Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Brandon
This party blows.
It’s not the party itself—it never is because Robbie knows what he’s doing when he’s planning a fun time—but being risk manager of a house like Sigma Beta Psi means being on all the damn time.
It’s rare I get to drink and let loose, and since my brothers are all behaving themselves tonight, I maybe could have indulged, but instead, all I’ve done is pose for photos and charm Jenny’s friends.
Neither one of those things is remotely close to being a good time.
My relationship with Jenny is running dry, but since she’s from one of the top sororities on the row, I have to be careful how I go about ending it.
If I make her mad and get her house off side, we can kiss the high head count at our parties goodbye, because as epic as they are, without hot chicks to hook up with, no guys will come.
And there goes the money we need to put toward our dues.
The last thing I want is to sell the hashtag relationship goals bullshit, and I cringe every time I’m pulled into the spotlight.
Being one of the Sigma dudes means it’s a lot though.
We’ve always been the party house, the cool one, but with Robbie and Chad tearing up Greek Row for the last year, we’re in the spotlight more than ever. The Sigma executives are like currency.
Zeke, our president, is the trophy, even if he’s rarely interested in hooking up.
Chad being VP was the next hottest commodity, but now he’s locked up, the rest of us are in demand.
Especially Robbie. All the chicks want Robbie, because he’s so unapologetically himself.
He doesn’t have a stylish bone in his body, he’s crude, he’s loud, and doesn’t do strings ever, but he’s also got a big heart and a big … other things.
He has a reputation for being well proportioned, and for some reason, chicks wanna tame the beast.
Good luck to them.
I’ve been trying to control him all year.
“There you are,” Jenny says, entering the room in a flurry of lace and taking the place beside me on the couch. Her brown hair is up in some kind of complicated twist thing, and her makeup look tonight is “natural,” whatever that means. “You look tired.”
“Yeah, I’m beat. Between our game yesterday and traveling back last night, I’m not in a hugely social mood.”
She gives me an indulgent smile as she brushes my hair back, and I feel like a shithead for wanting to jerk back from her touch. “Thank goodness the season is over. We can go to that Gamma mixer together next week.”
I will streak the quad before I’m caught dead at a Gamma party. “Hmm … maybe.”
She huffs. “I swear it’s like you don’t want to do anything with me.”
Because everything we do is high-maintenance.
Robbie’s right. Getting myself into a relationship—especially one where she wants to play young Kennedys or Vanderbilts or whatever—was a dumbass move.
“Maybe it will be different now the season is over.” Though that was the one reason I had to get out of things, now it’s over and I’m one of the few guys in the house who doesn’t need to work, my excuses are going to be slim.
I kiss her cheek and stand. “I’ll be back. I need to do a quick lap.”
Which isn’t a total lie—fuck knows I need to check up on things—but I make straight for the front door anyway.
As I step out of the house where we have the heat pumping, the cold air hits me like a solid wall, and my balls immediately try to climb inside my body.
I huddle into my Henley, only planning to be out here for a few minutes to clear my head.
I breathe in a lungful of chilly air and remind myself that once senior year is done, that’s it. Chad is always talking about how we need to make the most of this time, but I get so bogged down in details, I forget to have fun.
I want to have fun again.
I want to be a complete dickhead with my brothers and fuck the consequences.
But while my brothers are careful about getting on the dean’s radar, they’re also not the smartest guys around, and frat guys have a bad habit of making dumb choices.
Even the high-and-mighty Kappas aren’t immune.
The door creaks, and a moment later, Raymond follows me out. “You okay?”
He’s huddled in a coat and wool hat, but he’s still shivering.
After his part in covering up the Kappas prank, he’s lucky to have been initiated into the house, rather than kicked out with the scum pledge who sold us out.
Since then, he’s kept his mouth closed and worked every party to earn back his place here.
And even though he’s officially initiated, he’s still considered a pledge and has pledge duties, until fresh blood rushes the fraternity.
“I’m good.” I eye him. “You?”
“Yeah, man, just cold working the door.”
“So … you came outside?”
He chuckles, and a puff of cold air unfurls before him. “Yeah, I …”
I know he’s about to apologize again, so I hold up my hand. “We’ve been over this. It’s done. And I gotta say, it’d be nice if everybody stopped acting like I was on my deathbed.”
“Robbie?”
“Fucking Robbie.” He’s gotten better since everything calmed down, but I still catch him looking at me sometimes like he can’t make me out. In all the years we’ve been friends, he’s never paid me so much attention.
“He was worried. We all were.”
I’d believe that a bit more if Raymond hadn’t tried to cover up what happened.
The door behind us cracks open again, and Bailey sticks his head outside. “Brandon, Chad needs you.”
What was that I said about my brothers behaving themselves? I pat Raymond on the shoulder as I make my way back inside and follow Bailey to where Chad and Robbie are in the kitchen.
“Brandon,” Chad says as soon as he sees me. “Can you please tell Robbie he can’t go around asking to see our cocks?”
I stumble to a stop and narrow my eyes at them. “Why do I get the impression I’m walking into something?”
“If it feels like an uncomfortable conversation, you’d be right.” Chad looks pointedly at Robbie, and the big man huffs.
“You suck. You all suck. If I can’t count on my brothers, who can I count on?”
I glance from one to the next. “I’m starting to think you’re serious.”
“Because I am,” Robbie says.
“You wanna see a dude’s dick?”
“Yes.”
“What if I told you that you’re surrounded by cock in the locker rooms?”
He gives me a look like I’m the idiot. “I’m not gonna go around perving on my team.”
I guess now isn’t the time to mention I’ve checked out his dick countless times. Though, that thing is hard to miss.
“Besides, I don’t only want to look. I want to touch. It’s like pre-drinks. Get the first part out of the way, find out what I like, then drown myself with it.”
I turn to Chad. “I have no clue what is going on.”
“He’s curious. And he’s now hit up me, Bailey, Miles, and Zeke. You’re the risk manager—get him in line before he asks the wrong brother and they smash his face.”
Robbie chuckles. “I’d like to see them try.”
“Just saying, man. I think it’s awesome that you’re not beating around the bush—”
“Beating.” Robbie grins.
“—about this. And while no one in the house is giving off fuckwit vibes, you still have to be careful. There’s a line. Most dudes are okay with their brother liking dick, but they’re not okay with being hit on.”
“I’m not hitting on anyone. Like I’d actually want to hook up with anyone in this house anyway.”
“Do I need to remind you you’re offering hand jobs?”
He splutters. “I so am not. All I want is a quick rub, then I’m out.”
I groan and massage my forehead.
Chad laughs. “I think you broke Brandon.”
“I’m not broken. I’m wondering how much more I’ll have to endure this year.”
“I’m not being unreasonable,” Robbie says. “All it would take is one dude to flop it out, let me check I’m not going to be scared away, and then it’s done.”
“And excuse me.” Chad raises his hand. “I’d also like to point out that I’ve laid off the pranks lately.”
“Yeah, because you’re too busy fucking your boyfriend,” I point out.
“Lucky bastard,” Robbie mutters, and Bailey steps forward and wraps his arms around Chad’s waist.
I’m more than a bit confused by this conversation. “Where has all this come from? The whole time I’ve known you, all you’ve cared about is chasing skirts, and now you suddenly want dick.”
“I’m curious. Sue me.”
“Well, is there a rush? Is it something you need to do right this second?”
“Nah, but I want to get it over with. It’s stuck in my head, and I hate focusing on one thing for so long.”
True. Robbie isn’t the kind of guy who stews on things.
His gaze suddenly flicks to me, and I hold my breath, waiting for the inevitable proposition.
When he reaches up to rub his jaw, my gaze tracks the movement, and I’m so sure the next words out of his mouth will have something to do with my dick that I’m caught off guard when they’re not.
“Fine. I’ll shut up about it,” he says instead.
My gut twists unexpectedly, but I nod. “Good.”
“For tonight.”
“Of course.” I shake my head and leave them behind, but Robbie is hot on my heels.
“Could your clothes get any tighter?” he taunts.
Like he can talk when he knows shit all about what looks good. He’s wearing utility pants covered in pockets, a fanny pack, and knit sweater. “At least I bothered to look in a mirror before I left my room.”
“What the hell is wrong with what I’m wearing?”
“We do not have enough time for that conversation.” I find Jenny exactly where I left her, playing on her phone and looking way too overdressed for a kegger.
I drop down beside her, assuming Robbie will get the message that I’m done talking to him, but he follows me onto the couch and almost traps me under his bulk.
“Fucking asshole,” I grunt, shoving where he’s sitting half in my lap and move closer to Jenny so I end up squashed between them both.
Robbie chuckles and sets his beer aside. “How you doing, Jen?”
“Jenny,” she corrects as she turns to face him. Her fingers trail down my neck, and I have to fight from shrugging her off. “And I’m good. Just waiting for Brandy to be done.”
“I told you, I can’t be done until this thing wraps up.”