Page 4 of Shamed
“The feeling is called horniness,” Jersey supplies. “I’m surprised you couldn’t tell what it was.”
I throw a little stick from the garden at her, but she dodges it with a squeal.
“It’s absolutelynotthat.”
“I’mkidding.”
“Yeah, well, now you can go get us some more drinks.”
Before she can reply, raucous laughter reaches us as a group of guys burst through the front door. Jim, Seth, Matt, Derek, and Dylan. All from our senior class and friend group.
“Ladies,” Jim greets with a cocky smile pulling his lips wide. His verykissablelips. I snicker to myself at the thought. “We come bearing gifts.” He holds up a bottle of vodka and some cups, while Seth twists the cap off a Coke bottle beside him.
“Who wants one?” Jim asks.
All three of us answer, “Me,” in unison, earning a chuckle from him.
“You ladies are hitting it hard tonight,” Matt says, parking his ass beside mine on the concrete ledge.
Jersey scoffs while taking a cup from Jim. “Hardly. This is only the third one for the night. I bet my ass you’ve had at least six.”
I turn to him, and it’s only now that I notice how glassy his eyes look and how much he’s leaning to the side. “Five.” He grins lazily at her and pats his leg. “Why don’t you come sit that ass right here.”
“In your dreams,” she replies, but there’s a hint of a smile there. This push and pull has been going on between Matt and Jersey for a couple of months now. He’s been all about flirting with her while she pretends to hate it.
He almost gave up on her at one point because he thought she wasn’t interested, but I convinced him that she was and just needed time.
Once we’ve all got a fresh drink in our hands, Marni squishes herself between Seth and Dylan sitting on the grass, then looks at me again.
“All right. Kiss. Blowjob. Or marry. Campbell, Mase, and Jacob.”
Under different circumstances, I might be a little embarrassed to play this game in front of the guys, but thanks to the liquid courage, I don’t mind it so much and find myself smiling.
“Why the fuck did you pick those losers?” Dylan asks, his face scrunched.
Marni cuts a smirk at him. “Sad you didn’t make the cut, big boy?”
“No, I just feel sorry for her poor selection.”
I shoot him a look. “Leave them alone.” Then, turning my attention back to Marni, I answer, “Kiss Jacob. Campbell gets a blowjob.” A couple of them holler at the word blowjob like the immature boys they are. “Which means I marry Mase.”
“Poor Jacob will be sad about that,” Jim replies with a grin.
I swallow down another gulp and wrinkle my nose. “Why?”
“Girl,” Jersey starts. “He’s only been in love with you forever.”
“What? No, he hasn’t.”
Marni titters and drops her head on Seth’s shoulder. “Uh, he’s practicallyobsessedwith you.”
“You guys are crazy. We’ve barely spoken to each other.”
“That doesn’t stop a guy from wanting you.” This comes from Dylan, but the look he accompanies with the statement is more serious than I would have expected and laced with a hint of anger.
Turning away from him, I look back at Jersey. “Why have you guys never said anything?”
She shrugs. “I thought it was pretty obvious. But it was clearly one-sided, so it didn’t really matter, anyway. You’re nice to everyone and some take it the wrong way.”
