“Okay, so I can see you’re going to be coy.” She sneers at me for a second. Piper isn’t used to not getting her strong-willed way. Every bit of resistance life has to offer is a bit of a culture shock to her. “Have I met him before? Like at least seen him? Is he cute? What’s he look like?”
My lips press into a painful smile, just begging to blurt out the words look in the mirror, honey!
“Nope. Rest assured, he’s a cutie, but it’s not happening again. It was a one-time deal, something I really didn’t think through, and now I just sort of regret it.” I wince, pointing down at my lady business. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to shower, then head to the commons to get an ice pack for both my head and my hoo-ha. My happy place isn’t quite so happy this morning.” Again, who am I kidding? My happy place is whistling Dixie and begging for more.
“Okay.” She makes a face as if it’s anything but. “Get in the shower and wash that man stink off yourself. Once you’re done, I’m buying you coffee.”
I manufacture a smile just for her.
Famous last words.
Hallowed Grounds is brimming with lethargic zombie-like students still struggling to rouse from late-night hangovers, from those “back alley” traipses after coital encounters that left some of us taking a moonlight stroll well past three a.m.
Scarlett and Daisy give an enthusiastic wave from the back of the café, eerily at the same table I sat at just last night while weighing which penis to insert into my body. Caila will be proud I went with the sleep rechargeable human version that actually came with a complete set of the male anatomy—or at least she would be if I ever breathed a word of it. If I never say a word, it’s like this entire mess never happened—with the not-so tiny exception of those heavy-hitting memories. Already I’ve had a half-dozen sweat-inducing flashbacks, and I haven’t been awake a solid hour. That boy was scorching hot in every way, his body chiseled to perfection, his rock-hard abnormally elongated boomstick put that rubber toothpick Caila gave me to shame. Nope, definitely won’t forget him, but still not breathing a word.
Piper and I spot four drinks on the table, so we head on over. Just as my lips part to say good morning, Piper beats me to the punch.
“Cassidy Clayton had a one-night stand!”
Ten groggy faces turn in our direction, and I smack Piper in the arm for her early morning news alert.
“Who was it?” Daisy shakes me while squeezing me in a rather hostile and air supply diffusing hug.
Scarlett pulls me in with that dazed look in her eyes. “Did somebody slip something into your drink? Do I need to knife somebody before breakfast?”
“What? No! God, please, can we just forget about it? In fact, I’ve already forgotten about it.” I give a playful shrug as I take a seat, and Scarlett slides a latte my way. My stomach wrings when I see it. Scarlett knows what I like, so, of course, she got my order right, but it just so happens to be the last thing I imbibed last night before I went off the sexual rails—unless, of course, you count my imbibing of Cade himself.
“Hello?” Piper waves a hand in front of me, trying to draw me out of my post-coital stupor. “Are you really not going to say a word?”
“I want to.” I sigh as I look into her face. There he is, mocking me, his features coming in and out of focus like a poltergeist, and I’m forced to look away. “I mean, I would, but I can’t really...remember who it was.” There, my entire body sags with relief. Now, there’s a lie I can work with.
The three of them erupt into a collective gasp.
“Shit.” Scarlett slams a hand down onto the table so hard our cups all hop to the left an inch. “I knew I shouldn’t have left you there last night, pounding away at those daiquiris like they were Kool-Aid. You never could hold your liquor.”
Daisy grunts, incensed. Her blonde mane is just as curly-whirly as mine, but her features are knife-sharp and beautiful. “I will never let you out of my sight, girl.” Her eyes grow wild with rage. “And I swear to all that is holy, if I ever find that asshole, I’m going to tear what little he has and rip him a new one. Nobody, but nobody takes advantage of my friend that way.”
Piper plucks out her phone and starts tapping away in a fury.
“What are you doing?” I try to pull it forward in the event she’s summoning her big bro to play superhero, but she yanks it right back. Little does she know he played superhero into the wee hours in Hollow Brook.
“Contacting the student assault and violations center on campus,” she mutters mostly to herself, still intently hacking away. “If there’s some douche running around doping up girls and sleeping with them, we need to get the police involved.”
“Oh my shit!” I wrestle the phone from her and bury it deep inside my purse. Good God, she’ll have Cade arrested before breakfast. “You will not contact any such organization on my behalf, nor will the authorities be dragged into this unnecessarily. I swear to you all—up and down—what happened last night was more than consensual.”