“Drives you crazy, doesn’t it?” she added.
“You can say that again.”
Genuine irritation had begun to replace my frustration about Wren and taboos. “As I was saying…,” I said testily.
Mark did his best not to smirk, but his best wasn’t very good.
“Hey,” I snapped, “do you wanna do this?”
“Oh, no. You’re doing fine. Sorry. Keep going.”
“As I was saying…” I waited, in case anyone else had anything to add. They didn’t. “Thank you!”
Christy stroked my hand and used her mind control again, this time to soothe my ego. I closed my eyes, inhaled slowly, and found my island of inner peace.
“Right,” I continued after a moment. “The game is six rounds—”
“Five.”
I glared. “What?”
“Five rounds,” Wren said. “We decided. And Brooke just said it. ‘Three guys, five rounds’? Remember?”
Inner peace, I reminded myself. “Five rounds,” I said aloud. “Each woman gives a blowjob for a minute.”
Wren couldn’t leave well enough alone. She raised her hand for permission to speak.
I imagined a grade school on my island. I was the cool teacher that everyone loved. “Yes?”
“We decided on two-minute rounds. Well, they did. I was outvoted.”
“Yes,” Brooke countered, “but we’ll have two-minute rounds in our game, too.”
“If you recall,” Wren said, faux-sweet, “I wanted five-minute rounds.”
“Then we’d have five-minute rounds in the blowjob game.”
“Not necessarily.”
“Besides,” Brooke went on, undeterred, “that’s twenty-five minutes for each game, minimum. Time between rounds plus time between the games…? That’s an hour. I thought these were supposed to be ‘quick and fun.’ That’s what you said, remember?”
“I know what I said,” Wren flared, before she too put the brakes on her frustration. “We don’t have to have the same rules for both games.”
“Why not?” Brooke said obstinately. “It’s only fair.”
Wren started to say something but then thought better of it.
Christy sighed into the silence. “Is it always this hard?”
“Is what—?” I said. “Never mind. I know. Yeah, it is. But it gets better.”
“That’s what you said last time.”
“We’re sorry, my love,” Wren said.
“I’m not so sure,” Christy muttered.
Wren and Brooke looked at each other. They shrugged at the same time and then laughed about it.
“We’ll behave,” Brooke said for both of them.
“Thank you,” Christy said. “Paul…? You were saying…?”
“Right. Five rounds. Two minutes each. And then the guy tries to guess who it was. If he gets it right, the woman gives him the chip. If he’s wrong, she keeps it. The guy with the most chips wins. Same for the woman with the most.”
“What happens in the case of ties?” Brooke asked.
“Who cares,” Trip said flippantly. “What do I win?”
Wren glared.
“Okay, let me rephrase. What does the winner—who might be any of us but will probably be me—win?”
“That isn’t what I meant,” Wren said. She glanced at me and made a little hand-raising gesture.
“Seriously?” Trip said. “This isn’t kindergarten.”
“Whatever.”
“Besides, Paul was right. Y’all kept interrupting him.” He continued after a pause, “So, what do we win?”
A new voice answered, “We haven’t decided yet.”
We turned as a group. Leah and Erin had rejoined us.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Leah added.
“No, no! It’s fine,” I said. “Welcome back.”
Erin ventured a smile, although she’d clearly been crying. “I want to apologize…”
Leah clasped her hand for support, and Erin threatened to tear up again. She smiled gratefully and wiped her eyes with her free hand.
“Sorry” she said. “I’ve been under a lot of stress lately. And I guess I haven’t handled it very well.”
“None of us have,” Mark said. “It’s been hard on everyone, but worst for you.”
“I know,” Erin said. “And thanks for putting up with me.”
“We don’t ‘put up with you.’ We love you.”
Erin swallowed hard, and Leah gave him a look like she’d fallen in love all over again.
“Thanks,” Erin said through unshed tears. “I love you all too.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes again. “Anyway, I’m sorry for how I acted before. I’m not upset at anyone, and definitely not Christy.”
“We never thought you were,” Christy said.
“You’ll make me start crying again,” Erin said.
Leah embraced her before she could.
“I’m so sorry,” Erin whispered, her voice rough with emotion. “I love you so much. I just…”
“I know. I love you too.”
No one spoke.
Christy and I glanced at each other. Her hand touched mine, and our fingers twined together.
“Come on,” Leah said to Erin, “let’s get you cleaned up again.” She led her away. Then she looked over her shoulder at Mark, and something passed between them.
“Right,” he said. “Hey, Brooke… let’s make some more drinks. Help me in the kitchen?”
She blinked. “Of— of course.”
Leah and Erin disappeared into her bungalow, while Mark and Brooke headed for the clubhouse.
“So,” Trip said after a sip of whiskey, “does this mean we aren’t gonna get our dicks sucked?”
Wren rolled her eyes in annoyance. “You see what I have to put up with?” she said to Christy. “Are you sure you don’t wanna marry me instead?”
“I’m sure. Sorry.”
“Whatever.” She glared at Trip.
“What?” he said with exaggerated innocence. “I was just askin’.”
* * *
Mark and Brooke returned with cups for Leah and Erin, along with a pitcher of refills for the rest of us.
I held my hand over mine. “I’m fine, thanks.”
“I’ll drink his,” Christy said.
Mark chuckled and poured. He waited for her to take a long drink before he topped it off.
“You sure?” he asked me.
“I’m sure. Thanks.”
He gestured with the pitcher at Trip.
“God, no. But thanks.”
“What’s the matter?” Christy said. “You don’t wanna drink with us?”
I blinked in surprise at her tone. She’d been relatively quiet to that point, while the rest of us had been touchy and irritable. Brooke noticed and frowned. I started to say something, but I shouldn’t have worried. Alcohol made Christy bolder, but it had the opposite effect on Trip. He smiled diplomatically.
“Of course I do,” he said. “But I don’t like Southern Comfort. And instead of being a butthead about it…” He raised his cup and shrugged. “Anyway, I decided to drink something else and keep my big mouth shut.” He glanced at me. “Isn’t that what you say?”
“When I’m thinking with the big head,” I admitted, and everyone chuckled.
“Besides,” Trip continued, “that leaves more for you all. But if you get tired of the fruit punch, I’ll be happy to share the good stuff.” He even extended his cup.
Brooke raised a coppery eyebrow, and Christy looked suitably chastised.
“No, thank you,” she said, polite again. “Sorry. I thought…”
Trip waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Sorry to keep you all waiting,” Leah said. “Again.”
A ripple of surprise went through us as we turned.
Erin looked a thousand times better. She’d brushed her hair and pulled it into a side ponytail, and Leah had fixed her makeup. She didn’t normally wear much, but Leah had added subtle touches like eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss.
“Wow,” Mark said, “you look awesome.”
“Oh my gosh,” Christy agreed.
Trip stood and pulled out their chairs for them. Mark rose at the same time and gestured them around the table. Erin looked a little self-conscious at all the attention, but Leah smiled and encouraged her. Trip scooted her chair under her, and Mark did the same for Leah.