All This and $10 on 2

Party People

"Lauren, I *really* don't want to go to this thing tonight."

Lauren, looking like an angel in my passenger seat, took my right hand, kissed it and placed it on her left thigh. "I know, Love. You're so good to me."

I squeezed Lauren's thigh before running my hand softly up and down it. Then, I looked at my beautiful girlfriend while at a red light and asked. "How are you able to capitalize words when you speak?"

Lauren smiled, having wondered frequently how I was able to do that very thing. "Probably the same way you're able to enunciate asterisks."

"Is that what they are?" I smiled playfully.

Lauren pointed. "The light is green, my love."

I drove on. Several minutes later, we had arrived at the Leveque family lake house where the party was already in full swing. The point was driven home when the All-State middle linebacker of the school's state champion football team, Johnny Bingaman, fell off the roof of the boat house when Lauren and I got out of the car.

I pulled Lauren close to me and looked meaningfully into her smiling eyes. "This isn't going to end well, you know that. I know Ashley; she's got something planned. She couldn’t be bothered to care whether we showed up otherwise."

Lauren kissed me fiercely. "I love that you're so protective of me, but you really need to lighten up. People change."

"Not Ashley.” I said and held up air quotes, “She’s not ‘people’."

I was reminded of the time when Ashley and I were still together. It was early fall and I had finally coaxed Ashley in to coming to the woods for a walk in the bright, cool afternoon air. She complained incessantly the entire time, of course. We had been walking for about half an hour when I noticed a doe with a fawn. I motioned for Ashley to be quiet and to come and see, pointing them out to her. Ashley saw the animals and quickly picked up a rock the size of a baseball and hurled it ineffectively at the doe and fawn.

I stopped her before she could throw another. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I demanded.

Ashley simply replied “I like venison.”

“Are you crazy? Why would you try to kill a deer with a rock?”

“What do you care? It’s just a stupid animal…” Ashley’s eyes flickered with mischief. “Speaking of which, I want you to do something for me.”

I let out an exasperated sigh; knowing, most likely, where her train of thought had gone. “What?”

“Me.”

I shook myself from the disturbing memory as Lauren pulled free from my arms and drug me along by the hand.

I suddenly realized Lauren's motives for wanting to be at the party.

I easily pulled Lauren back and held her close so only she could hear what I was about to say. "If you're not ready to go through what we initially planned for tonight, it's okay. All you have to do is say so. I swear to you I won't be mad, upset or hurt."

Lauren's eyes gleamed. "Who said anything about not being ready? Come on, lover boy. I've got plans for you!"

* * *

 “Lauren! Brandon! Over here!”

Brandon was immediately apprehensive, but relaxed when he recognized the voice’s owner. Michele was waving them over to her from one of the front rooms. When they finally reached her, Michele hugged and kissed them both enthusiastically.

Lauren had always been body-conscious. She was especially so whenever she was around Michele. It wasn’t that Michele intentionally flaunted her assets, it was just that she was that incredibly, naturally beautiful. Lauren had overheard many a hushed conversation between other girls about how they wished their bodies looked like Michele’s. Tonight, however… Lauren felt what could only be described as attraction. Michele looked amazing. Brandon held out his hands and Michele did a little twirl to show herself off to him. Lauren had to remind herself that was just how they were with each other and that the sudden uprising of jealousy was unnecessary. It wasn’t easy…

“Wow, Michele, you look amazing!”

Michele blushed at the compliment. Lauren’s cheeks flushed with uncontrolled feelings. Before she could do or say anything she might later regret, Brandon pulled Lauren to him and kissed her on the cheek and whispered in her ear. “You know you’re the only girl for me, right?”

A smile lit up Lauren’s face and she calmed down. Michele had turned around and was pulling along a very attractive girl. She was about three inches shorter than Michele even with her six-inch stilettos.

“I have this lovely creature to thank for my appearance tonight.” Michele giggled as she wrapped her arms around Lola’s waist.”

“Oh my goodness!” Lauren exclaimed. “Lola, you look amazing! I barely recognized you!”

Brandon caught Lauren staring at Lola’s tattoo and smiled at her warmly. Brandon had indicated that he was going to get a tattoo after graduation, but Lauren wasn’t terribly crazy about the idea. She wasn’t going to stop him; she just didn’t know how she felt about him marking himself in such a permanent way like that. Brandon could tell by the look in her eye that not only would she be okay with it, but now she wanted one too.

* * *

Ashley had dressed in her most revealing outfit to set her plan into action. Boys and girls alike were drooling all over her. Even Thomas was having a hard time keeping himself from ogling her. Ashley was working the crowd as expertly as any socialite, but had a watchful eye out for Brandon and Lauren. She was through playing games. Tonight Ashley was going to take back what was rightfully hers. Finally, Brandon's head emerged from the throng of dancing flesh. Lauren was clinging to him as if he were her lifeline. A very small part of Ashley remembered what that felt like, his quiet power and calming presence… The rest of her quickly stomped those feelings back into submission and floated over to the new arrivals.

She made a huge show of giving Lauren a huge hug and thanking her profusely for dragging Brandon along. Lauren's smile threatened to reach her ears as she wrapped her delicate arms back around Brandon and laughingly told Ashley, "I had to make it worth his while, but he finally agreed to come." She finished with a sexy wink at Brandon and returned her happy eyes to Ashley's. Ashley smiled wide, but the smile never reached her eyes. She quickly thanked them again and excused herself. She grabbed Thomas and pulled him into a utility closet.

"I knew it! They're finally sleeping together! She was so pleased with herself; you should have seen her..." Ashley crossed her arms and huffed. "Brandon didn't even look at me! I mean, almost everyone here wants me and he couldn't even be bothered to look at me!" Ashley punched the wall opposite the door. "She even bragged about having to make it 'worth his while' to drag him here!"

Ashley let out a ragged breath and looked mournfully at Thomas. "I know you usually catch for me, but I need a shot of confidence." Ashley reached down and found that, surprisingly, she wouldn't have to coax him too much to oblige her.

* * *

Michele whispered to Lauren that she and Lola were heading for some “overdue quality time” before winking at her and nodding her head towards Brandon who was currently pulling Johnny out of a potted plant in the corner. The images that began playing in her mind made Lauren feel like she needed to catch her breath and get some fresh air; she realized why her imagination was in hyper-drive, Lauren had been more than ready for this moment since the prom.

Brandon was just barely able to keep from laughing. "Worth my while, huh? You know how Ashley took that, right?" Lauren lowered her head and then looked back up at Brandon, biting her lower lip. The effect of the naughty-innocent look was immediate to Brandon. Lauren noticed this and a twinkle lit up her eyes.

"You little minx!" Brandon laughed as he picked Lauren up easily. Lauren wrapped her legs around Brandon's waist and whispered in his ear, "Take me upstairs, Brandon. I'm ready. Now!"