Page 88 of The Bet
I toast her. “To a degree,” I say, and we all drink.
The four of us—Simone, Kayleigh, Mary Kate, and me—cluster for a moment at the bar, the old geometry of our dorm days restored by muscle memory. Actually, Stella is the sun of this system, but she’s currently orbiting the room, working the crowd like a campaign manager: a squeeze of a shoulder here, a whispered aside there. Her hair is up tonight, a blonde crown, and her cheeks glow.
I shake my head. Oh, Stella. She’s so headstrong, and yet for Thomas’s sake, I’ve made up with her. It was helped by the fact that I no longer live in our shared apartment, so we no longer had to spend so much energy avoiding each other. It was also helped by the fact that Stella sincerely apologized for her actions, and promised to go to therapy to address her issues. I don’t know if she actually has yet, but Thomas says he’s going to follow-up with his daughter.
So Stella and I are basically back to normal, even if it sounds improbable. She breaks from her circle of admirers and bee-lines over, tugging me by the wrist to the edge of the terrace, where it’s quieter and the city looks even more like a painting. We’re alone for the first time all night, and the air is warm but not yet sticky, the kind of night that can’t decide if it’s spring or summer.
“So,” she says, eyes bright, “are you and my dad going to elope and make me an orphan, or do I have to start planning a real wedding?”
I choke on my drink, and a fine spray of champagne mists the concrete at our feet. “Stella, your dad has to die for you to be an orphan, so no. You won’t become an orphan anytime soon.”
She laughs, delighted. “But elopement is a possibility, right? Seriously, Andie, you’re the best thing that’s happened to him in years.” Then, dropping her voice: “Thomas was an absolute fucking monster when you guys were broken up. Like, I didn’t want to even call him because he was so grouchy. Now, it’s like he’s floating on Cloud Nine. It’s bonkers, Andie.”
I roll my eyes, but the warmth is real. “I know. We were both terrible when we were apart.”
Stella leans in, pinches my elbow with sharp, painted nails. “You could make an honest man of my dad, you know. If you want.”
I flush, feeling the heat spread up my neck, but it’s fine because I’d love to get married to Thomas. It’s just a question of him proposing.
Stella grins, then suddenly turns serious. “Look, I know I already apologized, but I want to say it again: I was a bitch to you, and I’m sorry for screening that video. I was trying to be funny but it was cruel. I was a total asshole.” The words come out in a rush, and she’s not joking for once.
I look her in the eye, and there’s something raw there, vulnerable.
“It’s okay,” I say. “We’re all bitches sometimes, and we all make bad decisions too.”
She laughs, a hiccup. “Truest thing you’ve ever said.” Then, as if the moment is too much, she pivots: “But more importantly, I have a new bet.”
I groan, “You’re incorrigible.”
She wags a finger. “Hear me out. First girl in our group to do real DP wins. No toys, no dildos, no fake-outs. Has to be two huge, handsome, hard human men at the same time. Winner gets a thousand bucks.”
I stare at her, caught between horror and awe. “Is this conversation appropriate for a graduation party?”
She shrugs and grins. “Absolutely not, but who cares? You know you want in.”
I raise a brow. “Define real. Like, do you have to?—”
“Penetration in both holes, simultaneous, human men. No substitutions. Winner gets bragging rights and the money.”
“You’re insane. I’m with Thomas. How would that work?”
She leans in, grinning. “Exactly, so you probably can’t win. But come on, girlfriend. It’s not like you’re above it. I know you and my dad get up to some freaky shit.”
I laugh so hard my eyes water. “Please. I can barely handle him solo, he’s so hard and demanding.”
She shakes her head, like I’m hopeless, but her eyes are dancing. “Okay, but just so you know, I have two guys lined up already. I just need to find the right night.”
I stare at her. “Are you serious?”
She lifts a hand, solemn. “On my honor.”
“Who?” I ask, because I have to.
“You’ll see,” she says with a mysterious smile. “But they’re hot, and I just know they’re hung.” She gives a dramatic shiver, smiling. “I can’t wait to get stretched both ways. I’m also thinking double vaginal and double anal. It’ll be insane”
I stare at her. “Stella, be careful because that shit is no joke. I’ve heard girls come out different afterwards. Like limping or with their insides rearranged.”
She giggles, “I know, and that’s the fun. Iwantto take risks. I want to be with two men, and just see what happens. It’ll be fun!”
