Foolish Games: A Brothers Best Friend Fake Dating Romance

nine

#1 at the Box Office:I Know What You Did Last Summer

Sebastian Swift

“Well, hello, Benjamin!” Lexi says, holding up a hundred-dollar bill with both hands before bringing it in to smack her cherry-gloss lips against it. “Not too shabby for six hours of work.”

“You know where that’s been, right?” I ask, leaning against the railing at the Hockington’s loading dock, where we all went to have a smoke after collecting our pay from the Founders Ball.

“In a stripper’s ass crack,” Billy says, throwing his arm around his cousin’s shoulders.

“Ain’t no strippers in this town expensive enough to get hundies in their cracks,” Lexi says, digging in her tiny backpack that looks like a stuffed animal and functions as a purse. She tucks the bill inside and pulls out a pack of smokes.

“Too bad,” Maddox says, tucking his own pay into his wallet. “We should have one of those classy joints with high class strippers.”

Lexi snorts. “Why? It’s not like you could afford to go there.”

“Burn,” I say, laughing and punching Maddox’s shoulder.

“Shut up,” he says, shrugging me off. “You can’t afford your own date.”

“That’s why I don’t date,” I point out. “I just fuck.”

The guys all laugh and slap hands.

“That’s the way to go,” Tony says, crowding Theo as the skater guy pulls out a pack of cigarettes. Tony plucks it from his hands and takes one. Theo just tosses his hair out of his eyes and stands there waiting for his own cigarettes to come back to him.

I don’t know the Willow Heights guys well, and while Tony plays football, Theo just tags along like a sidekick and doesn’t say much. Since they go to the fancy private school, we only run into each other on odd jobs. Tony’s a scholarship kid from our side of town who lives on Maddox’s street. His brother graduated already, but he’s got a record, which means he’s good at finding the kind of job that takes muscle and pays under the table. He started getting Maddox work, and Maddox knew I needed cash and looped me in. Now, we’ve worked a half dozen or so jobs with Tony and his brothers.

“What are you going to do with that hundred dollars?” Lexi asks, nodding to my pay. “You’re gonna have to take Vivienne to Little Rock and spend it all on one dinner at a fancy place.”

“How’s he gonna get there?” Billy asks. “He don’t got a car!”

The others howl with laughter, and even though we all give each other shit, that one hits a nerve.

“Well, he better find a way,” Lexi yells over the din. “I bet she won’t put out for El Chico’s!”

More roars of laughter follow.

“Fuck off,” I say, shoving Billy a little harder than necessary. “I could get her if I wanted.”

“Dude, I was kidding,” he says, shoving me back.

I grab him around the neck, and we scuffle until Maddox drags us apart before one of us can shove the other down the three cement steps and crack a skull.

“Cut it out,” our gigantic lineman growls, shaking us both. “We need you both in the game Friday. Any girl in school would bend over for you, no questions asked. No one pussy is worth fighting over.”

“Don’t be sore,” Billy says, shrugging his shirt straight and holding out a hand to me. “I’m just giving you shit. She’s hot as hell, man. If she wasn’t Rob’s sister, you could totally tap that.”

I reluctantly bump his knuckles with mine. “I could still tap it,” I grumble.

“No way,” Randy says, shaking his head. “Rob watches out for her. He’d beat your ass into the ground.”

“I wouldn’t do it,” I say. “But that doesn’t mean I couldn’t.”

“You’re a dog,” Tony says.

“And you’re not?” I shoot back.

“Dude, we’re all dogs,” Billy says. “Which is why you’ll never get a girl like Vivienne Delacroix.”

“Oh, I could get her,” I assure them, smirking when I think about the sounds she made when she came around my fingers.

I’m tempted to elaborate, to point out that they didn’t see her in the car on the way to the party. Usually, that’s the kind of thing I’d share. It’s not every day you fingerbang a chick doing one-twenty in a Corvette. That’s something worthy of note. If it was anyone but Vivienne, I’d be bragging about it right now. But I keep my mouth shut, even though that means they keep giving me shit. It’s not just that she’s Robert Delacroix’s sister, and if it got back to him, he’d knock my teeth out for breaking the bro code.

It’s her.

“I’m with Sebastian on this one,” Lexi says, tapping her cigarette on the railing. “That girl is a smitten kitten.”

“Leave it alone,” Maddox says, giving her a warning look. “You don’t fuck a friend’s sister.”

“Yeah, that’s what would fuck up the game,” Billy says, snagging the pack of cigarettes from Lexi and lighting up. “A little tussle, we can walk that off. Fucking a teammate’s sister? No way, man.”

I shrug, trying to quell the competitive urge to prove them wrong by doing something so fucking stupid it might as well be illegal. “Doesn’t mean I couldn’t.”

“Yeah?” Tony asks. “Then prove it.”

“I might,” I say, giving him a cool look. He runs with Maddox’s crew, but he definitely knows who the Delacroixs are from going to the private school where the other founding sons and daughters go. Since Faulkner High is their main rival in football, Rob is enemy number one to the Willow Heights team. He says the Delacroixs are fucking famous over there for thumbing their noses at the snooty private school and choosing public school instead.

“You won’t do it,” Randy says. “All that talk, but you’d never fuck over your best friend.”

“It wouldn’t be fucking him over if he didn’t find out.”

“Don’t do it,” Billy warns. “Trust me, I’ve sampled the upper crust of Faulkner, and I can tell you from experience, all pussy is created equal.”

“Nah, cuz, do not use the words crust and pussy in the same sentence,” Lexi says, shuddering dramatically.

This gets a round of laughter.

“Maybe the crusty ones are all the same,” I say, remembering the way Viv’s cum tasted on my fingers the other night. Fuck, what I wouldn’t do to feel her cum on my tongue…

The guys give Billy shit for a minute, and he laughs it off. “I’m just saying,” he argues, dragging on his cigarette and letting the smoke bloom from his lips into the cold, crisp morning. “Rich pussy don’t taste no different than poor pussy.”

Lexi huffs. “Don’t call it poor pussy, either. That sounds so unappetizing.”

“Aww, poor pussy,” Tony says, wagging his tongue between two fingers. “Want me to lick it better?”

“In your dreams,” she says, flipping him off.

“Hey, I was being generous,” Billy says. “I could have said mansion pussy don’t taste no different than trailer trash pussy.”

“That’s worse,” Lexi groans. “I do not have a trash pussy.”

“You’re my cousin, so you don’t got no pussy at all,” Billy says.

“Trust me, she’s got one,” Tony says, palming his crotch.

They scuffle for a minute before Maddox drags them apart too. “Next time I’ll knock your skulls together,” he warns. Seeing that he’s a fucking giant with neck tats and known gang affiliation who rarely cracks a smile, the threat sounds particularly ominous coming from him.

“Fine,” Billy says, picking up his smoldering cigarette from where it rolled against the wall of the Hockington. “But take my advice, Bash. Don’t fuck the bitch, tempting as it is.”

“Aww, but they’re so cute together,” Lexi says.

“Shut up,” I grumble.

She bats her eyes at me and makes her voice all breathy. “Oh, Sebastian,” she says mockingly, throwing the back of her hand against her forehead and swooning over so I have to catch her. “You’re so strong and manly.”

“She didn’t say that,” I growl, setting her back on her feet. Acting like I care will just make it worse.

“She basically did,” Lexi says, sucking on her cigarette like it’s going out of style.

“She just wanted to see how the other half lives,” Billy says. “She’d never go through with it. She’s not the type to slum it for a night with one of us.”

“How do you know?” I ask.

“We’re seniors,” he says. “If she was the type, one of us would have nailed her by now.”

“I bet I could change her mind.”

“Yeah?” Tony says. “How much?”

“What?”

“How much you bet?”

“Yeah,” Randy says. “If you’re so sure of it, put your money where your mouth is. I’ll put my pay for last night on it.”

I hesitate, since I didn’t mean it in that way. But a hundred dollars won’t go far when it comes to fixing Mom’s car. Two or three hundred, and a chance to fuck Vivienne Delacroix on top of it… That’s hard to resist. Plus, the challenge has my adrenaline pumping already. What does it matter that I can’t stop thinking about her? I only want her because someone told me I can’t have her. Fucking her will get her out of my head. It’s a win-win.

“I’ll put mine in, too,” Billy says, pulling the money out of his wallet.

“I thought you told me not to do it,” I say.

“I did,” he says. “But if you’re going to make a fool of yourself anyway, I might as well make some money off it.”

“Alright,” I say. “But anyone says a word to Rob, you automatically forfeit the bet, and I keep it whether I fuck her or not.”

“I’m in,” Tony says, tossing his hundred on top of Billy’s.

“Same,” Tommy says, tossing his in.

“Any of you tell Rob and fuck up the team, and I’ll curb stomp you like a Serpent,” Maddox says, dragging on his cigarette before casually tossing his hundred on the stack.

I swallow, looking at the pile of hundreds. Five hundred dollars. I could buy Mom a whole new car with that. Well, a used one anyway. I could get her a new transmission. Or get myself a car and take out any girl I wanted. Sure, it would be a shitty little beater car, but at least I’d have my own set of wheels. I could give Mel rides home on rainy days so she doesn’t have to take the bus. I wouldn’t have to bum rides off Robert anymore.

But if I lose… I owe five hundred dollars. Where the fuck am I going to come up with that kind of cash?

“Go on,” Tony challenges, tipping his chin up. His New York accent is strong in contrast to all the southern voices around us. “You gonna do it, or are you gonna pussy out on us now that we put our money down?”

Glaring at him, I toss my money onto the pile.

Everyone cheers and claps hands and shoulders.

Lexi sweeps the pile off Billy’s hand. “I’ll keep this.”

“No fucking way,” Tony says. “You’ll spend it on shoes or some shit.”

“I got my own hundie to spend,” she says. “It’ll take me six months to find anything worth buying at the thrift store, let alone a hundred dollars’ worth. They should just burn most of the shit that gets donated. It’s not like anyone will ever want our moms’ high-waisted jeans.”

“You okay with this?” Tony asks, gesturing to the rest of us like we’re going to back him up.

“I’m the only one not betting,” Lexi points out, tucking the money into her bra before anyone is forced to take sides. “Therefore, I keep the pot.”

“You spend that, and you’re earning it back with your ass,” he says, slowly eye-fucking her from head to toe. “With interest.”

“Deal,” she says, raising her chin and giving him a defiant look.

“What’s the deadline?” I ask.

“By Christmas break,” Billy says. “So we can all use our money to get shit for our families.”

A chorus of agreement goes up, and everyone holds out a hand to shake with me. I grin, the thrill of a challenge making my blood pump with life as I seal the deal. There’s about to be five families with really shitty Christmas presents this year, because no way am I losing this bet.

*

On Monday afternoon, I slide in across the table from Vivienne at the library. I haven’t seen her all day, and I’ve been dying to know how she’ll react to me after the little incident in her car the other night. She looks like she hasn’t slept much, with circles around her eyes and her hair pulled up in a sleek bun instead of its usual sexy, just-got-fucked bedhead.

“Hey,” I say, leaning across the table and spinning my book around to face me. “How’s my favorite little speed racer?”

She sighs. “You don’t have tutoring today, Sebastian. Tuesday and Thursday, just like every week.”

“I’ve got a test tomorrow,” I protest. “I need extra help.”

“You can’t just come in any day you want,” she says. “I have someone else today.”

“Who?” I ask, giving her my most winning smile. “I bet I can convince him to give you up for one afternoon.”

“You’re in my spot,” says a cold voice behind me.

Forcing myself not to wince, I turn around and widen my smile. “Keisha!”

“Dick wad,” she says, looking unimpressed by my best efforts at charming her.

“How’s my best cheerleader?”

“How’s our limp-dick linebacker?” she asks with a smirk. “Don’t look so surprised. The squad tells me everything.”

I glance at Vivienne, since I definitely don’t want her getting the idea there’s anything wrong with my dick. But she’s not even looking at me. She’s staring over my shoulder, her face frozen and her mouth slack with shock. I spin that way, ready to kick some ass, and see her boyfriend walking over, hand in hand with the chick I thought was his girlfriend.

“Chaz,” Vivienne gets out, her voice choked. “What are you doing?”

“Not you,” Chiclet says with a nasty little grin.

“What?” Chaz asks, licking his lips nervously and glancing around at the other tables, about half of them with only a tutor, the rest with both students already seated.

“Now you’re holding hands with her?” Viv asks, standing from her seat.

“You broke up with me,” he points out.

“You did what?” I ask, turning to Viv. I was pissed when she left the quarry to be with him, even though I knew she couldn’t stay without Rob catching on that something was going on.

“Oh damn,” Keisha says, catching my eye. “Nerd drama.”

“I didn’t break up with you,” Vivienne says, her voice raw with hurt that stabs right into my chest. “We had a fight.”

“During which you said you couldn’t trust me, and that you couldn’t have a relationship with someone you couldn’t trust.”

“Because you said you and her were only friends,” she says quietly. The other tables have all filled up, and everyone’s watching. I want to punch them all for witnessing the hurt and shame written across Vivienne’s face as she stares at Nerd Boy Chad and Chiclet.

“We were,” Chiclet says, leaning her head on his shoulder and giving Vivienne a triumphant smile. “Now we’re not.”

“So I did have a reason to worry,” Viv says softly, her eyes filling with tears.

The sight is enough to split my ribcage open.

“You broke up with me,” Chad points out. He puffs his skinny chest out like a defiant child who knows he did something wrong but is fighting for his life to convince himself he didn’t. “You don’t get to say who I date after that.”

A tear spills down Vivienne’s cheek, and I push back from the table and stand, circling to stand beside her. I put an arm around her shoulder and pull her in. There’s no way I’m letting this puny little nerd make this gorgeous girl cry while I stand back and do nothing.

“It’s okay, babe,” I say, bending to kiss the top of her head. “Now we don’t have to hide anymore.”

“What?” she asks, blinking up at me through her tears.

“You said we couldn’t tell anyone because it would hurt him to know you moved on so fast,” I say. “But if he’s already with her, then we don’t have to hide.”

She swallows, staring at me.

“That’s why you didn’t want Diana on you Saturday night?” Keisha asks, barely containing her laughter. “You are so dead. This is some scandalous shit right here.”

Fuck. I wasn’t even thinking about her brother, my best friend, which is the only person I should ever be thinking of when I’m in Vivienne’s presence. But seeing her cry over that little douchebag made me lose all sense.

“You’re not together,” Nerd Boy says after a long pause. “No way.”

I tip Viv’s face up and brush the tears from under her eyes with both thumbs. “You okay?”

She nods, her dark eyes searching mine like she’s looking for an ulterior motive for me being nice to her. That shit hurts. I haven’t been that much of a dick to her over the years, have I?

I pull her into my chest protectively, and she turns to face them now that her cheeks are dry.

Chaz looks like someone just shoved a pickle up his ass. “Like you’d ever date one of us,” he mutters. “We’re your enemies.”

“You’re my enemy,” I correct. “Vivienne’s the hottest piece of ass I’ve had all year.”

Her eyes flash with fury, but hey, it’s not like they’re going to believe she’s my girlfriend. And I’m already in this deep, so I might as well see it through. I’ll just have to deal with the ass kicking when it comes.

Nerd Boy snorts. “Sure she is.”

Chiclet giggles and hides her face in his shoulder.

“What are you talking about?” Vivienne asks, her voice edged with an icy danger.

“Nothing,” Nerd Boy says, turning away.

Vivienne crosses her arms and glares. “No, go ahead. If you have something to say, say it to my face.”

Chiclet straightens and lifts her chin, staring back at Viv. “He’s too nice to say it, but he told me I was better in bed than you—not that it was saying much.”

Vivienne flinches, for once at a loss for a comeback.

“Or maybe she’s good, and you suck,” I say to Nerd Boy. “Not that I’m the expert, but when your mind is blown harder than your dick? I’d say that’s pretty fucking good. But hey, what do I know? Maybe you have more experience than me.”

Laughter echoes around the library, which has gone entirely silent except for our little drama. A few people who came in to get books have drifted over to the tutoring area to watch. And every single one of them knows my reputation, and they’re probably shocked Nerd Boy Chad has convinced even one girl to drop her panties for him, let alone two. I almost feel sorry for him as he stands there while everyone snickers and elbows each other. His pale face has gone bright pink against his orange hair, and I swear the dude’s about to cry.

“Hey come on, little buddy,” I say. “You can’t help it if you’re hung like a pinkie finger. I mean, she’s so tight I could barely get it in, but I’m probably above average. Still, I would have sworn she was a virgin. You must not have gotten in there very deep or stretched her out very good, did you, little guy?”

“Shut up,” Vivienne hisses at me.

I almost shut my mouth, but Nerd Boy looks like he’s about to launch himself across the room and take a swing at me, and the thought is too tempting to resist. I’m not going to punch out a dude that much smaller than me, but if he hits first? It’s on like Donkey Kong.

I throw an arm around Vivienne and give Nerd Boy Chad my biggest smile. “That’s unfortunate, little man. If you’re the size of a pencil, it probably didn’t feel that tight to you. Especially if you didn’t make her cum. That’s when she really clamped down on me. I thought I was going to black out when I busted inside her.”

I adjust myself inside my jeans, and I don’t even have to fake that part. Just talking about fucking her gives me a semi.

Nerd Boy is vibrating with rage, his hands balled into fists. “I’m not small,” he splutters, and everyone starts laughing again, clearly amused by his lame denial.

I raise a hand in a gesture of surrender. “Whatever you say, little dude. Maybe I’m wrong. Or maybe she just needed a real man to show her how to take a big cock, and then she’s dynamite in bed. I know when she rode me, I was born again.”

Vivienne shoves me away from her and storms out of the library, a chorus of laughter and “oohs” following.

Keisha gives me a disgusted look. “You’re a pig.”

“What?” I ask, glancing between her and Vivienne’s retreating figure. Damn, her ass is nice. How have I never noticed that until now?

Keisha just shakes her head like I’m too dumb to bother explaining to, and I guess she’s right, because I’m not sure where I went wrong. I was trying to help.

Clearly I only made things worse.

And it’s not Keisha’s explanation I want, anyway.

“Viv,” I call, ignoring the chatter that grows behind me as I take off after my best friend’s sister. I have to fix this.

As if to show me exactly how interested in my help she is, Vivienne lets the door swing closed in my face just as I reach it.