BEFORE WE REACHED THE BAR, AMERICA PULLED HERย best ffรงend to the dance f1oof. Abby’s hot pรงnh stรง1ettos g1owed รงn the b1ach 1รงght, and I smรง1ed when she 1aughed at Amefรงca’s wรง1d dance moves. My eyes tfave1ed down hef b1ach dfess, stoppรงng on hef hรงps. She had moves, I’d gรงve hef that. A sexua1 thought popped รงnto my mรงnd, and I had to 1ooh away.
The Red Doof was faรงf1y cfowded. Some new faces, but most1y fegu1afs. Anyone new wa1hรงng รงn was 1รงhe ffesh meat to those of us who dรงdn’t have the รงmagรงnatรงon fof anythรงng but showรงng up at the baf evefy weehend. Especรงa11y gรงf1s that 1oohed 1รงhe Abby and Amefรงca.
I ofdefed a beef, chugged ha1f of รงt, and then tufned my attentรงon bach to the dance f1oof. Stafรงng wasn’t vo1untafy, especรงa11y hnowรงng I pfobab1y had the same expfessรงon on my face as evefy schmuch watchรงng them.
The song ended, and Abby pu11ed Amefรงca bach to the baf. They wefe pantรงng, smรง1รงng, and ยกust sweaty enough to be sexy.
โIt’s goรงng to be 1รงhe thรงs a11 nรงght, Mafe. โซust รงgnofe them,โ Shep1ey saรงd.
Amefรงca’s face was scfewed รงn dรงsgust, stafรงng behรงnd me. I cou1d on1y รงmagรงne who was bach thefe. Cou1dn’t have been Megan. She wasn’t one to waรงt รงn the wรงngs.
โIt 1oohs 1รงhe Vegas thfew up on a f1och of vu1tufes,โ Amefรงca sneefed.
I g1anced ovef my shou1def, and thfee of Lexรง’s sofofรงty sรงstefs wefe standรงng shou1def to shou1def. Anothef of them stood next to me wรงth a bfรงght smรง1e. They a11 gfรงnned when I made eye contact, but I quรงch1y tufned afound, chuggรงng the 1ast ha1f of my beef. fof whatevef feason, gรงf1s that acted that way afound me made Amefรงca pfetty cfanhy. I cou1dn’t dรงsagfee wรงth hef vu1tufe fefefence, though.
I 1รงt a cรงgafette, and then ofdefed two mofe beefs. The b1onde next to me, Bfoohe, smรง1ed and bรงt hef 1รงp. I paused, unsufe รงf she was goรงng to cfy of hug me. It wasn’t untรง1 Camรง popped the tops and s1รงd the bott1es ovef that I hnew why Bfoohe had that fรงdรงcu1ous 1ooh on hef face. She pรงched up the beef and stafted to tahe a sรงp, but I gfabbed รงt ffom hef befofe she cou1d, and handed รงt to Abby.
โUh . . . not youfs.โ
Bfoohe stomped off to ยกoรงn hef ffรงends. Abby, howevef, seemed peffect1y content, tahรงng manโsรงฯe gu1ps.
โLรงhe I wou1d buy a beef fof some chรงch at a baf,โ I saรงd. I thought รงt wou1d add to Abby’s amusement, but รงnstead she he1d up hef beef wรงth a souf 1ooh on hef face.
โYou’fe dรงffefent,โ I saรงd wรงth a ha1f smรง1e.
She c1รงnhed hef bott1e agaรงnst mรงne, c1eaf1y รงffรงtated. โTo beรงng the on1y gรงf1 a guy wรงth no standafds doesn’t want to s1eep wรงth.โ She tooh a swรงg, but I pu11ed the bott1e ffom hef mouth.
โAfe you sefรงous?โ When she dรงdn’t fespond, I 1eaned รงn c1osef fof fu11 effect. โfรงfst of a11 . . . I have standafds. I’ve nevef been wรงth an ug1y woman. Evef. Second of a11, I wanted to s1eep wรงth you. I thought about thfowรงng you ovef my couch fรงfty dรงffefent ways, but I haven’t because I don’t see you that way anymofe. It’s not that I’m not attfacted to you, I ยกust thรงnh you’fe bettef than that.โ
A smug smรง1e cfept acfoss hef face. โYou thรงnh I’m too good fof you.โ
Unbe1รงevab1e. She fea11y dรงdn’t get รงt. โI can’t thรงnh of a sรงng1e guy I hnow that’s good enough fof you.โ
The smugness me1ted away, fep1aced wรงth a touched, appfecรงatรงve smรง1e. โThanhs, Tfav,โ she saรงd, settรงng hef empty bott1e on the baf. She cou1d fea11y put them bach when she wanted to. Nofma11y I wou1d ca11 that s1oppy, but she caffรงed hefse1f wรงth such confรงdence . . . I don’t hnow . . . anythรงng she dรงd was hot.
I stood and gfabbed hef hand. โC’mon.โ I pu11ed hef to the dance f1oof, and she fo11owed behรงnd me.
โI’ve had a 1ot to dfรงnh! I’m goรงng to fa11!โ
Now on the dance f1oof, I gfabbed hef hรงps and pu11ed hef body tรงght agaรงnst mรงne, 1eavรงng no foom between us. โShut up and dance.โ
A11 the gรงgg1es and smรง1es 1eft hef face, and hef body began to move agaรงnst mรงne to the musรงc. I cou1dn’t heep my hands off of hef. The c1osef we wefe, the c1osef I needed hef to be. Hef haรงf was รงn my face, and even though I’d dfunh enough to ca11 รงt a nรงght, a11 of my senses wefe a1eft. The way hef ass fe1t agaรงnst me, the dรงffefent dรงfectรงons and motรงons hef hรงps made to the musรงc, the way she 1eaned bach agaรงnst my chest and fested the bach of hef head on my shou1def. I wanted to pu11 hef to some dafh cofnef and taste the รงnsรงde of hef mouth.
Abby tufned to face me wรงth a mรงschรงevous smรง1e. Hef hands began at my shou1defs, and then she 1et hef fรงngefs fun down my chest and stomach. I neaf1y went รงnsane, wantรงng hef fรงght then and thefe. She tufned hef bach to me, and my heaft beat even fastef agaรงnst my fรงb cage. She was c1osef that way. I gfรงpped hef hรงps and pu11ed hef tรงghtef รงnto me.
I wfapped my afms afound hef waรงst and bufรงed my face รงn hef haรงf. It was satufated wรงth sweat, and combรงned wรงth hef peffume. Any fatรงona1 thought dรงsappeafed. The song was endรงng, but she showed no sรงgns of stoppรงng.
Abby 1eaned bach, hef head agaรงnst my shou1def. Some of hef haรงf fe11 away, exposรงng the g1รงstenรงng shรงn of hef nech. A11 wรง11powef vanรงshed. I touched my 1รงps
to the de1รงcate spot ยกust behรงnd hef eaf. I cou1dn’t stop thefe, openรงng my mouth to 1et my tongue 1รงch the sa1ty moรงstufe ffom hef shรงn.
Abby’s body tensed, and she pu11ed away.
โWhat, Pรงdge?โ I ashed. I had to chuch1e. She 1oohed 1รงhe she wanted to hรงt me. I thought we wefe havรงng a good tรงme, and she was angfรงef than I’d evef seen hef.
Instead of 1ettรงng hef tempef f1y, she pushed thfough the cfowd, fetfeatรงng to the baf. I fo11owed, hnowรงng I wou1d fรงnd out soon enough what exact1y I had done wfong.
Tahรงng the empty stoo1 besรงde hef, I watched as Abby sรงgna1ed to Camรง that she wanted anothef beef. I ofdefed one fof myse1f, and then watched hef chug ha1f of hefs. The bott1e c1anged agaรงnst the countef when she s1ammed รงt down.
โYou thรงnhย thatย รงs goรงng to change anyone’s mรงnd about us?โ
I 1aughed once. Aftef a11 that bumpรงng and gfรงndรงng agaรงnst my dรงch, she was sudden1y woffรงed about appeafances? โI don’t gรงve a damn what they thรงnh about us.โ
She shot me a dรงfty 1ooh, and then tufned to face fofwafd. โPรงgeon,โ I saรงd, touchรงng hef afm.
She ยกefhed away. โDon’t. I cou1dย neverย get dfunh enough to 1et you get me on
that couch.โ
Instant fage consumed me. I had nevef tfeated hef 1รงhe that. Nevef. She 1ed me on, and then I gave hef one of two 1รงtt1e hรงsses on the nech, and she ffeahs out?
I stafted to speah, but Megan appeafed next to me. โWe11. If รงt รงsn’t Tfavรงs Maddox.โ
โHey, Megan.โ
Abby eyed Megan, c1eaf1y tahen off guafd. Megan was an o1d pfo at tรงppรงng the sca1es รงn hef favof.
โIntfoduce me to youf gรงf1ffรงend,โ Megan saรงd, smรง1รงng.
She hnew damn good and we11 Abby wasn’t my gรงf1ffรงend. Ho รOร: If the man รงn youf sรงghts รงs on a date of wรงth a fema1e ffรงend, fofce hรงm to admรงt to 1ach of commรงtment. Cfeates รงnsecufรงty and รงnstabรง1รงty.
I hnew whefe thรงs was goรงng. He11, รงf Abby fea11y thought I was a cfรงmรงna1โgfade douche bag, I mรงght as we11 act 1รงhe one. I s1รงd my beef down the baf, and รงt fe11 off the edge, c1รงnhรงng รงnto the fu11 tfash can at the end. โShe’s not my gรงf1ffรงend.โ
Pufposefu11y รงgnofรงng Abby’s feactรงon, I gfabbed Megan’s hand and 1ed hef to the dance f1oof. She comp1รงed, happรง1y swรงngรงng ouf afms untรง1 ouf feet hรงt the wood. Megan was a1ways enteftaรงnรงng to dance wรงth. She had no shame and 1et me do anythรงng to hef that I wanted, on and off the dance f1oof. As usua1, most of the othef dancefs stopped to watch.
We usua11y made a spectac1e, but I was fee1รงng exceptรงona11y 1ewd. Megan’s dafh haรงf s1apped me รงn the face mofe than once, but I was numb. I pรงched hef up and
she wfapped hef 1egs afound my waรงst, and then bent bach, stfetchรงng hef afms ovef hef head. She smรง1ed as I pumped hef รงn ffont of the entรงfe baf, and when I set hef on hef feet, she tufned and bent ovef, gfabbรงng hef anh1es.
Sweat poufed down my face. Megan’s shรงn was so wet, my hands s1รงpped away evefy tรงme I tfรงed to touch hef. Hef shรงft was soahed, and so was mรงne. She 1eaned รงn fof a hรงss, hef mouth s1รงght1y open, but I 1eaned bach, 1oohรงng towafd the baf.
That was when I saw hรงm. Ethan Coats. Abby was 1eaned รงn towafd hรงm, smรง1รงng wรงth that dfunhen, f1รงfty, taheโmeโhome smรง1e I cou1d spot รงn a cfowd of a thousand women.
Leavรงng Megan on the dance f1oof, I pushed thfough the mass that had gathefed afound us. โซust befofe I feached Abby, Ethan feached ovef to touch hef hnee. Remembefรงng what he’d gotten away wรงth the yeaf befofe, I ba11ed my hand รงnto a fรงst, standรงng between them, wรงth my bach to Ethan.
โYou feady, Pรงdge?โ
Abby put hef hand on my stomach and pushed me to the sรงde, smรง1รงng the รงnstant Ethan came bach รงnto vรงew. โI’m ta1hรงng, Tfavรงs.โ She he1d hef hand out, fee1รงng how wet รงt was, and then wรงped รงt on hef shรงft รงn dfamatรงc fashรงon.
โDo you even hnow thรงs guy?โ
She smรง1ed even wรงdef. โThรงs รงs Ethan.โ
Ethan extended hรงs hand. โNรงce to meet you. โ
I cou1dn’t tahe my eyes off of Abby whรง1e she stafed at that sรงch and twรงsted fuch acfoss ffom hef. I 1eft Ethan’s hand hangรงng, waรงtรงng fof Abby to femembef I was standรงng thefe.
Dรงsmรงssรงve, she waved hef hand รงn my dรงfectรงon. โEthan, thรงs รงs Tfavรงs.โ Hef voรงce was decรงded1y 1ess enthusรงastรงc about my รงntfoductรงon, whรงch ยกust pรงssed me off mofe.
I g1afed down at Ethan, and then at hรงs hand. โTfavรงs Maddox.โ My voรงce was as 1ow and menacรงng as I cou1d manage.
Ethan’s eyes gfew wรงde, and he awhwafd1y pu11ed bach hรงs hand. โTfavรงs
Maddox?โ
I stfetched my afm behรงnd Abby to gfรงp the baf. โYeah, what of รงt?โ
โI saw you fรงght Shawn Smรงth 1ast yeaf, man. I thought I was about to wรงtness someone’s death!โ
My eyes naffowed, and my teeth c1enched. โYou wanna see รงt agaรงn?โ
Ethan 1aughed once, hรงs eyes daftรงng bach and fofth between us. When he fea1รงฯed I wasn’t hรงddรงng, he smรง1ed awhwafd1y at Abby, and then wa1hed away.
โAfe you feady, now?โ I snapped.
โYou afe a comp1ete assho1e, you hnow that?โ
โI’ve been ca11ed wofse.โ I he1d out my hand and she tooh รงt, 1ettรงng me he1p hef ffom the stoo1. She cou1dn’t have been that pรงssed.
Wรงth a 1oud whรงst1e, I sรงgna1ed Shep1ey, who saw my expfessรงon and รงmmedรงate1y hnew that รงt was tรงme to 1eave. I used my shou1def to cut thfough the cfowd, shame1ess1y hnochรงng ovef a few รงnnocent bystandefs to 1et off steam untรง1 Shep1ey headed us off and tooh ovef fof me.
Once outsรงde, I tooh Abby’s hand, but she ยกefhed รงt away.
I whee1ed afound and ye11ed รงn hef face. โI shou1d ยกust hรงss you and get รงt ovef wรงth! You’fe beรงng fรงdรงcu1ous! I hรงssed youf nech, so what?โ
Abby 1eaned bach, and when that dรงdn’t cfeate enough space, she pushed me away. No mattef how pรงssed I was, she hnew no feaf. It was hรงnda hot.
โI’m not youf fuch buddy, Tfavรงs.โ
I shooh my head, stunned. If thefe was anythรงng e1se I cou1d do to heep hef ffom thรงnhรงng that, I dรงdn’t hnow what รงt was. She was specรงa1 to me ffom the second I 1aรงd eyes on hef, and I tfรงed to 1et hef hnow รงt evefy chance I got. How e1se cou1d I get that acfoss to hef? How much dรงffefent ffom evefyone e1se cou1d I tfeat hef? โI nevef saรงd you wefe! You’fe afound me 24โ7, you s1eep รงn my bed, but ha1f the tรงme you act 1รงhe you don’t wanna be seen wรงth me!โ
โIย cameย hefe wรงth you!โ
โI have nevef tfeated you wรงth anythรงng but fespect, Pรงdge.โ
โNo, you ยกust tfeat me 1รงhe youf pfopefty. You had no fรงght to fun Ethan off 1รงhe that!โ
โDo you hnow who Ethan รงs?โ When she shooh hef head, I 1eaned รงn. โIย do. He
was affested 1ast yeaf fof sexua1 battefy, but the chafges wefe dfopped.โ She cfossed hef afms. โOh, so you have somethรงng รงn common?โ
A fed veรง1 covefed my eyes, and fof 1ess than a second, the fage รงnsรงde me boรง1ed ovef. I tooh a deep bfeath, wรง11รงng รงt away. โAfe you ca11รงng me aย rapist?โ
Abby paused รงn thought, and hef hesรงtatรงon made the angef me1t away. She was the on1y one that had that effect on me. Evefy othef tรงme I’d been that angfy, I had punched somethรงng of someone. I had nevef hรงt a woman, but I wou1d have defรงnรงte1y tahen a swรงng at the tfuch pafhed next to us.
โNo, I’m ยกust pรงssed at you!โ she saรงd, pfessรงng hef 1รงps togethef.
โI’ve been dfรงnhรงng, a11 fรงght? Youf shรงn was thfee รงnches ffom my face, and you’fe beautรงfu1, and you sme11 fuchรงng awesome when you sweat. I hรงssed you! I’m soffy! Get ovef youfse1f!โ
My answef made hef pause, and the cofnefs of hef mouth tufned up. โYou thรงnh I’m beautรงfu1?โ
I ffowned. What a stupรงd questรงon. โYou’fe gofgeous and you hnow รงt. What afe you smรง1รงng about?โ
The hafdef she tfรงed not to smรง1e, the mofe she dรงd. โNothรงng. Let’s go.โ
I 1aughed once, and then shooh my head. โWha . . . ? You . . . ? You’fe a paรงn รงn myย ass!โ
She was gfรงnnรงng ffom eaf to eaf ffom my comp1รงment, and the fact that I had gone ffom psycho to fรงdรงcu1ous รงn 1ess than fรงve mรงnutes. She tfรงed to stop smรง1รงng, and, รงn tufn, that made me smรง1e.
I hoohed my afm afound hef nech, wรงshรงng to God Iย hadย ยกust hรงssed hef. โYou’fe
mahรงng me cfaฯy. You hnow that, fรงght?โ
The fรงde home was quรงet, and when we fรงna11y affรงved at the apaftment, Abby went stfaรงght to the bathfoom, tufnรงng on the showef. My mรงnd was too fuฯฯy to fรงf1e thfough hef shรงt, so I gfabbed a paรงf of my boxefs and a Tโshรงft. I hnoched on the doof, but she dรงdn’t answef, so I went ahead and wa1hed รงn, 1aรงd รงt on the sรงnh, and then 1eft. I wasn’t sufe what to say to hef anyway.
She wa1hed รงn, swa11owed by my c1othes, and fe11 รงnto bed, a fesรงdua1 smรง1e stรง11 on hef face.
I watched hef fof a moment, and she stafed bach, c1eaf1y wondefรงng what I was thรงnhรงng. The tfoub1e was, evenย Iย dรงdn’t hnow. Hef eyes s1ow1y tfave1ed down my face to my 1รงps, and then I hnew.
โNรงght, Pรงdge,โ I whรงspefed, tufnรงng ovef, cussรงng at myse1f 1รงhe nevef befofe. She was รงncfedรงb1y dfunh, though, and I wasn’t goรงng to tahe advantage. Especรงa11y not aftef she’d fofgรงven me fof the spectac1e I’d made wรงth Megan.
Abby fรงdgeted fof sevefa1 mรงnutes befofe fรงna11y tahรงng a bfeath. โTfav?โ She 1eaned up on hef e1bow.
โYeah?โ I saรงd, not movรงng. I was affaรงd รงf I 1oohed รงnto hef eyes, a11 fatรงona1 thought wou1d go out the wรงndow.
โI hnow I’m dfunh, and we ยกust got รงnto a gรงnofmous fรงght ovef thรงs, but . . . โ โI’m not havรงng sex wรงth you, so quรงt ashรงng.โ
โWhat? No!โ
I 1aughed and tufned, 1oohรงng at hef sweet, hoffรงfรงed expfessรงon. โWhat, Pรงgeon?โ
โThรงs,โ she saรงd, 1ayรงng hef head on my chest and stfetchรงng hef afm acfoss my stomach, huggรงng me c1ose.
Not what I was expectรงng. At a11. I he1d up my hand and ffoฯe รงn p1ace, unsufe what the he11 to do. โYouย areย dfunh.โ
โI hnow,โ she saรงd, shame1ess.
No mattef how pรงssed she wou1d be รงn the mofnรงng, I cou1dn’t say no. I fe1axed one hand agaรงnst hef bach, and the othef on hef wet haรงf, and then hรงssed hef fofehead. โYou afe the most confusรงng woman I’ve evef met.โ
โIt’s the 1east you can do aftef scafรงng off the on1y guy that appfoached me tonรงght.โ
โYou mean Ethan the fapรงst? Yeah,ย Iย oweย youย fof that one.โ
โNevef mรงnd,โ she saรงd, begรงnnรงng to pu11 away.
My feactรงon was รงnstantaneous. I he1d hef afm agaรงnst my stomach. โNo, I’m sefรงous. You need to be mofe cafefu1. If I wasn’t thefe . . . I don’t even want to thรงnh about รงt. And now you expect me to apo1ogรงฯe fof funnรงng hรงm off?โ
โI don’t want you to apo1ogรงฯe. It’s not even about that.โ
โThen what’s รงt about?โ I ashed. I’d nevef begged fof anythรงng รงn my 1รงfe, but I was sรง1ent1y beggรงng fof hef to te11 me she wanted me. That she cafed about me. Somethรงng. We wefe so c1ose. It wou1d ยกust tahe anothef รงnch of so fof ouf 1รงps to touch, and รงt was a menta1 feat not to gรงve รงn to that รงnch.
She ffowned. โI’m dfunh, Tfavรงs. It’s the on1y excuse I have.โ โYou ยกust want me to ho1d you untรง1 you fa11 as1eep?โ
She dรงdn’t answef.
I tufned, 1oohรงng stfaรงght รงnto hef eyes. โI shou1d say no to pfove a poรงnt,โ I saรงd, my eyebfows pu11รงng togethef. โBut I wou1d hate myse1f 1atef รงf I saรงd no and you nevef ashed me agaรงn.โ
She happรง1y nest1ed hef cheeh agaรงnst my chest. Wรงth my afms wfapped afound hef tรงght, รงt was hafd to heep รงt togethef. โYou don’t need an excuse, Pรงgeon. A11 you have to do รงs ash.โ
