“Where are we going tonight? And please tell me you aren’t wearing that, Riley,” Vivian said, plopping down beside me on the couch. Her dress rode up and I could see way too much of her leopard print underwear.

“Well at least I’m not waving my va**na around like a flag,” I said, giving her a pointed look.

Vivian let out a pleased cackle and did nothing to pull her skirt down. “Damn straight! This flag is saying single and ready to mingle!” she shouted. Clearly Vivian had already been at the happy sauce.

Gracie rolled her eyes. “She and Cole had a fight. They broke up again,” Gracie explained, pulling a beer out of the bag and popping the top before sitting down on the loveseat.

“Don’t you have to be doing something more than banging in order to break up?” I asked.

Vivian leaned over and grabbed the beer out of Gracie’s hand. “I thought we had a meaningful relationship built on the appreciation of each other’s bodies. But it came to my attention that mine is not the only body Cole has an appreciation for. So he can go to hell. These legs will never spread for him again!” Vivian declared, waving her beer in a wide circle before drinking half its contents.

I looked over at Maysie who was shaking her head. “Oh, so this is going to be a guy hating, holding Vivian’s hair while she pukes kind of evening. Why didn’t you say so?” I asked sarcastically.

“Shut up, Riley,” Maysie volleyed back. “Vivian, Cole’s an idiot. Just remember where his c**k has been the next time he wants to get up your skirt,” she advised, knowing as well as the rest of us that this was just the latest drama in the ongoing saga of Vivian and Cole.

“Damn straight! I need a guy who keeps his shit at home! Do you know who he’s screwing?” Vivian asked, looking at us as though we knew aleady.

Each of us shrugged. “Cira, that bitch. I always knew she was a slut,” Vivian muttered. Maysie and Gracie exchanged a look. Cira was their former sorority sister and anything Chi Delta related was a touchy subject where they were concerned.

I smacked my hands down on my knees and got to my feet. “Well as much as I’m enjoying this riveting discussion about the notches on Cole’s bedpost, I’m going to go get changed. Gotta put my party face on, right?” I asked, smirking at Maysie who stuck her tongue out.

A half an hour later, the four of us were piled in the back of a cab and headed for downtown Bakersville. We were dropped off in front of The Boogie Lounge, the town’s one and only dance club. It was a Tuesday night and the place was heaving.

I realized why when we didn’t have to pay a cover and were informed by the guy at the door that it was Ladies’ Night and all our drinks would be half price. “It’s Ladies’ Night!” Vivian yelled as we made our way to the bar. Gracie laughed and pulled me by the hand.

“Let’s get you a drink so you’ll do some dancing,” she yelled over the bad techno music. I couldn’t help but smile and let her lead me through the crowd. Maysie followed close behind. We ordered our drinks and were quickly ditched by Vivian who had instantly latched onto a Sophomore guy I knew from the English department.

“Girl’s going cougar tonight, I see,” I commented, watching Vivian press herself against the poor guy.

Gracie rolled her eyes. “She just needs to stop trying to make Cole her boyfriend, then she’ll be a hell of a lot happier. That guy will never commit and she ends up upset and acting like a moron every time she’s reminded of what a slut he is,” she said, picking up her drink and turning toward the crowd.

“I don’t know, they are kind of perfect when they actually have their shit together,” Maysie reasoned as we made our way to the second floor so we could people watch.

“Perfect like a case of genital warts,” I muttered and the girls laughed.

“Well, what about you, Ri? Have you sorted out your guy issues?” Gracie asked innocently and my stomach dropped. Crap, what did she know? I glanced at Maysie who stared back blandly. If she told anyone about Garrett, there was going to be a full on chick fight, friend or not.

“Uh, what do you mean?” I asked, sipping on my luke warm beer.

“I mean with you and Damien,” she said, giving me a confused look. My chest loosened and I let out a little sigh of relief. I really had to stop freaking out every time I was asked a question about boys.

“Damien’s a tool,” I said shortly, not wanting my ex to soil the evening I was being forced to have.

“I’ve just never seen you like that, Riley. It was a little scary,” Gracie stated and I grit my teeth. Gracie meant well, she was just a little oblivious at times, particularly when she was drinking. I could tell by the flush on her face and neck that she was well on her way to smashed, a state she seemed to be falling into a lot lately.

“Wow, thanks, G, I appreciate that,” I remarked, leaning against the railing and watching the people on the dance floor beneath me.

“I just meant that douche isn’t worth you being so upset over him. I really wish we didn’t have to see him so much at the newspaper. And now that he’s dating Jaz, that just sucks,” Gracie rambled and I turned on her sharply.

“He’s dating Jaz?” I asked, feeling my throat tighten. But what was strange was I couldn’t decide if I was upset or not. My emotions were feeling oddly jumbled.

Maysie leaned across me to smack Gracie’s arm. “Seriously, Gracie, enough,” she said, her voice hard. Gracie grimaced.

“Oops, did you not know they went out last week? I thought you knew,” she murmured and I shook my head.

“Must have missed the bulletin,” I answered, turning back to stare out into the crowd. I was officially done talking about Damien Freaking Green.

“Shut up!” Maysie said less kindly.

“What? I thought she knew!” Gracie hissed to Maysie behind me. Then she squealed loudly and I looked over my shoulder.

And then promptly wished the floor would open up and swallow me whole.

“Garrett! Mitch! I didn’t know you guys were coming tonight!” Gracie shrieked as Garrett, Jordan, Mitch, and Cole walked up to us, looking very much like a group of guys looking for trouble.

Jordan pulled Maysie up against his chest, kissing her soundly. “Sorry to interrupt your girls’ night. We decided to come out for some drinks and I knew you were going to be here. I couldn’t stay away,” he said softly against her mouth and I had to look away. Their blatant affection making me feel uncomfortable.

I was normally able to stomach (with much queasiness of course) their PDA, but knowing Garrett was standing so close, I felt stiff and awkward. I’m sure it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he had seen me na**d not so long ago. Or the fact that my friend was practically dry humping his leg as she clung to him.

“Please stay! It will be so much more fun with you here!” Gracie pleaded, hugging Garrett’s arm. Garrett’s face was impassive and even in the dim light, I could tell his eyes were bloodshot and puffy. His blatant drug use disgusted me. And I was even more disgusted with myself for sleeping with someone who had such a disregard for himself.

Garrett glanced at me and he smiled. It was a small grin but it magically transformed his face and made my heart pound just a little bit harder. And all thoughts of disgust and shame were drowned by a more concerning emotion known as lust.

“You girls seem like you’re doing fine without us. Far be it from me to mess with your good time,” Garrett stated, his eyes roaming over my body in an intimately familiar way that had me flushing in equal parts indignation and frustrating desire. Clearly my body was ready to have a repeat performance whether my head was on board or not.

“Come on, just for a little while,” Gracie begged, turning to Mitch who lit up at her attention. Huh, how had I not seen that before? Mitch stepped toward Gracie but then his face fell when she turned back to Garrett, who had yet to look away from me.

I refused to acknowledge Garrett and instead noticed the way Mitch looked like a boy who had just heard that Christmas had been cancelled. He realized I was watching him and shrugged as if Gracie’s rejection didn’t matter.

“No, we’ve got to get Cole home. He’s ready to pass out already,” Jordan said, kissing Maysie again.

“I think Cole’s found his second wind,” I commented, pointing across the room to where Vivian and Cole were making out in the corner. Cole’s hand was up her dress and she was pushing against him, leaving very little doubt as to what Cole was doing inside her panties.

“God, they’re ridiculous,” Maysie breathed out in annoyance and I nodded.

“I don’t know, they look like they’re having a good time,” Garrett drawled, giving me a wicked grin that I resolutely, 100% ignored. Yeah, I caught the innuendo; I just refused to acknowledge it.

“I want to dance! Come on everyone!” Gracie squealed, grabbing Maysie’s hand as she ran passed, heading toward the staircase. Jordan and Mitch followed them but I stayed behind. I leaned over the railing and smirked as I watched my friends bump and grind to the horrible music. Gracie draped her arms around some guy’s neck while Mitch tried not to look bothered by it. Jordan and Maysie were practically screwing on the dance floor.

My eyes drifted over the dancers until they stopped on something I’d rather not see. Damien, in all of his preppy glory, standing against the wall. But he wasn’t alone. Hell no. The jerk was with Jaz, who was pressed against him as if she could crawl up inside him like a gerbil.

From this distance I couldn’t see his expression, but Jaz’s writhing on his thigh left little to the imagination. I thought I’d feel devastated. Horrified. Wrecked.

But in truth I just felt angry. Humiliated and disappointed. And those feelings had more to do with my own pride than watching my ex clearly hooking up with a girl I couldn’t stand.

“Is that your ex?”

I jumped, forgetting that Garrett still stood beside me.

I turned around and leaned against the metal railing, resting my elbows beside me. “That’s him in the ‘I’m a Jackass’ outfit down there,” I answered, sounding a little annoyed but nothing else.

Garrett leaned beside me, his shirt unbuttoned and billowed open to reveal his chest. Seriously had this guy never been taught how to wear his clothing properly?

“He’s an idiot,” he said shortly and with zero emotion.

I frowned at him, not understanding him at all. “Huh?” I asked, confused.

Garrett tilted his head toward me, dipping his lips toward my ear. “If he could let you go, he’s a f**king moron. Not worth the mud on your shoes. You are so much more than that.”

His words had me tingling inside, filling me with something indescribable. My mouth fell open but nothing came out. I was speechless. Garrett Bellows had rendered me completely mute.

Garrett pulled his keys out of his pocket and inclined his head towards the stairs. This guy could say more with his head movements than anyone I had ever seen. It was like a new form of stoner language; grunt and nod instead of talking.

“Are you asking me something?” I asked him snottily.

Garrett smiled at my attitude. He really did seem to get off on it. “You wanna get out of here? I get the feeling you’re crawling out of your skin,” he observed.

Did I want to leave with him? Would he expect me to have sex with him again? Because I was damn sure not going there. Been there, screwed that.

“We can just go and hang out. That’s it,” Garrett said, as though reading my mind.

Well…that did sound appealing. Because the last thing I wanted was to stand around and watch my friends get wasted and Damien mack on Jaz. I’d rather tear my fingernails off one at a time…slowly.

And being with Garrett right now seemed the lesser of two evils.

I looked back down at Maysie and the others. Gracie was now on top of a speaker, flashing the world her rainbow panties. I shook my head at her obliviousness.

“What about the others? Didn’t you drive them here?” I asked, not wanting to leave everyone without a ride even if I wanted to take off so badly I was willing to sacrifice a night with Garrett to make it happen. This place seriously sucked balls.

“I already warned them they’d have to cab it back. This place pretty much sucks balls,” Garrett stated and I let out a loud snort at his choice of words. Though it terrified me that our minds were operating on the same wavelength. That should have been a sign of the impending apocalypse.

“True that,” I agreed, snickering.

Garrett gave me a lopsided grin and motioned for me to head down the stairs. “Then let’s get the hell out of here,” he said.

I sent a quick text to my friends letting them know I had found a ride and would be home later. Then I promptly turned off my phone, not wanting the barrage of calls that would most likely ensue once they realized I had left.

Garrett unlocked the passenger side door of his van and held it open for me. I refused to feel all girlie about him playing the part of the gentleman. No tingles in my nether regions as he closed the door behind me after I had gotten inside.

Nope, no girlieness here.

“You mind coming over to my place for a while? I’d really like to chill out before the guys get back,” Garrett said and I swallowed around the lump that formed in my throat at the suggestion.

He wanted to go to his house. Where we had sex. And we’d be alone. Uh…

“Sure,” I found myself saying, surprising us both.

“Cool,” Garrett said and turned on the radio. There was no further conversation and I found that the silence wasn’t uncomfortable like I thought it would be.