CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
Gabe was pretty sure he was fucked.
His running lights were that glowering that industrial yellow that indicated he had only a single hit point left.
One more shot and he was out.
And he was opposite his dates.
There were a dozen people on each side and he had the idea that he was probably among the last on his team. He knew for sure at least nine were down, and he also knew that all that should be left on the other side was Ellen and Krystal.
He’d already eliminated Emily personally, and he was sure he was going to pay for that tonight.
Ellen was good and Emily was okay, but Krystal had turned out to be a laser tag juggernaut. She had great reflexes and was very good at avoiding getting hit.
Gabe crept along the slanted passageways that occupied this section of the arena, his rifle in hand, ready to go, listening closely for Krystal or Ellen or anyone else who might still be alive.
He froze as he heard something, the faintest hint of sand shifting beneath a shoe.
The corridor he was in forked and he wasn’t completely sure which side the sound had come from.
He waited to hear it again, but there was nothing, even though he was sure someone was very close by.
Just out of sight. He trusted his instincts and aimed left.
Gabe took a step forward and that’s when Ellen struck. She appeared around the corner to the left, a look of almost malevolent glee on her face as she opened fire. He dropped into a crouch and returned fire.
Her lights turned red and her gun stopped working. She cursed sharply but that’s when he sensed Krystal coming behind him.
A fucking pincer attack!
He spun around, trying to fall flat to avoid getting hit as Krystal appeared from the way he’d just come and opened fire.
They both hit each other at the same time, but she had two hit points and he had one.
Still though, she looked down at herself, surprised, as the game over chime sounded. Gabe found himself looking up as Ellen came to stand over him from one direction and Krystal from another.
“That was a really good shot,” Krystal said.
“Two really good shots,” Ellen agreed, offering her hand.
He took it and let her pull him up. “Yeah, still lost though.”
“I think if I also had one hit point left you would’ve won,” Krystal said.
They began walking out of the arena. “Maybe. I didn’t know you would be so insanely good at this,” he replied.
“Yeah, where the fuck did this all come from?” Ellen asked.
“Maybe my broken brain? It kinda makes sense that someone who can’t really focus would be able to switch rapidly between targets.”
“Yeah, that does make sense,” Gabe agreed.
They came out of the arena and rejoined Emily, who was pouting a little.
“You’re a prick,” she said as they took off their gear and returned it and their rifles.
“Sorry,” he replied, a little awkwardly.
In the several hours they’d spent at The Expo, he’d grown more convinced that something was bugging Emily in a more serious way. When he saw the way she responded to his apology, a kind of surprise followed by a bit of discomfort, he wondered if she hadn’t fully realized how grumpy she’d become.
“It’s whatever,” she replied, trying to brush it off. “I’m just pissed I got knocked out early.”
He noticed slight hesitation from Ellen and Krystal, who had picked up on the interplay and were probably wondering if they should intervene.
“What now?” Gabe asked. “We could probably do a round of bowling.”
“No,” Krystal groaned, popping her neck. “I know I kicked ass but fuck I am feeling my age.”
“I think you’re feeling your general laziness,” Gabe replied.
She growled at him, then groaned. “God, I hope my thighs aren’t too worn out for tonight.”
“Same,” Emily replied.
“Shit, it’s like four thirty,” Ellen said. “Yeah, we should go. Our reservation is for six thirty and we gotta get home and shower and change and all that good shit. Come on, let’s go.”
Gabe offered Emily his hand and she took it with a slightly awkward smile and, after a moment, laced their fingers together as they followed Ellen and Krystal.
…
“You two had better not have stealth-fucked in there,” Ellen said as she headed in to take over the shower.
“We didn’t,” Gabe replied.
Krystal snorted. “Stealth fucked?!”
“Yeah...although I guess you aren’t even capable of doing that, given how fucking loud you are.” Ellen dropped her robe and stepped into the shower as they dried off.
“Yeah like I’m the one who can’t shut up,” Krystal snarked back at her.
“None of you can shut up,” Gabe replied.
“You are annoyingly confident now,” Krystal said.
“And who’s fault is that?”
“All of ours,” Ellen said, pulling the shower curtain closed. “Now hurry up and get out of here, Gabe. We’re dressing behind closed doors.”
“Fair enough,” he replied.
“Yeah, and you are welcome in advance,” Krystal said.
“Um, okay.”
“Very welcome,” Emily agreed, slipping into the bathroom. “Can I get in, too?”
“Yeah, there’s room enough,” Ellen replied.
He watched Emily get into the shower as well and had to fight the suddenly overwhelming urge to get back in with the two naked, painfully beautiful women. Especially Emily’s tats. For some reason they looked especially hot when she was wet.
Gabe made himself finish drying off and head out of the room.
He had already set aside his clothes for the night.
Well, Ellen had, since they had a dress code and he still wasn’t very great about figuring out that kind of stuff.
He grabbed the stack of clothes and headed out of the room, Krystal complaining after him the whole way before closing the door behind him.
He laughed, heading downstairs into the living room, where he found Liz, Holly, and Chloe sitting around.
“Oh shit, you’re naked,” Chloe said, sitting up.
“You’re baked,” he replied, setting the clothes down on the couch and beginning to get dressed.
“We hot boxed it a little,” Holly said, then giggled.
“I’m just being entertained,” Liz murmured, watching him dress. “It seems like your date is going well so far.”
“Yeah, pretty well,” he agreed, looking over at her.
He paused as he pulled his pants on. She was wearing just a sports bra and some loose shorts that weren’t really all that loose on her massive, firm thighs.
“What?” she asked.
“Just...um...can I lick your abs?” he asked.
Chloe and Holly immediately began laughing. Liz smiled and blushed a little.
“I don’t know…” she murmured.
“I’d really like to.”
“Well...all right,” she said, standing up. “Just once. Krystal used to but we don’t really do that anymore.”
“Why not?” he asked, and almost fell over in his eagerness to get over to her without finishing pulling his pants on. He sighed, finished getting them on, and then came over and knelt before her.
“I’m...ticklish.”
“All right, then.”
He put his hands on her hips and studied her stomach.
She had really nice abs. He had admittedly thought about asking for this since first seeing a picture of her.
Maybe he’d thought to ask now because he was so horny today.
He thought his bathroom session with Emily would have sated that more but apparently not.
Gabe stuck his tongue out and licked slowly up her stomach. She gasped and then giggled and squirmed.
“Ah! Okay!” she cried.
“Just one more,” he murmured, and did it again. She had a faint salty-sweet taste that he associated with clean girl sweat.
“Ah! Gabe!” she shrieked and then he was suddenly on his ass with a great pain sizzling through the right side of his head. “Oh! Oh no!” she cried. “I’m sorry!”
“Holy shit,” Chloe said.
“What happened?” Gabe asked, blinking a few times.
“This is why I made Krystal stop! I said once, Gabe! Oh, I’m sorry!” she said, kneeling down beside him, caught between annoyance and amusement and regret.
“Hey, what’s going on down there?” Krystal called.
“I punched Gabe in the face!”
“Holy shit, seriously?! Why!? Wait...did he lick your abs?”
Chloe immediately began laughing and Holly did a little too as she came over to him.
“Yes!” Liz called.
“Dumbass!” Krystal said, and shut the bedroom door.
“Ow,” Gabe said.
“I’m really sorry but this is why I made Krystal stop! Oh shit, you’re going to have a black eye. Oh man, I feel like such a bitch now.”
“I think they’ll be fine with it,” Gabe replied, sitting up slowly, blinking a few more times.
“What about you? Are you mad at me?” Liz pressed.
“No, I’m not mad. I did go in for a second time and shouldn’t have. I just didn’t think the consequences would be so...immediate. Worth it, though.”
She laughed incredulously and shook her head. “Are you serious?”
“I mean, yeah. I got to lick your abs, which was pretty great. And if anyone asks about the black eye while I’m out on a date with three hot women I can just say something like ‘we got a little carried away last night’ and it wouldn’t even be that much of a lie.”
“Well...all right, then. I still feel bad, though.”
“Don’t feel bad,” he said, letting her help him up. He paused. “You’re really strong.” She laughed and blushed a bit worse. “You gave me a fair warning, and it’s not like it hurt that much.”
“Here, lay down.” Liz guided him over to the couch and sat down, then had him put his head in her lap. Holly sat down on the floor beside them.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” she asked.
“Yes, Holly, I’m all right. And thank you for the concern, Chloe,” he replied.
“Hey, you’re the dumbass who did it,” she answered.
“You are so getting a fucking spanking soon.”
“Fucking try me,” she growled, leaning forward.
“I will.”
They looked up as they heard a door open up upstairs and then Ellen was coming down in a robe, her hair wrapped up in a towel.
“Did you punch my husband?” she asked.
“On accident!” Liz cried.
“It’s all right, babe, I was kinda asking for it,” he replied.
“What-oh wow,” she muttered as she came in and looked at him. “It’s already starting to bruise.”
“I’m really sorry,” Liz said.
“It’s really okay, Ellen. It’s not going to interfere with tonight at all.”
She stared at him for a moment. “You sure you’re cool going around in public with us and a black eye?”
“Hell yes, I am.”
She continued staring at him, then shrugged. “Well, okay then. If you are then I am. I need to blow dry my hair. We’ll probably be ready in about twenty minutes.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
She headed back upstairs. Gabe looked up at Liz. “Is this date thing at all weird for you?”
“What? No. Why? Should it be?”
“I mean no, it shouldn’t necessarily, it’s just...
you know, the whole ‘your girlfriend going on a date with her old flames’ kind of thing.
I get that it’s not really perfect, because they were never actually dating, but clearly there was some sexual tension and occasional things happening.
And now they’re acting on it, I mean, you get what I mean, right? ”
“Oh, yeah, I get it now. No, it’s fine. I’m pretty happy. I don’t really worry that Krystal is going to leave me, and I worry about it even less now that we’re in this big relationship.”
“You’re so lucky,” Chloe murmured.
“I guess I am.”
“I’m not going to leave you, Chloe,” Gabe said.
“I know, dipshit! I mean, well, I don’t know-goddamnit. I’m secure in the relationship but I also have anxieties and worry-bunny thoughts and they never leave me alone for too long?”
“Worry-bunny?” Gabe asked.
“Just, you know, thoughts that creep up to you from the shadows and then you realize they’re there and when you try to address them they scurry off, fast like bunnies, and you can’t really address them and all you’re left with is the impression of fear and anxiety that something bad will happen.”
“That’s a good way to put it,” Holly murmured.
“I’m just saying, you’re lucky you don’t have to put up with those,” Chloe said.
“I agree, and I’m sorry you do. I get them too, sometimes, but it’s become obvious that I get them a lot less than most people. I wish I knew why,” Liz said.
“It’s probably that your brain chemistry is a lot closer to what it’s supposed to be,” Gabe replied.
“Do you want some painkillers?” Holly asked.
“Probably a good idea, yeah. This feels pretty nice though,” he murmured as Liz ran her fingers through his hair.
“I am going to make this up to you tomorrow,” she said as Holly headed off.
“Well...okay.”
Chloe snorted. “He’s not saying no to that.”
“I’m not saying no to that,” Gabe agreed. “How will you make it up, exactly?”
Liz smirked down at him and ran her fingers through his hair again. “I’ll just have to think of something to surprise you with.”
“Very fine by me,” he said.
“Here, love,” Holly said, returning with the painkillers and a glass of water. He sat up and took them, began to lay back down, then sighed and stood up.
“Thank you. I’d better finish getting ready.”
Chloe stood up as well. “Let me help you, you can never get your hair right.”
“You’re stoned,” he replied.
“Not that stoned, dipshit, come on.”
He slapped her ass hard as they began walking for the stairs. She stopped and glared at him. “If you weren’t going on a date, I’d fuck your hair up on purpose.”
“If I wasn’t going on a date, I’d bend you over and spank and fuck you until you threw your voice out screaming,” he replied.
She kept staring at him, lips pressed together, her cheeks reddening. She heaved a sigh, took his hand, and led him on without another word.