TEN #3
“Well, I haven’t done the deed with a virgin," Tanner said, his voice dropping into this weirdly mature tone. "But I imagine you want to fabricate a whole proper date night first. You know, to put her at ease.”
My mouth literally dropped open. Weston froze.
“Keep it low-key, though,” Tanner continued, gesturing with a stray onion ring.
“Like pizza, Coke, and a movie. Chilled. Definitely don’t go full-on romantic.
Scented candles, rose petals, and all that shit will make her more nervous.
And don’t start pawing her the second she walks through the door. ”
“Pfft, that’s not going to be easy,” Weston muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m a handsy kind of guy.”
“Yeah, well, it’s Halo. Ease your way into it. Go slow," Tanner explained, effortlessly making total sense about the opposite sex for the first time in human history. "Once you’ve helped her feel comfortable, then you can bring out the big guns.”
Weston tilted his head, a smirk tugging at his mouth. “The big guns?”
“Or in your case, the water pistol. Sorry, I was projecting my own situation,” Tanner fired back without missing a beat.
West and I started laughing as Tanner’s big dick contest entered the conversation, just like it did most weeks. Tanner had started the rumour about how well-hung he was at school himself.
“Hey, idiots, you asked!” Tanner chuntered, aggressively lifting his feet and slamming them back onto the coffee table with a loud thud.
Once we had taken hold of ourselves and all picked up our controllers, Tanner added, “Oh, and loads of foreplay, chicks need that shit.” His phone then went off, the Bee Gees blaring out around the small space.
His choice of music forced Weston and me to exchange an amused look.
Tanner saw it as he drew the phone to his face, flipping us the finger and chuntering about how we both had no taste.
As Tanner pushed to his feet and wandered out toward the open patio doors, I zeroed in on Weston. He was still clutching his controller like a lifeline, his eyes entirely blank.
“You good, West?”
He snapped out of it, lifting his chin. “What? Er, yeah. I think so. I’m just absolutely bricking it, mate. What if I completely mess it up?”
I looked him dead in the eye and spoke the one truth everyone in our circle knew. Out of all the girls on our radar, Halo was the one person Weston Cavendish would never willingly hurt.
“It’s Halo,” I said softly. “You won’t.”
“It’s just a massive amount of pressure. You get that, don’t you?”
“Yeah, man. But you’ll be fine. I take it you haven’t had... technical difficulties in that department before?” I joked, scratching my chin with the corner of my controller.
“Not yet.”
“Well, then. Just go with the flow. She’s your friend, and you’re helping her out. Don’t make it into a bigger deal than it needs to be.”
“But what if she does, afterwards?”
“You’ll have to cross that bridge when you come to it, man.”
Weston gave me a genuine nod of thanks, his shoulders visibly dropping right as Tanner sauntered back in. He threw himself into his chair with a heavy sigh.
“That was quick,” I noted, my internal radar suddenly switching on. Tanner normally didn't walk away to take calls. “I take it the crisis was easily managed?”
Tanner shrugged, tapping his controller. “What?”
“Who was it?” I blurted out before my brain could stop my mouth.
Tanner gave me a slow, calculated side-eye as he logged us back into our game. “Just Amelie. She wanted to know if I’d study with her on Sunday.”
Drop. My controller literally slipped from my fingers, hitting the floorboards as I shot forward in my seat. “What?”
Weston immediately shook his head in mock despair. Tanner gave me a shit-eating grin before bursting out laughing, his shoulders shaking. The prick was winding me up.
“You are a dead man,” I growled, slamming myself moodily back into the leather cushion.
“Yeah? You and what army, mate?” Tanner smirked, pointing a finger gun at me.
Unfortunately, the idiot had a point.
“So,” Tanner piped up, navigating the game menu with annoying smugness. “Are you still living in absolute denial about her, then?”
“I’m not in denial!” I fired back. Shit. Did I reply too quickly?
I didn't even have to look at Weston to feel the waves of smug satisfaction radiating off him. “Fucking liar,” West chuckled. “You answered way too fast, man. Definite denial.”
There was a beat of silence whilst I told myself not to rise to the bait. All was going well until Tanner said, “So what are you going to do about Aaron Blake?”
“What about him?”
“He’s been asking about Amelie. You worried?”
“Why would I be worried. He touches anything of mine, and I’ll break his fingers.”
Both Tanner and Weston exchanged a glance before the big fucker pushed back into his chair, flexed his hands against his controller and muttered, “I rest my fucking case.”
“Are we actually playing the PS5, or are we gossiping like old women all night?” I grumbled.
I shifted my weight in the seat to prove my point, and the leather made a fart noise.
The room went dead silent for half a second.
“It was the sofa!” I yelled over the immediate, explosive roar of their laughter. “You’re so fricking juvenile.”
“Sure, it was, mate!” Tanner wheezed, throwing an overdone chip at me.
What could I say? We were eighteen-year-old guys. We could be mature when it mattered, but a well-timed sofa cushion fart was always going to break the ice.
With my pride properly dented and Weston's panic temporarily managed, we finally refocused on the screen. We spent the rest of the night taking turns kicking the shit out of the enemy online. And for the first time in a whole week, I stopped dwelling on my own problems.