Wanna Bet? (28 page)

It’s then that I notice
the club is deathly silent and even Will has come out to see what’s
happening, my eyes travel around the club as I look at all the
people that now make up my life.

Sophie is now stood in
front of the bar directly below me, back at the table Matt and
Tucker are in a deep hushed discussion but keeping one eye on me
and Andrew. Matt looks panicked, Tucker’s frowning. It’s then I
notice Matt has his hand wrapped around Tuckers arm. I turn back to
the crowd and raise my mic again.

“
Sorry guys, I’m not
allowed to do the bet I want to do” I pout into the mic causing a
few groans and protests even though they don’t know what the bet
was.

“
I’m sure we can think of
something else” Andrew assures everyone.

“
Nothing as fun as mine
though” I mutter trying not to look back at Matt and
Tucker.

My foot hits something and
I look down to find the tray of shots I won, I bend down to pick
them up and Andrew holds it for me as I take the shots in sync with
the crowd yelling numbers. I hear my name and turn to see Andrew
bending down talking to Sophie. He’s no doubt telling her about my
bet. The traitor.

All I want is to forget,
with the hope that being with someone will finally erase the
physical memory finally that has kept me up too many nights to
count, even though it never worked before, maybe it has to be with
someone I already know.

“
Hey Luce?” I call in to
the mic “Those questions I got asked earlier I don’t have to stick
to them do I?” I ask but all I get is a confused look from her. “If
I answered no to a question or two of them actually… I can change
my mind right?” I explain, she nods at me.

I quickly chance a look
down at Sophie and Andrew to see if they are watching me but they
are still deep in conversation, so I pull out my phone and dial my
last chance at forgetting.

“
Hello” the familiar husky
voice greets my ear making me smile.

“
Hey, where are
you?”

“
At home, why where are
you?”

“
At the club, what are you
doing later?”

“
Are you drunk?” he asks. I
didn’t realize I was slurring. Turning and gesturing for Zack to
get me a glass of water. I turn my attention back to my
phone

“
No, not really anyway” I
laugh into the phone

“
Am I missing a good night
out?” He laughs with me

“
You are, we’re celebrating
my birthday but Andrew wont let me have any fun” I whine

“
It’s your birthday?” he
asks sounding surprised.

“
It is” I
confirm

“
I would have given you
something if I knew”

“
I can think of a thing or
two that I want” I purr into the phone. I had no idea I was so good
at being slutty, I frown as I realize that.

“
Where are you staying
tonight?” he asks lowering his voice.

“
Umm not sure, hold on” I
pull the phone away from my ear and lift the mic “Matt, are you and
Sophie staying over mine tonight?” I ask

“
Umm I think so” he calls
back.

“
Shit” I say forgetting the
mic is in my hands and making a few people chuckle but Matt and
Tucker just frown at me.

“
I have people staying at
mine tonight” I reply into the phone forgetting the mic again until
I hear the cheers from the crowd, I quickly put the mic down and
turn around to collect my glass of water.

“
You can come over mine, do
you want me to pick you up from the club?” he asks but before I get
a chance to reply the phone is taken out of my hand, I look around
and see Andrew holding it to his ear talking to his brother glaring
at me.

I drain my glass and glare
back at him for ruining my plans.

“
What’s going on Brooke?
I’ve never seen you like this before. What’s happened?” Andrew says
in my ear and pockets my phone.

“
A lot of shit has happened
Andrew, now give me my phone back” I snap at him fed up of everyone
trying to control what I do.

“
You can have it back in
the morning” he promises kissing my cheek. “So we thought of a bet
yet?” he asks the crowd and passes me my mic. A few people shout
random things out at us making Andrew laugh and me scowl. “You’ll
be thanking me tomorrow morning” Andrew laughs into his mic at my
expression.

“
Not considering what I
would be doing tomorrow morning if you would have let me have my
bet” I snap back. Taking no notice of the “oooohhhs” from the crowd
and watch as Sophie, Matt and Tucker all snaps their heads towards
me when they hear that.

“
Trust me” Andrew
sighs

“
Yeah, and you’ll be
thanking me when I’ll be cock blocking you for the next three
months. Have you ever gone three months without sex?” I say sweetly
into the mic. “You’ll hate me for it and I’ll even move in with you
if I have to” I insist.

“
Honey if you’re going to
make me go without sex for three months you do not want to be in my
house alone with me unless you want to end up in my bed, that is”
he says knowingly making me laugh at last.

“
Take me there now and
we’ll call it quits” I smirk at him feeling myself relax again and
the atmosphere in the club lifts as Andrew and I go back to our
usual banter.

“
You couldn’t handle me
sweetie” he grins at me.

“
I got five guys stood at
your feet that can tell you that you couldn’t handle my mouth let
alone anything else” I tease and blow a kiss to the students I was
doing the cherry stem trick for.

“
Okay, okay if you could
have one thing for your birthday right now. What would it be?” he
asks me but faces the crowd.

“
Don’t ask me that. You
already know what I want”

“
Okay. If I could give you
something what would it be?” he asks facing me now.

I snort “Don’t ask me that
either”

“
It’s hard to find a bet to
get around your current intentions Brooke” he sighs.

“
Well if you’d give me my
phone back I could sort it out” I say but then an idea hits me. Not
one that I want to stick around and watch but one that will save me
the regret that I know will come in the morning and it will make me
forget all the same. “Okay, I promise that I won’t do what I said,
but I need my phone please” I promise.

“
What are you going to do?”
he asks away from his mic.

“
I promise I won’t do that,
you’re right it was a stupid idea and I’d only regret it tomorrow.
But I do need my phone back. Please there’s something else that
will make me feel better” I say into his ear so only he can hear.
“You can even listen in to the call” I beg now getting
desperate.

I watch as he hands over
my phone and go through the numbers finding the one I want and
holding it up in between our ears.

“
Hey girlie”

“
Hey, where you to?” I
ask

“
At a house party
why?”

“
Come to the
club”

“
Are you sure?”

“
Yeah, bring a few friends
as well. It’ll be worth it. I promise”

“
See you in ten” she hangs
up.

The DJ puts on a song and
the crowd start chanting “Dance” so I turn to Andrew and shrug my
shoulders “You owe me” he just laughs and takes my hand.

We spend the next fifteen
minutes dancing on the bar, me grinding into his hips and him
running his hands through my hair, much to the clubbers delight.
When we finally stop to catch our breath everyone is gathering
around the bar to get more drinks and Andrew and I jump down once
we are both handed a bottle of beer each. Andrew heads back to the
table and I promise to meet him there once I have found my friends,
I find them stood near the dance floor looking around. I don’t like
what I’m about to do and have to stop to hold my stomach for a
minute before I head over to greet them.

Once I’ve spoken to them
all briefly and told them my plan they follow me back to the
table.

“
Brooke what the hell was
all that about up on the …” Sophie trails off when she notices that
I’m not alone.

“
Hey guys, I have some
friends for you all to meet. Everyone this is Ade, Louise, Hannah,
Adele, Lauren, Whitney and Gemma” I point out each girl when I say
their names then turn to the girls. “Girls this is, Sophie, Lucy,
Mel, Jess, Cam, Derek, Tucker, Jamie, Neil, Matt and Andrew” I do
the same pointing everyone out to each other. “I’ll be back in a
sec, just going to say hey to a few people” I say as I watch the
girls all introduce themselves to the guys.

“
Hey, Zack finished for the
night?” I guess as I bump into him.

“
Yeah, busy tonight, you
enjoying your night?” He asks looking around the club.

“
Yes, it’s been one to
remember anyway”

“
Wanna dance?” he asks
looking uncomfortable just standing around by the dance
floor.

“
Sure” I reply as I take
his hand and follow him onto the dance floor.

“
What’s wrong? You don’t
look all that happy?” I ask frowning when I look up and see he’s
distracted.

“
I had an argument with
Bex” He sighs frustrated.

“
You’ll be fine”

“
I don’t think we will, it
was a pretty big one” he shakes his head frowning and I guess that
he’s running through the argument in his head.

“
Honey arguing isn’t all
bad in a relationship” I assure him

“
How so?” he asks
hopefully

“
What comes with arguing?”
I ask

He appears to think it
over for a second “Make-up sex” he says with a nod of his head
making me laugh

“
True, but apart from
that?”

“
A headache” he replies
straightaway.

“
No. Passion. You both
argue because you love each other. You’re hurting now the same as
she is because you have the power to be able to hurt each other,
you can only hurt someone if they care about you. It’s when you no
longer care enough to argue that you want to worry” I assure
him

“
I guess you’re right” he
smiles and then starts twirling me around the dance floor making me
giggle and people cheer as we go past them. After a few laps around
the dance floor the music switches to a slow song and I glance over
at the table all my friends are sat at, I’ve kept an eye on it
during dancing and Louise did exactly what I asked and somehow
managed to give Tucker all her attention without making anything
seem obvious now she is sat on his lap and giggling as he whispers
something in her ear.

“
I don’t know about you but
I’m ready to go home now” I sigh happily at Zack and we say our
goodbyes. I head over to the table but come to a complete stop when
I see Tucker kissing Louise. I know this is what I planned and what
I wanted to happen but I didn’t want to see it and I seem unable to
tear my eyes away from what’s happening in front me. I have the
sudden urge to throw up but hold my stomach and force a smile on to
my face as I reach the table.

“
I’m heading home now, I’ll
leave the key out for you in the usual place guys” I say to Sophie
and Matt.

I manage to thank and say
goodbye to the whole table without looking at Tucker when he says
his goodbye to me I concentrate on the area in between his eyes
instead of looking at them directly.

The next morning as I curl
up on the sofa and
pull my legs under me I
use my coffee cup to warm my hands.

I’m aware that I look like
crap and got next to no sleep thanks to the nightmares keeping me
up most of the night. I suppose they have come back because it’s
this time of year again. Twelve years today since my dad died. I’m
going to make the three hour drive and go visit his grave today.
The only thing is for the last two nights I’ve been having
nightmares now.

Ever since Tucker came
back in to my life.

A few moments later I’m
joined by Sophie and Matt.

“
You’re not still mad at me
are you?” Sophie asks worrying her bottom lip, it’s then I realize
I’m frowning.

“
No don’t worry about it, I
was thinking that’s all” I smile weakly at her.

“
I know what you were doing
last night” She says softly. She never could see past any of my
plans.

“
I really don’t want to
talk about it” I shake my head at her “I have something I need to
do today, so I won’t be around. In fact I won’t be back until my
shift at the club tonight”

“
Umm OKAY…” Matt says
looking at me curiously

“
Help yourself to food and
everything, there are clean towels and stuff upstairs, you know
where everything is and I’ll meet you at the club
tonight”

“
You’re not going to do
anything st….” Sophie is cut off when my phone rings and I grab it
smiling not needing to check the screen to know who it
is.