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Sixteen
Cash
“Oh my God,I can’t believe you picked that one,” Jodie squeals as I wink at her, slapping the highly inappropriate card on the table.
“Oh please, after the one you just picked about blow jobs? Come on, you can’t pretend to be all innocent now,” I reply, shaking my head as Avery laughs so hard I think she might burst.
“Another point for me,” Reed says, grabbing at the card, smiling in delight as he pats the stack in front of him. “Guys, this game is so easy. You just have to know how to read people. I know what makes Cash laugh.”
“Oh, do you?” Lysander asks, teasing. “What have you two been up to when I’m not around?”
Levi gets up for another round of beers. We’re all crammed into Jodie and Levi’s townhouse for a night of cards and drinking. I laugh as Jesse flips the next fill-in-the-blank card, and I examine my hand.
“Oh, please. He’s too busy pining over the Everling girl to do anything with anyone,” Jodie teases.
“So how are things in that department? Details, details,” Reed says as he puts a white card facedown in the pile in front of Jesse, offering a wink as he does.
“How does this always become the topic?” I ask, shaking my head.
“Because we’re all eternally hooked. We can’t appreciate the chase anymore, so we have to do it through you,” Lysander replies pointedly.
“Yeah, if you didn’t want us prodding you about your sex life, you should’ve found a group of wily singles,” Avery replies.
I sigh. “Well, things are going… pretty okay. I think I’m winning her over.”
There is a collective pause. “Wait, you mean you might be in a real relationship?” Levi asks, mocking a heart attack.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” I reply, pretending to study my cards. “It’s just, well, I think there might be something else here. And I think I might be on the verge of convincing her to give it a try. She’s a tough one to crack.”
“And you’re not?” Reed asks, smirking.
“Do you think she could be the one?” Avery asks softly, and I look up at her. I bite my lip, wondering how much to divulge.
“You all know I don’t roll like that.”
“But maybe with this one, you do,” Jodie adds matter-of-factly.
I pause, taking a deep breath. I can’t deny there’s something special there. Sure, she’s hot as hell and the sex was out of this world. But as I told Sage yesterday, it’s more than that. There’s something. There’s certainly something that makes me wonder if maybe we could be playing for keeps instead of playing for one night or two.
“You know, there is a party over at the Marooned Pirate tomorrow night. I bet Sage will be there. Sounds like a good time and all,” Reed adds.
“Oh, stop. You just want an excuse to go to the party tomorrow,” Lysander chides.
“When did I ever need an excuse?” Reed asks before lifting his beer and taking a sip. “But seriously, scope it out. Tell her how you really feel. We’ll all come for support to cheer you on.”
I eye the whole table, shaking my head. “And you think that’s how I win over Sage Everling? A cheering squad?”
“Well, we’re not just any cheering squad, to be fair. I mean, look at us,” Levi says, tipping his hat in the gesture he knows annoys me.
“I don’t know. She’s probably going to be there with someone. I don’t want to scare her off either. I’ve been coming on strong lately.”
“And strong seems to be her vice, if you ask me,” Avery replies. “Come on. Stop being a wuss and just go for it.”
“To going for it,” Reed says, raising his bottle. The whole crew joins in, clicking bottles as I sigh.
Even though I don’t say it out loud, maybe they’re right. Maybe I need to just go for it, see where this thing leads. Maybe all Sage needs, all she wants is for me to take the reins and take charge.
