The Other Fish in the Sea (20 page)

“I don’t get it.” Of course you don’t, Jeremy, you twit.

“Tristan bagged one of
our
cheerleaders making him a shark. Camie cast a line to catch him using herself as bait. Shark. Bait.”

“That makes
you
a shark too, dude…” Pete said, indicating MaryAnn with his chin.

“I was thinking of him as a barracuda when he got her phone number at that football game he took me to, especially since he’d just labeled Tristan a shark,” I said and giggled at Derek’s resigned eye-roll and head-nod of acceptance at that analogy.

“Oh fuck…the text at Pete’s party the next week…you were in on it! I knew she used you, but I didn’t know
you
knew what she was doing! How long?” Tristan asked with disappointment in himself for not having put it together sooner.

“From jump. I’d say sorry, dude, but I’m really not,” Derek answered and then winked at me. “Okay, let’s see…Melissa, truth or dare?”

“I
think
choosing dare was how MaryAnn and I ended up naked on the beach, so truth.” She started laughing when MaryAnn had a contemplative expression on her face like she couldn’t remember how they got there either.

“Is the picture in color or is it a totally retro black and white?” Derek asked with a grin and dodged a lighthearted flick of MaryAnn’s fingers that was meant for his ear.

“Please say it was in back and white. There’s just somethin’ really fuckin’ hot about black and white, you guys know what I mean?” Jeff threw out with Kate shrugging and shaking her head like she was saying, “What’re ya gonna do?”

“Oh
totally
,” Tristan answered, firmly nodding his agreement.

“Oh my God… Yes, it’s black and white, it was taken on a beach just before sunset, she was on her knees in the sand with her naked backside to the camera but she was sort of turned and looking over her shoulder, are you guys happy now?”

The responses came in the form of many male moans of approval and whimpering desire to see it. Even Pete let out an appreciative
“Ooooh.”
It was freaking hysterical.

 
“Julia, truth or dare?”

“I’m gonna try dare…please be nice,” she said with a nervous laugh.

“Pick a guy for him to do your makeup while blindfolded,” Melissa directed.

While Melissa was getting her toiletry bag and makeup to complete the dare, Julia chose Dylan and in my opinion, that was the safe choice. I think she knows the rest of the guys don’t care for her much.

“Pete?”

“I know I’m gonna regret this… Dare.”
 

“Kiss any available girl whose boyfriend won’t rip your head off and pee on your burning ashes for doing it,” Julia said with a good-natured grin.
 

“Still think I’m gay, huh?” He asked her with a chuckle.

“I can dream, can’t I?” Tristan asked, waxing lyrical and batting his eyelashes.

Just about everyone caught their breath though when Pete, who was then chuckling at Tristan, casually turned his head and gave the only “available” girl sitting next to him a kind of lingering, yet rather platonic kiss on the lips. It was Jillian. And she did not appear thrilled. Surprised maybe, but happy she was not. Huh. Again, like me, Pete likes to play with fire. She’s gonna roast him with marshmallows one of these days, though. Regret indeed.

“That wasn’t a real kiss!” Dylan hollered and then shut up real quick when Jeremy elbowed him in the side. I’m guessing Jeremy would rather Pete didn’t get a re-do on that one.

“Dude! I can’t believe what you just did! Not only did you stomp on Trist’s heart, but you’re gonna fuckin’ wake up dead!” Jeff cried out in laughing astonishment.

“Yeah well, I’m lazy and with the choices before me, what did you expect? Besides, payback’s a
bitch,
” Pete said and gave Jill a narrow-eyed look and a rather small, smug smile that said, “So there, teach
you
to steal stuff, you menace to society.”

She glared at him for a moment and I could swear I thought I saw her spine stiffen and her teeth grind together, but she didn’t say or do anything else. I’m guessing she either doesn’t have marshmallows on hand at the moment or that maybe she’d like graham crackers to go with them when she rakes him over the coals.

“That really hurt, man,” Tristan said somberly.

“Yeah I know, but I
promise
it didn’t mean a thing...you’re still my guy. Okay, my turn…Jeremy, truth or dare?”

“Umm, dare.” He sounds really nervous.

“Pick anyone to chew some gum and then chew it yourself for at least five minutes.”

“Ew… ABC gum?”

“Yep. You can always opt out, though, if that’s too much for you.” Ooh, Pete just called him out. Really, that’s not such a bad dare, though, you know?

“Come on, dude, it could’ve been worse. Pete just endured the kiss of death…this is just a little saliva and slimy gum,” Jeff said, egging Jeremy on. I think he would’ve preferred the kiss of death, though.

“I’ll have to drink, I don’t have any gum,” Jeremy said with mild relief and went to take a drink.

“Wait! Hold on! I
always
have gum!” Tristan said enthusiastically and dug into his pocket, retrieving a pack of non-cinnamon, non-grape flavored gum.

“You would,” Bridget said, failing in her attempt to be funny as it came out being more snide than humorous.

“Being that he’s a sans gum kinda guy, it’s not for him…well it is, but
he
just won’t be the one chewing it.” I couldn’t help it. She’s a bitch.
 

Jeff started cracking up, then he leaned over and gave me a high-five.

“I feel so blessed. I have the best girlfriend and boyfriend a guy could ever wish for,” Tristan said with a dramatic sigh.

So Jeremy chose the girl sitting right next to him, being Melissa, to chew the gum and although he popped it in his mouth somewhat reluctantly, I noticed he never spit it out after the time frame was up.

“Truth or dare, Tristan?”

It was bound to happen but I’m almost holding my breath because I really don’t know what would be worse; Tristan taking a dare or telling the truth.

“I’m pretty comfy here, so truth.”

“What is the craziest thing you’ve ever said to a girl in bed?”
 

UGH…

10.

Things Heat Up In Hell’s Kitchen

Yeah. That’s just freaking great. Thanks
a lot
, you nitwit.

I’m mentally pleading and begging, “Tristan, please,
please
drink” because I really don’t wanna hear what he’s said—crazy or not—to
anyone
in bed. I even thought about shouting “BUTTERFLY!” but trusting him to keep me in mind, I refrained.
 

“Huh. That’s too boring…gimme another one.”
What?

“Nu-uh, I wanna hear the answer to that too,” Brandon told him. And actually, I do too now.

“Okay, but you’re all gonna be really fuckin’ disappointed.”

“No way, you’re just trying to get out of it,” Jeremy said, confident that his question would no doubt have an extraordinary answer.

“If I wanted out, I’d drink, you tool. The most certifiable thing I’ve ever said to a girl in bed was last night and it was the word ‘no’,” he told us and then gave me his lopsided grin and winked at me. Okay, I can totally see where he’d say that was crazy. And by the way,
whew!

“Aw shit, that is boring! Truly fuckin’ crazy and a mite unbelievable, but boring all the same…dude, give him another one.”

“Okay, umm… What’s the strangest way you’ve ever gotten a girl?” Uh-oh. Jeremy needs to learn to be specific.

“Clarify gotten.” See?

“I dunno. Gotten. Like gotten a girl to go out with you I guess.” Apparently Jeremy’s mind hasn’t joined Tristan’s and mine in the gutter quite yet. I think he might be trying to work on his game, though. Oh, and again I say,
whew!

“Boring questions tonight, guys, but whatever. I asked Camie out by quoting a TV show verbatim.”

“He did, I didn’t find it boring in the least, though…it was pretty spectacular.”

“That’s because ‘you are
quite
the human’,” Tristan said, quoting another Buffy line verbatim before pulling me down for a “meaningful to us” kiss and then he continued with the game. “Okay, now I’ve answered two. Movin’ on…Brandon.”

“Dare.”

“Strip to your shorts and sing I’m a little tea pot…motions and all.” Ooh! Good one, honey!

“Aw shit. Paybacks?”

“It could’ve been worse.”

It was worse, Brandon just didn’t know about it. In fact, none of us did until the next day. Jillian. That’s all I’m saying.

“Alright, Camie, truth or dare?”

“
Ugh
, dare.” I chose dare on Brandon because I’m pretty sure I know what he’s gonna ask me to do.

“Right on, I’ve been dying to see this…show us the leg thing!” I knew it.

“Fuck! That’s twice in a week
and
I have to move! You fuckin’ suck, man.”

“Okay, I can only hold my leg up so high for so long without losing my balance, so I’ll need help.”

Without thinking, Brandon was about to get up, but Tristan shut him down so fast you would’ve never known Brandon had even moved.

“Touch her and I’ll be relieving myself on your ashes in less than a minute. That goes for all the rest of you guys here…you too, Pete. I don’t think I can handle my fantasies starring the both of you again.”

“Then you do it!”

“Fuck no! I’m masochistic enough with her as it is…I’m gonna have to fuckin’ close my goddamned eyes for this.”

He did. And put his hand over them as well. I giggled at him though when at one point, while cringing like he was in pain, he peeked through his fingers and groaned an obscenity under his breath.
 

“Okay Jilly, truth or dare?” I’m really hoping she goes with truth because I don’t wanna be the one responsible for making her do something she doesn’t want to do or drink in admitting she doesn’t want to.

“Truth.” Thank God.

“With whom was your first kiss with and did you like it?” I’ve been curious about that since last night.

“A friend and yes.” That was it. No hesitation, no emotion, and…no name. Crap, I was nervous and forgot to be specific.
 

“That doesn’t count, you have to say a name!” Jeremy objected and received a steely stare from her in response.

“How many times do I have to say it? Be specific, goddamn it!” Tristan intoned with a laugh and again, toasted Jillian who’d given him a nod and toasted him first.

“So it’s my turn now,” Jill said to herself and cast her eyes around the tent, looking for a victim. “Jeff…”

I almost choked on my drink in laughter when Jeff’s easy-going demeanor and smile vanished when my sister spoke his name with intent. He was honestly uncomfortable…it was hilarious.

“Can I just drink now and save you the hassle of comin’ up with somethin’?” Jeff asked, trying to put his sense of humor back in place.

“No. Be a good sport.”

He started whimpering and then said, “Aw fuck…truth.”

“What’s been the happiest moment of your life thus far?” Aw, what a sweet question! Truly, she really does have a soft side. It’s just buried beneath the several tons of coarse, defensive armor my sister almost always wears so when she takes all that off, it tends to take you by surprise.

Jeff on the other hand surprised me too, along with everyone else I think. When he processed my sister’s question, he stilled and his expression turned stony. Then he lifted his bottle to his mouth and took a small drink.
 

“Why’d you drink?” Jillian asked, staring at him as if she could see right through him and already knew the answer.

Jeff looked at Kate sitting next to him and then lowered his head to look at his bottle and softly replied, “Because every single moment I’m with Katy is the happiest I’ve ever been and to pick just one would be like saying the others don’t mean as much.”

I have to admit I was a mite bit awed. I know Jeff has no problem proclaiming his feelings for Kate publicly but every now and then, what he says is just so touching that it honestly makes you want to weep. Plus, it’s a side of Jeff that isn’t tainted by his arrogance or sense of humor which I can fully appreciate and find refreshing. Of course it’s never long before he reverts back to his typical vexing self, though.

“Enough of the mushy stuff…Melissa, truth or dare?” Jeff asked and nudged Tristan with his elbow.

“Can
I
just drink?” Melissa answered with a laugh.

“Nope, pick one.”

“Ugh…truth.”

“Same question Camie asked the blonde necromancer, but! We want a specific name,” Jeff told her with a fair amount of devilry in his tone.

Tristan quietly snickered, Kate rolled her eyes and…again with the hesitation from Melissa! What the hell? She opened her mouth but then closed it and sat there for a second, contemplating whether she should answer. I mean it’s not like she needs to hide this, you know? I just don’t get it…

Finally, she sighed deeply in exasperation and with her eyes staring at the ceiling of the tent she answered, “Fine…it was Tristan.”

“And what about the second part of the question? Did you
liiike
it?” Jeff asked and started snickering with Tristan.

“Mm-mm, no, not really,” Melissa replied with her eyes
still
cast heavenward. She tried to make it sound believable but you could totally tell she was lying through her teeth. It was pretty damned funny.

“LIAR!”
Tristan shouted out in full laughter now.

“What.
Ever!
” Melissa shouted back, totally laughing now too.

So good-natured game play went on for a while and then what the six of us were waiting for finally happened. Bridget dared me to eat licorice. If you’re wondering why I would choose dare when she asked, well, just think about it; I’m prepared to face the food, but if I were to choose truth, I might have to explain in words the reason why I can’t (can’t, couldn’t…whatever) eat it anymore and I honestly think that would be painful for both Tristan and me to go through. I know I can always drink, but I’d really rather not give her the satisfaction of getting to me, you know what I mean?