Ink (31 page)

I gave a nod of agreement. “She have anything extra colorful to say?”

Karsen nodded her head swiftly. “That you attempted to behead a girl in biology and were kicked out of school. When were you planning on telling me this?”

Karsen followed me down the hallway to my bedroom. She chucked her bag on my bed, unzipping it.

“
We haven’t talked that much. I was getting worried we were growing apart.” I stared off, feeling a little emotional at the thought. Just having her in my presence for ten minutes made my heart ache at the thought of losing her as my friend.

“
Oh, shut it. I told you I missed you. I even debated jumping off the roof remember?” She grinned. “Nothing is the same and I am making do with what I have left. Did you know that Carter and Liza finally did it and her parent’s caught her?”

I laughed loudly at the thought of Liza’s mom stumbling in on her perfect angel.

“
Carter had her bent over her old toy chest. No one in school has stopped talking about it since.” Karsen fell back on my bed, laughing so hard she went silent. I had to admit it was a little funny. A tad mortifying, but a little funny.

Karsen rose up from the bed like a delicate flower. She turned her head sideways, smiling sweetly. “Where did you do it?”

I swallowed. “In the ocean.”

“
That’s amazing. I tried to get Petey to do it in the hot tub at his dad’s house but he said he thought his dad had sex in there and could imagine his dad’s jizz swarming the tub. I don’t know. But you really hit it big from the sound of it. The ocean has got to be the most romantic thing ever.” Karsen finally went silent.

“
It was pretty great.” I nodded.

“
So are you guy’s official?”

I shrugged. “Not sure.”

Karsen shook her head, confused. “He bones ya and you’re not sure if its official? Well, there it is. He is a douche.”

“
He’s not a douche. It’s not something we talked about.” I watched her rifle through her bag.

“
You let him insert his pole, but the idea of talking about being more than his sex slave was a conversation off limits to the two of you?”

I scoffed. “I really think you go overboard sometimes. Sex slave?”

“
Well, boys with piercings can be a little naughty sometimes. I mean, I wouldn’t know. I only have Petey and John to compare to. A band geek and a baseball dork.” She undid her top, swapping it for a light purple camisole.

“
John?” I asked. “John who?”

Karsen stared at herself in my mirror. “John Redcorn.”

“
Radcom,” I corrected. He was in college for many years. The slick, convertible driving, pottymouh, Radcom. They had a song about him.

Radcom Radcom he’s our man, if he can’t hit that no one can
.

“
Yeah, that would be the one.”

“
Why on earth would you do that?” I asked, a little nauseated. I imagined Karsen’s lovely body draped across a bear skin rug while Radcom exited from somewhere in his house with two frozen drinks, wearing nothing but a leopard banana hammock and a disgusting grin plastered to his face.

And as he pounded away at my best friend, I imagined him throwing on his shades and combing his hair back on his head. And every so often mid-thrust, he would shoot his buddies a text on his Sidekick as Karsen pretended to go wild for his manhood.

I quickly shook the thoughts away, coming back to reality.

“
I don’t know, I was bored. Like I said. You minus me equals severe emotional issues. I sleep with people I shouldn’t. I sit and watch football with my father. It’s awful, I tell ya.” Karsen dragged my brush through her hair.

“
You’re terrible.”

“
Yeah, but it wasn’t terrible. He gave me my first, second and third orgasm.” She touched her knees together and clutched her chest for dramatic effect, laughing. “Did you have an orgasm?”

I turned away from her, cracking up. “Yessiree bob.”

Karsen gave a loud cheer. “Now that’s what I’m talking about. A boy who knows how to get into my best friends pants and get her off.”

I shook my head. “We never talked about all of this before. Who knew all it took was me to sleep with one person to unleash this perverted beast out of you, Karsen.”

“
I wouldn’t want to share these things with virgin Hope. Virgin Hope would have been scared. This way, I knew one day you still would try at least. Walking into the world of sex stupidly is the best way to go the first time.” She plopped down on my bed. “But not too stupid, you don’t want to get pregnant or contract
some nasty disease. I hear in some countries they will lock you up for catching the clap.”

I shook my head again. “That’s not true. And if it is, I never heard about it.”

“
What, the clap?” She clapped her hands next to her right ear.

“
No, about locking people up in other countries.”

“
So, are you worried because you weren’t safe?” She eyed me. “Are you worried he gave you the clap?” She clapped her hand again, laughing.

“
No, I’m not.” I cursed myself. I wasn’t sure if Slade had used anything. It was something we would have to talk about when I saw him again. I didn’t need the clap or any other diseases.

Karsen grabbed my arm, bringing me back to reality yet again. “So call him. Call him and tell him Greatness is here and that he better be ready. Tell him to come.” She shoved the phone at me.

I grinned, grabbing the phone.

T
hese tacos are amazing,” Karsen gushed, working the next one out of the wax paper.

We were sitting at the taco shack waiting on Slade to show up. He had agreed to come meet us. Maybe it had something to do with Karsen shouting loudly in the background he had to, I wasn’t sure. But I knew I was a bit nervous and not hungry. But Karsen, she was hungry. And the way she was eating the tacos attracted just about every guy on the boardwalk.

She smacked her lips together, chewing quickly, her eyes rolling back in her head, her head falling back in ecstasy…from tacos. I squirmed in my seat, feeling a bit uncomfortable with her dramatics.

“
What has got into you?” I asked, swatting her hand.

“
Mexicans have got into me.” She shoved a finger in her mouth, sucking off the dripping grease. If it wasn’t for how beautiful she was this would have been looked at as disgusting. But judging by the guys dropped jaws at the table next to us, it was hot.

I watched her finish up the last of her taco, the bits of cheese dropping on the paper, which she hurriedly picked up with her fingers, popping them in her mouth. She swatted her hands together and then went for a wet nap.

“
Okay. So now that I am full, where is he?” She blotted the corners of her mouth.

“
He said he was finishing up practice,” I told her, staring through the groups of people trying to find Slade in the crowd.

Karsen rubbed her shoulder, twisting her head back in forth. “Man, I could use a really good massage. Isn’t California known for pampering spoiled rich people?”

I shrugged, pulling my sunglasses down to block out the emerging sun. The storm was long gone, thankfully, and all that remained was damp pavement and puddles as far as the eye could see.

“
I’ll be back,” Karsen said, popping up with her tray. She sashayed past the group of older guys. Their eyes following her backside as she carefully stepped, her movement so elegant, so trained. She was a natural dancer. Something I had been at one time, as well. This only reminded me of it.

Karsen bent down, picking up her dropped napkin, her rear being checked out by everybody. She ran a hand down her toned legs, shooting the guys a flirtatious grin.

I laughed to myself, watching her enjoy all the attention. It was strange how comfortable she was now with attention. Before, Karsen wanted nothing more than to be ignored. It was hard to take a girl that looked like her serious. She had the blonde hair, tanned skin and crisp green eyes that made her look so sweet. The kind of eyes that everybody wished they had.

She shoved a lock of her medium bob behind her ear, giving the boys a wave.

I looked away, trying to locate Slade. No sign still. Going back to Karsen, I nearly screamed. There Tucker stood doing his best attempt at coming off as dashing, which wasn’t hard when you looked at him for even three seconds. The only problem was he was doing this with my best friend.

Karsen tucked her thumbs down the front of her tiny jean shorts, her flat stomach revealing itself up to her navel. She circled the ground with one flip-flop as Tucker kept flirting. Karsen finally scanned over the tables—I wished I could hide under mine—and her eyes fell on me. She pointed a finger in my direction.

“
Wave, bitch!” Karsen yelled.

I pulled my sunglasses down to the tip of my nose, staring Tucker down. His smile slid off his pompous face.

“
Hey, beautiful,” Slade said, planting a kiss on my cheek. He took a seat along with Kidd and Oz. I gave them all a wave and made the eyes of a girl with a really huge crush to Slade for everyone to see. It was a natural thing anymore.

“
So, where is this Karsen?” Slade looked around at the potential girls that could be my best friend.

“
Is she hot?” Oz asked, more joking than serious.

Kidd perked up at the question as well, drawing his attention to me. He rested his elbows on the table, staring me down, waiting for my reply.

Slade rubbed at his neck. “Look at these two.” He grinned.

“
It’s okay. Yeah, she’s a cute girl.” I still hadn’t admitted to which one was my best friend. I really didn’t want to know that she was talking up Tucker of all people.

“
Well?” Oz asked.

Slade looked at me, raising an eyebrow. I sighed, pointing toward Tucker and Karsen.

“
Well, shit, she’s hot. But apparently really stupid,” Kidd said, looking back at me.

“
Hey, don’t be rude. She doesn’t know him from anybody. She’s from Georgia. Hope thought he was great the first time she met him, too,” Slade rationalized.

“
Well, gee, thanks. I don’t like to think of myself in that category though. It makes me a bit nauseous,” I said, slipping my hand into Slade’s lap. He interlocked his fingers with mine, stroking them as we watched Karsen laugh it up with Tucker.

“
I know what we should do,” I said suddenly, a big grin spreading across my face. “Kidd, go over there and act like you’ve been waiting on her. Like she’s your woman.”

Kidd shook his head, confused by my weird request. “Uh, Tucker knows me. I doubt that would fly. And besides, what if she kicks me in the nuts or something?”

“
Are you saying you’re afraid?” I teased him. This was all it took to get Kidd out of his seat. I knew he was daring, I could tell from just meeting him a couple times.

Slade groaned. “You don’t know what you just did. This asshole is crazy.”

“
Who cares? Tucker doesn’t know who Karsen knows. For all he knows it could have been something I made possible.” I pursed my lips, watching Kidd begin walking toward them. He fixed the black bracelets on his arm before making it over.

“
There you are, sex kitten,” Kidd said loudly. So loud the whole taco shack stopped eating, talking and moving.

Karsen’s face grew puzzled. “Sex kitten?” she asked, a bit bewildered, but kept smiling anyway. I watched her look him over. Taking in his black boots, black tattered jeans with several chains through the belt loops and the dark green shirt. She zeroed in on his tattoos, an even bigger grin spreading across her face
and I could tell she was hooked.

“
What would you prefer I call you?” Kidd asked, checking her out now.

Karsen took hold of one of the chains on his pants, pulling him close to her. “Call me sold. Excuse us,” she said, blowing Tucker off.

We all laughed, watching Tucker’s ego run away with its tail between its legs. Karsen laughed, following Kidd to our table.

“
Now that was comical,” she said, taking the seat Kidd offered her. “Totally comical.”

“
My kind of girl.” Kidd laughed, shooting her a grin.

“
So, which one is Slade? And I hope it’s not this one that just nearly made me want to jump his bones in public.” She pointed a finger at Kidd.

“
No, Karsen, that’s Kidd. And that’s Oz. This one over here is Slade.” I nudged Slade. He extended a hand across the table.

“
Hi, Slade,” Karsen said, shaking his hand. “I’m Karsen. Best friend of Hope.”

“
Nice to meet you,” Slade said, letting go of her hand and taking mine back.

“
So, I heard so many things about you. A lot of great things. Seems you’re doing a great job at impressing Hope,” Karsen said, giving him a serious expression.

“
Hmm,” Slade said, playing it cool. A bit like he was when I first met him.

“
Do you like Hope?” Karsen asked. I shot her an annoyed glance. This wasn’t something we needed to discuss with everyone at the table.

“
I would think that seems rather obvious,” Slade said, throwing an arm around my chair.