“I just don’t think it’s...” She stopped and stared at me as I tried to unbuckle my belt. “Need help with that?” She smirked as I fumbled around.

“I’ve got it.” I looked down, but all of a sudden I felt drunk as all the tequila shots hit me.

“No, you don’t.” She sighed and I felt her fingers reach my belt buckle. “I swear, Rhett Madison, you’re a big baby.”

“No, I’m not.” I mumbled as her fingers deftly untied my belt and then undid my zipper. My body stilled as she pulled my jeans down. All of a sudden I was aware of how close she was to me and how good she smelled.

“Pick your feet up.” She kneeled down and pulled my jeans off of my body. She stood back up and stared at me, standing there in my boxers and frowned. “Fine, you can share my bed tonight, but this is the last time, I swear, Rhett.”

“You can’t just turn your best friend away.” I smiled at her and collapsed on the bed. “That wouldn’t be cool.”

“Uh huh.” She rolled her eyes and I watched as she grabbed a t-shirt. “Close your eyes.” She mumbled and I pretended to close them as she pulled her dress off quickly. I stared at her standing there in her bra and panties and felt my body stilling. She was so gorgeous. I wanted to groan out loud at the sight of her body. “Are your eyes closed?” she muttered.

“Duh.” I grunted back and put my hands in front of my eyes. I watched as she pulled her bra off quickly and I felt my c**k hardening in my boxers as I caught a quick glimpse of her br**sts before she pulled her t-shirt on. She then turned the light off and walked back over to the bed.

“Move over real quick, so I can pull the sheets up.” She muttered and I rolled over. She pulled the sheets to the side and I rolled back over so she could pull the other side up. She pulled the other side up and them jumped into the bed next to me. I felt her warm body next to mine and I tried to pretend that she was Tomas.

“So did you and Tomas have fun tonight?” She turned toward me and spoke softly.

“Yeah, I guess.” I shrugged and looked into her eyes. “We got to feel a pair of plastic titties.”

“What?” She frowned at me.

“Just some hot chick with big breasts.” I mumbled and paused. “But never mind that, what about your night?”

“It was great.” She smiled at me widely, her eyes dancing with excitement. “Elliott is such a gentleman. The night was perfect.”

“Uh huh.” I mumbled, not wanting to hear about how perfect the douchebag was.

“He ordered dinner for both of us and got this bottle of wine that was so amazing,” she continued excitedly as she stared at me.

“Okay.” I answered shortly and sighed. “I’m uncomfortable.”

“Okay.” She looked at me with a question in her eyes. “What do you want me to do?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Shift? Move over?”

“Okay.” Her voice was soft and she rolled onto her side. “Is this better?”

“I guess.” I sighed and turned onto my side as well, so that my chest was facing her back. “I need to put my arm here.” I muttered and lifted my arm up so it was over her waist.

“That’s fine.” She mumbled and snuggled back a little bit.

“Good.” I muttered and moved a bit closer to her. That was a mistake and I froze as I realized her t-shirt had ridden up and her ass was pressed against the front of my boxers. The only thing stopping us from having na**d one-on-one contact were her silky panties and my boxers. I stifled a groan as she moved back and forth slightly against me.

“You okay?” She looked back at me with a concerned look.

“I’m fine. Just tired.”

“Oh okay.” She sounded disappointed. “I wanted to tell you more about my date.”

“Go on, then.” I said reluctantly, not really wanting to hear anymore.

“It was so great. After dinner he took me to the park and we swung on the swings and looked up at the stars.” She gushed and I found myself growing angry. “And he even kissed me.”

“Oh yeah?” I grabbed her waist and pulled her back into me, so that she could feel my hardness against her ass. I didn’t know why I did it, but I just didn’t want to hear about this guy anymore.

“Yeah.” She mumbled and I felt her attempting to move forward, but I kept my grip on her waist tight.

“Was he a good kisser?” I muttered into her ear as I pressed my back against her. Her body felt warm and I felt her shiver slightly as my breath tickled her.

“He wasn’t bad.” She sighed. “It wasn’t a magical moment.”

“That’s a shame.” I smiled for the first time since she’d started telling her story. “That’s a real shame.”

“Yeah.” She sighed and I felt her body relaxing. “I was a bit disappointed.”

“I bet.” I released my grip on her waist and rested my hand casually just below her br**sts and closed my eyes. “That’s a pity, but I’m sure you’ll find someone better soon.”

Clementine didn’t answer and I felt myself drifting off to sleep with her snuggled back against me. All of a sudden I felt content again. Everything was as it should be. The date had gone okay, but I knew a bad kiss would be the end of it. Hopefully, Clementine wouldn’t go on any more dates anytime soon and we could remain as we always had been. I didn’t have time to keep worrying that she was possibly going on a date with a psycho.

Chapter Five

"Tomorrow's Elvis night down at the club, do you want to come?" I looked at her casually, starting to feel annoyed that she didn't seem to want to hang out me. I hadn’t seen her all week since the night she’d gone on her date and I was beginning to feel frustrated and rejected. The only reason I was seeing her now was because I’d showed up at her apartment.

"Nah." She shook her light brown hair and didn't look up from her desk and books.

"What do you mean ‘nah’? You love Elvis and you love Elvis night!" I frowned. The only reason I had gotten two tickets was because I thought she wanted to go. We always went together. Since we were ten years old.

"I've got other plans." She looked up at me then and shrugged.

"What other plans?" I stared at her, not believing my ears. Clementine never had plans. I could always count on her to be there for me when I needed her. And if she said she had plans with Elliott, I was going to be mad.

“I have a date.” She smiled then and her eyes twinkled. “That’s why I need to study hard now. I can’t afford to get anything but an A on my finals next week.”

“So bring your date to the club.” I muttered, not even believing I was actually telling her to bring someone else to our night.

“You sure you wouldn’t mind?” She nibbled her lower lip and I smiled inwardly. So she did know that it wasn’t really cool to ditch me and then bring someone else to Elvis night.

“I mean, Elvis night has always been a night we celebrate together.” I shrugged. “And I always take you. I’ve never taken a date, but if you want to bring some guy you just meant online, feel free.”

“Rhett.” She frowned at me. “Does it really mean that much to you that we go together?”

“It’s kinda like a tradition.” I shrugged. “But fine, bring whoever and I’ll just find someone else to go with.”

“Fine, I’ll go.” She rolled her eyes. “Heaven forbid, you take one of your many girls with you.”

“I don’t want to go with anyone else; unlike you.” I paused and gave her a look. “I mean, we’ve been going as friends for years.”

“I know, I know.” She groaned. “Fine. We’ll go together. I’ll tell Elliott I can’t make it.”

“Elliott?” I made a face. “You’re still seeing bad kisser?”

“He’s not a bad kisser.” She made a face. “Anyway, it might have been nerves.”

“Uh huh.” I rolled my eyes.

“This is the start of something beautiful.” Her eyes lit up as she spoke excitedly. “Aren’t you excited for me, Rhett?”

“Of course.” I lied as I stared into her wide brown eyes. “I mean, if you’re sure this is what you want to do. Who am I to be a Debbie Downer?” I shrugged and looked away. How could I tell her that the start of her something beautiful was the start of my nightmare? I wasn’t sure what was going on and why things seemed to be changing so quickly, but I did know that all I wanted was for everything to stay the same.

“This is what I want.” She nodded. “I think I’m ready for my first proper boyfriend.”

“Whatever.” I pulled out my phone. “Anyway, I just popped over to make sure we’re still on for tonight. I’ve gotta go. I got a date tonight.”

“Oh okay.” She nodded and looked disappointed. “Maybe we can watch a movie later.”

“You mean you won’t be with Elliott?”

“He might have to study.” She shrugged and I rolled my eyes. “But, all three of us can watch one if he doesn’t.”

“I’ll see what happens tonight. I might be getting laid.” I shrugged my shoulders and turned away, feeling angry. All three of us, my ass. “I’ll text you and see what’s going on.”

“Okay, sounds good.” She smiled. “See you later, Rhett.”

“Yeah, see ya.” I walked out of the room and sent a mass text to about fifteen different girls. “What you doing tonight? Wanna get a drink?” There was no way that I was going to spend another night alone thinking about any bullshit.

***

“So I told Monica that there was no way that I was going to go on a date with Aiden.” Veronica spoke rapidly as she told me another story about her best friend and all the guys that supposedly wanted to date both of them.

“His loss, my gain.” I leaned in towards her and pretended to be interested, before taking another long chug of beer.

“I was so glad when I got your text message this morning.” She grinned. “I was wondering if you were ever going to call.”

“I texted.” I corrected her. “I didn’t call.”

“Well, I was glad when I got your text.” She grinned.

“Why?” I studied her face for a second. “Why were you glad?”

“Because you’re hot.” She didn’t hesitate in her response.

“What are you going is going to happen tonight?”

“I don’t know?” She shook her head as her face went red. “I just wanted to see you.”

“You wanted to go out for a drink?”

“Yeah, sure.” She played with her glass.

“Anything else?”

“No.” She looked down and I went in for the kill.

“Are you hoping to ride me tonight?”

“What?” She looked shocked, but her eyes lit up at my words.

“I guess you’re not saving yourself for marriage.” I commented and took another chug. “No worries that you’re not. Only fools save themselves for marriage.”

“Uhm. Okay.” She paused and looked at me in confusion. I knew she was trying to figure out whether I had just called her a fool.

“Don’t worry. I’m down for some fun tonight. You’re a beautiful girl.” I said smoothly and watched her start smiling again. I could have patted myself on the back. It was so easy with women. Give them a few compliments and smiles and they were like putty in my hand. Everyone asides from Clementine. It was like she was immune to my charm. It had never bothered me before, but now it was f**king annoying me. Why wasn’t she more into me and hanging out? Why had she never been into me? I frowned as I thought back to high school and the moment when I’d turned into the boy all the girls wanted. Clementine had never started acting all girly on me. I’d never seen her writing my name. Or drawing hearts or even giving me looks of love. I didn’t get it. Was she immune to my blue eyes? I paused as I remembered one night in eleventh grade when I’d thought something was going to happen.

“Did you hear me? Veronica interrupted my thoughts and I frowned.

“Sorry what?”

“I said we can go back to my place after this, if you want. My roommate’s staying over at her boyfriends.”

“Oh, yeah. Sure.” I shrugged and my mind went back to eleventh grade. We’d been at Nanna’s house and Jake was watching wrestling on TV. I’d grabbed a cookie from her hand and stuffed it in my mouth and eaten it quickly. She had jumped on my back and we’d rolled around on the ground play fighting. Everything was all fun and games until she’d ended up sitting on top of me, her hair falling in my face as we’d laughed. Then she paused and for one second, it was just me on my back and her on top of me and we weren’t best friends playing around. There’d been a look in both of our eyes and I’d seen her face going red as we just stared at each other. I’m not sure what would have happened if Jake hadn’t jumped down and joined in the fun.

“I said I’m ready.” Veronica touched my hand.

“Ready for what?” I frowned and looked at her.

“To go back to my place.” She looked taken aback. “I was just saying that I got a new nightie from Victoria’s Secret.” She smiled sexily. “For a special occasion like this.”