty hard.”

Nick
nods. “Soccer is all about endurance and everyone here knows this guy has
tons.” He slaps my back.