Chapter 5 – Alexis
5
Girl Dinner for the Win
Alexis
MY FRIEND HAZEL’S house isn’t nearly as decked out as my parents’ place is this time of year, but it’s still festive and bright for our Christmas girls’ night. She’s got a cute evergreen wreath hanging on the door and a small tree glowing in the front window. There’s even a string of multi-colored twinkle lights draped around the set of small palms planted in the bed next to the stoop.
Skipping up the steps, I peck out a quick knock as my stomach growls in anticipation of what’s coming. Girl dinner is one of my most favorite things, and the dishes my friends craft are epic.
Hazel whips the door open, greeting me with a big smile. “Merry Christmas.” She grabs me in a tight squeeze and I laugh, rolling my eyes a little as she rocks us from side to side.
I ride out the embrace even though it makes me twitchy. “Merry Christmas. Just so we’re clear, this hug is your gift.”
Hazel doesn’t let me go, just keeps squishing our bodies together. “Listen, I get one a year and I’m taking full advantage of the opportunity.” She leans back, her smile still just as wide. “Thank you. That should tide me over until next Christmas.”
I lean against the wall, letting out a resigned sigh as I reach down to hook a finger into the back of my pumps. “I could maybe be convinced to give you a birthday hug too.”
Hazel’s eyes widen behind her thick-rimmed glasses. “Really?” Her smile turns a little misty. “I’m honored you would suffer twice in one year for me.”
Letting one shoe fall to the floor, I switch feet, flashing her a smile. “That’s what friends are for.” After kicking off my heels, I pass her the bottles of wine I brought since, unlike my friends, I am not a cook. As Hazel inspects the labels, I look around, taking everything in. “This place looks amazing.”
The last time I was here, Hazel had just closed on the new build and it was still pretty bare bones. In the month since she moved in, my childhood friend has made amazing headway, filling out the sleek and modern two-story with her trademark color and quirk. The formal living room on my left now houses bright red sofas stacked with pillows in varying shades of teal and turquoise. Large, hammered copper panels hang on the walls, along with a variety of thrifted paintings. To the right, a dark wood table sits at the center of the dining room, surrounded by lime green chairs. A line of paint swatches is taped down the wall, each option bright and showy. Her style is totally different from mine, but I love it and can’t wait to see which one she picks.
“Thanks.” Hazel’s honey blonde hair is still pulled up into the messy bun she sports at work, but she’s changed out of her scrubs and into a cropped T-shirt and flowing lounge pants, looking both like the brainiac she is and the laid back friend I love. “It’s been a huge pain in the ass trying to get my shit together.” She tucks the wine into the crook of one arm, reaching up to push her glasses higher on the narrow bridge of her nose. “Especially with how busy I’ve been at the lab.”
“I bet.” Hazel works for a company that produces THC and CBD edibles, and, now that it’s legal for everyone, her bosses want to expand their product line. And of course they want it done yesterday. “I still think it’s hilarious that their lead formulation chemist has never been high.”
“I don’t know that I’d call it hilarious.” Hazel gives me a little grin. “Ironic, maybe.”
She leads me from the entryway to the kitchen and adjoining great room that make up the back of the house. Everyone else in our group has already arrived and they’re collected around the island, looking gorgeous and only a little drunk. They all turn when I walk in, a chorus of Merry Christmases greeting me as they plow through a countertop’s worth of hors d’oeuvres and bottles of wine.
“You’re late.” Isla, the loudest and most outspoken of our group, frowns at me over the rim of her glass. “Did Dillon accost you after work and try to convince you to go out with him again?”
I release a suffering sigh. “Of course he did.” I take my spot at the counter, accepting a filled wine glass from Hazel. “I should never have gone out with him. Worst idea I’ve had in a long time.”
Wren leans my way, her dark bob shining in the overhead light as she reaches out to squeeze my hand. “It’s not your fault, babes. They all put their best foot forward until they think they’ve got you.” She rolls her dark eyes. “It’s hilarious that he thought he had you after one date, though.”
He really did. Dillon thought one dinner of listening to him drone on about his awesomeness was all it would take for me to fall all over his dick.
And now I’ve got to face him every day at work.
“I was hoping I could just tell him I thought it over and decided it’s not smart for us to get entangled since we work in such a small office, but he doesn’t seem to be getting it.” I down a few gulps of my wine. “So now I’m going to have to be a bitch, which is going to royally fuck my workdays up.”
“ And your dry spell continues.” Lola sighs like going without sex is the worst thing she could imagine.
It’s really not that bad. I’ve been as single as it gets since we graduated college, so I’m used to it. Plus, I have a whole drawer of dry spell devices to take the edge off.
And recently my desert hasn’t been completely dry.
“Wait.” Isla points at me across a tray of tiny rye bread squares topped with cream cheese, cucumber, and dill. “Why did your face just do that thing?” Her eyes widen and she starts to bounce a little, her accusing finger wagging with the movement. “Something happened and you think you’re going to get away without telling us.”
There are lots of perks to having a tight-knit group of friends. There’s always someone to talk to. Always someone to go out to lunch with. We’ve known each other for over a decade, so I don’t have to dig into backstory when shit goes down, because they lived it right next to me. These girls have my back and are always ready to saddle up when I need sidekicks. And if I ever have to be bailed out of jail in the middle of the night, I have a whole list of options.
But they also know me really well. Well enough they can tell when I’ve got a secret.
“Oh, shit.” Wren’s lips curve into a smile, white teeth flashing against her dark skin. “You’re blushing. This must be really fucking juicy.”
I didn’t plan to tell them about what happened with Gavin. I didn’t plan to tell anyone what happened with Gavin. But I’m fighting myself over the whole thing, and I need someone to fight along with me, so a confession comes spilling out.
“I accidentally jacked Gavin off in the treehouse during my parents’ Christmas party.”
Silence.
My friends stare at me, mouths agape, as the seconds stretch out.
Unsurprisingly, Isla is the first to speak. “I’m going to need you to repeat that, because it sounded like you said you gave your brother’s best friend,” she pauses, sucking in a breath and lifting that same damn finger, “and the guy you had the biggest crush on all through high school, a holiday hand job in your mom’s she-shed.”
I roll my lips inward, immediately regretting my decision to share my story with the rest of the class. They’re clearly going to make a bigger deal of this than they should. Time for some damage control.
“I didn’t have a crush on him all through high school.”
I’d figured out Gavin wasn’t genuinely into me by spring of our senior year and the embarrassment of how stupid I was to think he liked me murdered any warm feelings I had toward him.
Lola presses both palms to her softly curved cheeks, heavily lashed eyes wide as she asks, “Does he have a big dick?”
Isla bumps Lola’s plush hip with her own bony one. “You can’t ask that.” Isla focuses on me, lifting her brows. “Is his body proportionate?”
Hazel smashes a hand into the center of Isla’s face, pushing the wild redhead back a step. “Don’t answer them. Studies have shown penis size is practically irrelevant to female pleasure.” She squares up to me before firing off her own question. “Which is why I want to know if he returned the favor.”
I chew my lower lip, because the answer isn’t going to go over well with my friends. “I kind of ran away before he got the chance.”
They all gasp at once and Wren’s hand flutters to her chest like she’s appalled at my behavior.
“You didn’t stick around and demand yours?” Isla shakes her head at me, full lips pressed into a deep frown. “Have you learned nothing since Hugo?”
“Ugh.” Lola’s head falls back, her long, dark curls spilling around her shoulders. “You just had to say his name, didn’t you? Now we’re all going to be pissy for the rest of the night.”
“We can remedy that. It’s not too late to hunt him down and fuck him up a little.” Isla pitches the same idea she does every time my college boyfriend comes up. “Give his house a nice Christmas egging.”
“Egging houses is a waste.” Hazel sips her wine. “If you want to fuck someone up, you throw bologna on their car. The acidity eats into the paint.” She pauses before adding on, “It takes a little while though, so you’ve got to stick it in spots where they won’t notice it right away.”
‘We’re getting sidetracked here.” Wren points at me. “We need to talk about why Alexis is still avoiding letting a guy get her off.”
I laugh, the sound sudden and sharp. “I’m not avoiding it.” I down some of my wine, needing the alcohol to help me through the mess I’ve walked myself into. “My dress was covered in jizz. What did you want me to do?”
“We want you to get your kitty worshiped until you can’t walk straight.” Isla purses her lips thoughtfully. “You think he’s any good at going downtown?” She squints her eyes. “He seems like the kind of guy who eats like he’s starving every single time.”
“If he’s not good at it, he should be ashamed.” Hazel snorts. “He’s certainly had enough opportunity to perfect his technique.”
“Is that why you didn’t stay and let him sex you?” Lola’s voice drops, like the next bit is a secret we all don’t already know. “Because he’s a fuckboy?”
“No.” The answer comes easily. I actually don’t give a shit about how many women Gavin’s been with. I wouldn’t judge him for that the same way I don’t want to be judged for my own lack of partners. “I didn’t stay and let him sex me because I came to my senses and realized it was a terrible idea to mess around with him.”
I down the rest of my wine, setting the glass on the counter as my friends go back to staring at me in silence. “He’s not at all what I’m looking for, so there’s no reason to make shit weird between us.”
“I hate to break it to you, but giving him a handy during your parents’ party probably already made shit weird.” Isla’s expression is stern as she continues lecturing me. “You might as well have gotten something out of it too.”
“Well, it’s too late for that now.” I grab the open bottle of white wine and spill the rest into my glass. “And I highly doubt the opportunity for reciprocation will present itself anytime soon, so I’m going to forget it even happened.”
I’m sure Gavin already has. No doubt he quickly focused his interest elsewhere. There’s probably a whole line of women begging for his attention. And when I have to face him down Christmas morning, things will be the way they always were.
He’ll give me shit and I’ll hate him for it.