Dirty Sex (12 page)

straightened their shoulders and narrowed their eyes. Mel started

looking back and forth between Reese and me. We weren’t known for

nice pet names.

“Hi, Reese.” Mel attempted to be cordial. Their breakup had been

one of the most fucked up I’d seen. They did it in true high school

fashion, screaming matches in the quad, vandalizing cars, sabotaging

grades.

“Mel.” Reese nodded at her then committed to the scene. She

marched past her ex and draped an arm over my shoulders. I slung

mine around her waist.

• 86 •

Dirty Sex

Hoping I wouldn’t be heard over the noise outside the theaters, I

whispered to Reese, “I’m sorry.”

“You’ll pay,” she returned just as quietly.

“Jesus, Reese, what happened to your face?” Mel started staring.

“You should have seen the other guy,” I said. No one other than

my family knew what happened. We planned to keep it that way. “No,

for real. We were coming out of Twenty-One a couple weeks ago and

these assholes were ragging on a kid who just came out of the club,

right?” This lie was inspired. “Reese was fuckin’ brilliant.” As if I were

proud, I pulled her closer.

“It wasn’t me. Obviously.” Reese indicated her face. “I just got

hit. You should have seen Coop.”

“I’d show you the bruises, but Reese said I need to keep my shirt

on in public.” Then I started laughing like I was hilarious. Reese joined

in.

“They’re crazy.” Ryan couldn’t let us just tell lies to Mel Tricks,

especially when it was so obvious. “You should have seen them when I

picked them up. My car is still being cleaned.”

“Oh my God.” Melanie finally added two and two. “Are you guys

together?” It was better than what I remember of her performance in

high school math. “Weird.”

“It seems like we’ve been this way forever.” Reese started doing

that play with my hair thing. I gave her a look to stop it. She opted for

brushing a kiss across my cheek. This movie was going to suck now.

It’s way too hard to be scared and grossed out by blood at the same time

as being horny.

“Gotcha.” Mel dug around in her purse. “Sorry, just a sec. Just

wondering where my girlfriend is.” She turned away and started texting

like mad. Reese and I watched her like we had all the time in the world,

as long as we had each other. When another high school reject emerged

from the crowd and sidled up to Mel, it took every ounce of my energy

to not laugh out loud.

“Brittany, how are you?” Reese greeted my ex to save me the

trouble.

“Awesome.” A big, dumb smile took over her face. Reese was

right. My standards were low.

I took a stab at making conversation. “I didn’t know you were still

around here. I thought you were moving to Australia or something.”

• 87 •

AShley BArtlett

“Yeah, I totally was gonna ’cause you know, I thought it would

be warm. Like it was on
The Real World
. So I went to check it out last

summer and it was hella cold.” Brittany made it sound like a personal

attack, as if Australia decided it didn’t want her. “So Daddy bought me

a ticket home. I’m never leaving California again.”

“Wow. Sounds tough.” I shrugged like it was news to me that the

rest of the world had seasons. “Who knew it would be cold in summer?”

Reese was still pressed against me. I could feel her body vibrating. She

was really trying not to laugh out loud.

“I know. Isn’t that crazy?” As an afterthought, Brittany threaded

her arm through Mel’s.

“Yeah, good season of
The Real World
though, huh?” I’d never

seen an episode.

“Totally. God, it’s so good to see you.” She reached out and ran

her hand down my arm. Reese’s eyes narrowed and Brittany snatched

her hand back.

“Okay. So I think we better go in,” Reese announced. The hand

that wasn’t entwined in my hair tugged lightly on my shirt. “You ready,

babe?”

“Did the guys already go in?” I asked her.

“They’re in line.”

“No way.” Brittany joined Mel in her brilliant deduction. “Are

you too, like?” She pointed at us and waggled her fingers.

“I don’t know, peanut butter. Are we, like?” The smirk I’d been

holding back finally surfaced.

“Come on.” Reese slid a couple fingers down the front of my jeans

and started pulling me. “It was nice to see you guys.” She smiled back

at Mel and Brittany as if it was normal to lead me around by my crotch.

Actually, it was.

“Did they really just pretend they were together to show us up?” I

asked once we were inside.

“Does it matter?” Reese was back to hating me. “That’s what we

were doing.”

“No. I just didn’t want to talk to Mel and it got out of hand.” My

excuse was lame, but they really did seem more pathetic than us for

some reason.

“Right. Whatever.” Reese began to stride away from me.

“You should be thanking me.”

• 88 •

Dirty Sex

She stopped dead. “Why?”

“Because right now Mel is the loser and you got the one thing she

never could.” That sounded conceited and arrogant. It was.

“Please tell me you’re not referring to yourself.” She waited for

me to deny it. “Oh, God. You’re serious.” The guys walked up in time

to hear the last part.

“Nice show, you guys,” Derek commented. “Mel must be dying

right now.”

“Why?” Reese demanded.

“’Cause she always wanted Coop,” Derek said like it was common

knowledge. “But after you and Mel broke up, Coop never spoke to her

again.”

“Well, they spoke plenty under the bleachers.”

“Shut up, you guys.” I said. “And, by the way, someone could

have told me that Melanie Hendricks was Mel Tricks.”

“You didn’t know?” Ryan was looking at me like I was crazy.

“Cooper doesn’t pay attention to names,” Reese shot at me.

“Would you two please shut up?” Derek asked. “Let’s just go in

the theater and watch the movie.” They took our silence for affirmation.

❖

Below us, the revelers covered the backyard in a swaying mass

of eveningwear. It felt like we were adults instead of just playing at it.

Even so, the scotch in our heavy glasses and the suits couldn’t change

us. We were children drinking and dancing, filled with that feeling like

life is real and heavy and amazing when in reality we were horny and

stupid and enjoying every second of it.

Music reverberated up so that it seemed like the house was

shaking, not just the bone and muscle housed in my chest. Ryan turned

to me, lifted his glass to his lips, and smiled.

“Pretty happy with yourself aren’t you?” I said.

“Fuck yeah.” Ryan lowered his glass to the railing of the balcony.

“Why does booze always taste better when it’s stolen from Christopher?”

I sipped mine and thought a second. “The sweet taste of revenge?”

I mustered every bit of cheesiness I could.

“Yeah, that’s probably it.” He laughed. “You seen Reese yet?”

“No, why?”

• 89 •

AShley BArtlett

“I almost locked her in her room when I saw the dress she was

going to wear.”

“Slutty?” A girl could dream. “Skimpy? Sexy?”

“All of the above. Well, maybe not slutty.” Ryan appeared mildly

concerned. “I hate when people check her out. She is my sister, you

know?”

“I’m pretty sure she can take care of herself.”

“So I can’t be protective?”

“Yeah, I guess,” I said. Seeing my sister talk to teenage boys drove

me up the wall, probably because I knew what they were thinking.

My attention turned back to the crowd beneath us. The makeshift

dance floor took up most of the space not occupied by the pool.

“I think I’m going to join the masses,” Ryan said.

“Have fun.” We saluted each other with our glasses and he let

himself inside. It was rather boring on the balcony alone so I trailed

after him. Austin found me on the stairs and immediately dragged me

outside to dance with him.

“You’re looking very dashing.” He had to shout to be heard over

the music.

“Thanks.” I glanced down at the pale gray suit and dark blue shirt

I was wearing. I was looking pretty dashing. “You ain’t so bad either.”

Austin was his usual immaculate, gorgeous self in a very fashionable,

but not overly trendy suit.

I didn’t mind dancing with Austin even though I hated dancing

with girls. It was too distracting with chicks. After five minutes tops, I

would want to fuck the girl, and that lacked certain decorum.

“Have you checked out Reese?” Austin unknowingly mimicked

Ryan.

“No. Is she totally smokin’?” Reese had to be.

“Even you won’t be able to resist her.” He grinned like he knew

too much. I cupped his elbow and led him into the house.

“Why are you smiling?” I asked once we were out of the fray.

“I’m not.”

“Oh, yes, you are.”

“Very sensitive tonight, sweetness,” he said.

“Austin.” I had to focus. “What are you thinking in that twisted

mind of yours?”

• 90 •

Dirty Sex

“You need to get laid.” That smile was back. Instead of explaining

further, he sauntered off.

❖

“Down here.” I led the girl down a hallway on the forbidden side

of the house.

“I thought we couldn’t go down here.” She didn’t seem too

concerned. What was her name? Kristy? Katie? Something like that.

“Don’t worry about it.” I opened the door to Christopher’s office.

It fit him perfectly. It was dark wood and leather and totally lacking

imagination, a designer’s idea of masculinity that fell short. The desk

was perpendicular to expansive windows, and behind it stood the

now virtually empty liquor cabinet. Surprise, surprise, there were no

bookcases. Christopher wasn’t the type to read.

I tossed my jacket in the direction of the desk. She started kissing

me. All tongue. No lips. Not great. So I backed her up until we landed

on a previously unused and perpetually uncomfortable couch. I already

had her dress up around her waist and her almost sexy panties hanging

off one ankle. The leather of the couch creaked as I slid to the floor.

My ears were filled with the deafening rustle of her skirt as it was

dropped over my head. It allowed me to forget the unlocked door and

the hardwood beneath my knees because there was only that sound and

the feel of soft thighs encasing my head, the smell of teasing girl, and

smooth anticipation.

With the first touch of my tongue, she shifted forward. Her hand

settled on my head urging me further with light pressure. I circled,

teased, brought her to the edge and away again without thought. This

was what I did and I did it well. In my cocoon of fabric, I couldn’t hear

her so I was guided by the twitch of her muscles as she neared release.

Juice dripped down my chin slowly, exquisitely.

Suddenly, I was yanked back and to my feet. The rush was gone,

replaced by a second of fear, then anger. A boy, or maybe a man, stood

before me. The jacket he was wearing was slightly loose on his frame,

like it was made for someone else. His tie was terrible. It was tied too

short making the knot fat and exposing the lower buttons of his shirt.

His breathing was laborious to match mine, but without the benefits.

• 91 •

AShley BArtlett

With the back of my hand, I wiped off my face. My lips and chin

were drying already. Experimentally, I opened my mouth, moved my

jaw a bit. He watched this display with revulsion.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he asked.

“You want me to give you some pointers?” My manufactured

confusion was lost on him.

“Baby, leave her alone,” the girl on the couch protested. Her dress

was pushed back down, but one of her heels, a small purse, and her

used underwear were still scattered across the floor.

“Don’t fuckin’ talk to me.” The boy didn’t even look at her. “I

asked you a question, bitch.” He punctuated this with a shot to my

shoulder.

I stepped back to absorb the blow and remained silent. I didn’t

have to answer to this punk.

“What? You can fuck my girlfriend but you can’t talk?” Uh-oh.

“I didn’t hear her complaining.” It was the truth. I wasn’t

responsible for their issues.

“You assaulted her.” His shouting sounded crazy in comparison

to my even tone.

“Don’t give me that shit. I didn’t assault anyone.” There was

serious effort involved in ignoring his bait. I’d still throw down though

if that was what he was looking for.

“She’s not a dyke.” He didn’t need to add the “like you are.”

“That’s not really for me to judge.”

“I said she’s not a fuckin’ dyke.” He stepped up so our chests

were almost, but not quite touching. As if proximity would change my

opinion of his girlfriend.

“Back up, kiddo, or I’m gonna drop you like a bad habit.” To

facilitate him, I planted my hands on his chest and pushed back. The

desk stopped him from falling.

The door next to us opened and I made a mistake. Instead of

watching the guy in front of me, I stared at the most beautiful woman

I’d ever seen. Ryan and Austin were right about the dress. There was