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“We’re playing,” he said, grabbing the armrest of my chair and dragging me toward the living room. I spun crookedly behind him, nearly slamming into a wall but he swerved me at the last second.
Cassian was making out with Tia when we came into the living room. Logan was sitting behind Abbie, giving her a shoulder rub and laughing about something. Both Gage and Haisley were absorbed in their phones. Everyone but Cassian and Tia looked up when we came into the room.
Tristan sat in a chair, pulling me right beside him. “Let’s play saucy suits.”
Gage perked up. “Yeah? Alright.”
Cassian peeled himself away from Tia, watching Gage split up the cards with vague interest.
He dug through the deck, pulling all the kings and queens. He split them into two piles: kings for the guys and queens for the girls.
“Sorry,” I said. “I really don’t—”
Tristan shot me a look. He leaned in, whispering so only I could hear him. “Just play along. I’ve got it handled.”
I crinkled my eyes in confusion, but he looked so confident. I wasn’t even close to understanding, but I decided I could always back out of something I wasn’t comfortable with. It was just a game, and I could always walk or roll away as the case may be. With my escape plan in place, I sat back and let them start.
“I’ll deal,” Tristan said.
Gage paused for a second, then shrugged, letting Tristan grab the cards. “Oh shit, one second. I forgot my beer in the kitchen.”
I watched him closely, like an audience member trying to figure out how a magic trick is performed. But all he did was set the two decks down on the coffee table before he left. We all waited in awkward silence for a few moments until he came back. He set his beer down beside the cards, accidentally knocked it down, and cursed.
“Nice one, QB,” Cassian said. He looked to Tia, who was grinning along with him.
Gage’s focus drifted back to his phone. Logan stretched out, groaning in comfort as he and Abbie cuddled on the couch. But I never took my eyes off Tristan, who produced eight new cards from his sleeve and tucked the cards that had been on the table in his pocket.
A few seconds passed, and nobody said anything.
“Alright, here we go,” Tristan said, tossing the wet paper towels he’d used to clean the mess off the table to the side. He walked around the group, handing everyone a card. I noticed he and I both got the last card in each hand. “Everyone look at your cards, but don’t show them to anyone.”
I had a queen of hearts. I would’ve bet my life on the fact that Tristan had a king of hearts as well. Maybe that should’ve made me mad, but I only found myself oddly charmed by the effort his little stunt entailed. That, and the lengths he’d gone to in order to be sure I wouldn’t match with the other guys.
“So what are we doing with our partners?” Logan asked. “Foot rub?”
Gage made a dismissive sound. “Clothes off.”
Cassian rolled his head back. “I’ve already seen Abbie and Tia naked. That’s only going to be exciting if I get Haisley.”
I tried not to take offense to that. I didn’t want anyone here to see me naked, but it was still a little insulting.
“Kiss,” Tristan said.
Logan raised an eyebrow, tilting his head. “Kind of tame, by your standards. Isn’t it?”
“Whatever,” Logan said. “Works for me.”
“Fine,” Gage said.
Cassian threw his hands up. “I’m outvoted either way. Kiss it is.”
“Cards,” Tristan called.
Everyone set down their cards. Cassian and Abbie had spades. Logan and Tia had clubs. Haisley and Gage had diamonds. And sure enough, Tristan and I both had hearts.
Logan gave Abbie a playful slap on the ass when she got up to go to Cassian, who led her to another room by the hand. Tia bit her lip, clearly pleased with who she’d been paired with. Her and Logan headed outside to the patio. Haisley looked at Tristan like she was about to burst into tears, then rushed outside by herself.
Gage threw his hands up, rolled his eyes, and pulled his phone back out.
I watched after Haisley, realizing she’d been the only one who hadn’t seemed distracted by Tristan’s little stunt. I wondered if she’d figured out that he rigged the game, too. Had she been expecting him to rig it so the two of them would kiss?
I was still trying to figure that out when Tristan started pushing my chair toward the stairs. He picked me up and started carrying me upwards, maybe toward his room.
“I don’t know, Tristan. I don’t think I’m halfway drunk enough for this.”
“I don’t want you drunk,” he said.
“I mean this is a bad idea.”
“Good. The bad ones are the most fun.”
