“So, you up for that tonight?”
She sighs. “Sadly, no. I'd never be able to look any of you in the eye again. I'm pretty sure my three guys are strangers who I’d never have to see again. Like ever. Would you do that, Riley? Three guys, one girl?” She turns and looks at me. “Or have you already?”
“I’d prefer the three girls to one guy fantasy.”
“Have you ever done that?”
I smile. “Maybe.”
“It’s a yes or no question.”
“Depends on what you're referring to. Three in the same night or three at the same time?”
“Same time.”
“No. Only two.”
“I would never do that with you, Riley. Just for the record.”
“Why not?”
“Because even after your stupidity at the vineyard, I still respect you.”
“We’d have fun, I promise.”
“No.”
“I don’t mean you, me, and Knox. I mean just the two of us. So you and Knox fucked. Big deal. I don’t care. We can still have fun.”
“Which is the problem, Riley. You should care. So what happened with Ariela? Knox said the other day you were on cloud nine.” She looks around. “And now we're nearing the pits of hell.”
“I went to pick her up and she was kissing her husband.”
“Then fuck her.”
“Yeah, fuck her.”
“It's her loss. It really is.” She grabs my arm. “Oh, Riley, I think I drank too much. The bed is spinning.”
“It is spinning.”
“Did you drink too much too?”
“No, I mean the bed actually rotates.”
She sits up. “Oh, thank god. I’m not as drunk as I thought.”
“Let’s drink to that.”
We run to the bar, pour shots of something, making extras for Knox and Dawson.
“Here’s to . . . Uh, October?” Knox salutes.
“No wait! I know,” Jennifer yells, sloshing her shot. “It’s not October! It’s Cocktober! So, here’s to Cocktober. Hoping the use of yours is, um, plentiful and I get plenty for myself.”
We all down our shots and then she says, “Uh, that sounded slutty. I didn’t mean I want all your cocks.”
Knox lays a big kiss on her lips. “Naw, sugar, you only want mine.”
After she kisses him, she pulls us all on the bed with her. “Let’s take one more spin on the bed!”
Knox pops up when his phone rings.
Dawson pips me on the forehead, taunting me like he did when we were kids. But Jennifer leans on her side and faces me. “I’m glad you’re not mad at me, Riley.”
“You’re too cute to stay mad at,” I tell her.
Knox ends his call. “Our guy’s here!” He gives me a wink then turns to Jennifer. “So, the plan is we go to some dance clubs and later we’ll invite some cool people back here to party.”
“What, no strip clubs?” Jennifer asks, exactly as he’d hoped.
“Oh, sugar, I wasn't sure how you felt about strip clubs. A lot of girls aren’t confident enough to go to them.”
“I’ve never been to a Vegas strip club. It sounds like an adventure. I say we do that!”
“Well, if you insist,” Knox replies.
“I insist,” she says. “And what else should we do? I know! We’ll go dancing, get thrown out of a club, maybe get arrested, get married.” She bounces in place next to Knox. “Wouldn’t that be an adventure? Wanna get wasted and get married?”
Knox pulls her into a hug. “That’s the thing about Vegas. No planning. You just go with the flow.” He pats her back while he looks at me and Dawson and mouths, No fucking way!
As we leave the suite, I wrap my arm around my brother’s neck. “Tonight’s gonna be a good night.”
And it was . . . Until we ended up in jail.
“Riley Johnson, you can make your call now,” the policeman says, opening the cell door.
I look down at myself, wondering what the fuck I’m wearing.
The night is kind of a blur but I do remember running down the hotel hallway naked, chasing a hooker who I thought stole my wallet. Then Jennifer started stripping and invited everyone to participate in the naked party parade.
I stare at the phone for a second, knowing who I need to call but dreading it.
Dallas is the only one who can make this mess go away. For all of us.
“Riley?” he answers groggily. It’s five in the morning and Dallas is not an early riser. “Tell me you’re not in jail.”
“I’m in jail.”
“Fuck. I was joking. Where? What happened?”
“Vegas. Party. Drunk. Naked.”
“You and Ariela went to Vegas?”
“No. When I went to pick her up, she was kissing her husband.”
“Oh, shit.”
“Exactly. So I decided to go to Vegas for the night with Knox and Dawson.”
“Can’t one of them bail you out—wait, did they get arrested?”
“Yeah,” I admit, hanging my head. “Jennifer too.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Thanks, man.”
“Riley, we need to talk. Seriously.”
“Yeah, I know. I fucked up bad this time.”
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8TH
Keatyn & Aiden’s beach house - Malibu
KEATYN