Datson is wearing a beer guzzler helmet, passing out cups for the keg, and making a point to talk to every one of the fifty or so people walking around the first floor of our house. He and Shaw moved in today, and Datson has named himself the one-man welcoming committee.
“How are the new roommates?” Gabby asks as I follow her around the party.
“Good.” I shrug and step in front of her to stop someone from plowing into her. The party is just getting started, and people are already beyond drunk. First week of school parties are crazy.
“Where’s your drink?” she asks, finally noticing I don’t have one. Aside from the night with Chloe, I’d been doing a good job of keeping the partying under control. Before I can answer, she grabs my hand and pulls me toward the kitchen.
Datson swoops in just as we near the liquor bottles on the counter. He holds out a red cup. “Need a cup or are you drinking straight from the bottle tonight?”
I take a cup without answering him and head to the keg and pour a beer.
“Now you’re ready,” she says and links her arm through mine. I’m not sure if I should be insulted or not that no one has noticed how much I’ve cut back.
“Ready for what?” I ask, noticing the huge grin on her face that is a dead giveaway that she’s up to no good.
“Operation girlfriend.”
Both brows lift under the hair falling into my eyes. I brush it away and go to tuck it behind my ears. It’s a habit that makes me miss my long hair. I cut it a few months ago, and I’m still not used to my once chin-length hair being cropped short.
“I don’t think I’m exactly in the place right now for a girlfriend. I couldn’t even buy her a drink at the bar.”
I know she heard me, but Gabby ignores me and pulls me around the room. “Alright, what’s your type? Blonde, brunette, redhead? Ooh, how about that girl over there with the pink hair?”
Shaking my head, I indulge her. “What if her natural color is awful, and she goes back to it a month after we’re dating?”
“That is strangely insightful.” Gabby stops and glances around the room. I do a quick perusal and drop my eyes. Having my best friend shop for girls for me isn’t awkward at all. She huffs something about my being picky. “How about the girl in the yellow dress by the window?”
Gabby moves toward her before I can respond. I’ve never seen her and she looks nervous. Yellow dress, blonde hair, tall and tan—athletic build. I can’t place which sport, but I’m banking on her being a student-athlete. Ten bucks she’s a freshman. Or, I guess, ten high fives because that’s all I’m fucking good for.
“Hi!” Gabby startles the poor girl, and I do my best to hang back and not make this situation any more painful than it already is.
I love Gabby, I do. She’s full of life and has nothing but good intentions but I don’t want to be set up. I think dating and relationships should happen naturally when you least expect it. Just walking along minding your own business and BAM, hot girl drops in front of you. Sort of like how Chloe and I met, but with less alcohol and exactly zero of the shame and regret in the girl’s eyes the next morning.
Speaking of, I glance around the room in hopes she came, but even before my eyes finish a once over of the room, I know she’s not here. When Chloe is around, I can feel it.
Gabby pulls me closer as she introduces herself. “I’m Gabby. Are you new?”
The girl nods and looks like she’s about to pass out from nerves. “Maureen.”
When I don’t speak up for myself, Gabby continues, “This is Nathan. So, Maureen, are you single? Do you think my friend here is cute?”
I take a sip of my beer and it goes down all wrong, making my throat burn and my eyes water. When I can speak, I say, “Excuse her, too much time sniffing glue as a kid melted her brain.”
“Whaaat?” Gabby asks innocently.
“You can’t ask people things like that,” I mutter and offer Maureen an apologetic smile.
She giggles, and I know she’s not for me. It’s not a sound I can imagine hearing every day. Probably petty, but shouldn’t a guy want to hear his girl laugh?
“At least she didn’t eat it,” Maureen says.
“I like her,” Gabby proclaims, her eyes not leaving Maureen. My best girl may have visions of braiding hair and naked pillow fights, but I have no such fantasies. I mean, well, okay, that’s a damn good visual regardless of my disinterest.
“And I’m single,” Maureen adds, interrupting me from mentally undressing her, except the naked vision of her isn’t her at all.
I can’t get Chloe off the brain no matter how hard I try. But she isn’t here and Maureen is, so the least I can do is be a gentleman and make a little small talk. “Where are you living?”
Before Maureen can answer, Gabby pulls away. “I’m going to get a drink.” She winks at me and then turns to Maureen. “Nice to meet you.”
“I live in Freddy. What about you?”
“I live here.”
“Really?” Her eyes are wide, and I swear she went from sort of interested to planning our destination wedding.
I’m about to tell her I need to take a piss just to get away without being rude, when she places a hand on my forearm. The nervous and shy girl is gone and replaced by one who wants to eat me alive. “Why don’t you show me around?”
I take her through the kitchen and outside. We’ve got a nice patio set up and a pool that several people have already jumped in.
“And this is the backyard,” I say because honest to God, I just don’t know what else to say. Clever, I am not.
“Oh, that pool is amazing!”
Dock another point for the high-pitched squeal that has me squeezing my eyes shut. “You like to swim?”
“I’m on the Valley swim team.”
“Ah.”
She slips off her shoes and then takes my hand as she heads toward the pool. She’s got a death grip on me, and she drags me behind her. I manage to slip out of her clutches as she steps down into the pool. It’s only a couple feet deep and her dress is plenty short enough to stay dry. I step back and watch as she twirls around and splashes in it.
I spot Shaw, who is also in the pool. He eyes Maureen with interest. She seems nice, I’m just not feeling it, so I motion with my head for him to go for it. It’s two seconds too late, though. Maureen uses those long legs to run and jump from where she stands in the shallow end to me on the top step. She flings her arms around my neck and I’m crashing forward, taking us both into the pool before I know what’s what.
Chloe
One step inside The White House and I understand why my roommates were so excited about coming. The house itself is huge and white… hence the name, I suppose. I try and act casual and like I’ve been here before as we step through the front door into a huge entryway.
The living room and kitchen are open concept and extend into one huge space. To the right is a staircase, and I’m guessing that’s where the bedrooms are. We pass by a theater room and a bathroom that already has a line of girls waiting their turn.
This place is extravagant. And I know extravagant.
“Who took Zeke and Wes’ spots in the house?” Sydney asks and they all look to me.
Emily and Sydney have dropped all pretenses of freezing me out now that they know my White House connection, but Bri is watching me like she’s waiting for me to screw up. I wish I didn’t feel like that’s exactly what I’m about to do. I don’t even know for sure if Nathan is here. He still hasn’t responded to my texts.
“I’m not sure,” I answer and keep moving. The place is packed just like Sydney said it would be. I need to find Nathan so I can… crap, what am I going to do when I find him?
“Ladies.” A guy with dark hair sticking out around a red beer helmet steps in front of us with cups. “Welcome. Keg and liquor are in the kitchen.”
The girls all take a cup and head in the direction of the booze and I hang back.
“Hey, have you seen Nathan?” I ask him quietly.
“Pool,” he offers as he places a cup in my hand.
“Thanks.” I exhale a sigh of relief that Nathan is here, but then that starts off a whole new set of emotions—namely excitement at seeing him again. And crap, I need to reel it in. Friends… we’re just going to be friends.
I slip past Bri and Emily without them noticing. Sydney and I make eye contact and I mouth, “Be right back.”
The outside is as nice as the rest of the house. The yard is bigger than I expected with a large patio that is partially covered. The pool is the real showstopper, though. There are a dozen cushioned lounge chairs placed around it, all filled with people.
Quite a few people are in the pool, too, and my gaze flits over the girls lying in neon light-up floaties and snags on a couple in the shallow end coming out of the pool fully dressed. The girl is giggling at the state of them. Her dress is molded to her skin, leaving very little to the imagination, but she doesn’t care. She’s holding on to the guy and he’s… breathtaking.
I know because I inhale sharply and forget to breathe as I take him in. Desire, panic, jealousy—I feel all of those things and nothing at all because the guy… the freaking guy is my fake boyfriend.