ever since (gxg)

Chapter 8 - Just a game

How had I never seen how georgous she was?

That was the first thought in my head when I saw Tatum with a red cup in her hand. She wore her hair loose and open over her shoulders, while the tight black dress showed off just the right parts of her beautiful body.

Gay Jesus. How on earth could I have won this woman over?

When only a short distance separated us, it hit me like a hammer. The knowledge and anger that we were in public. That I couldn't just walk up to her and kiss her. Because there were too many eyes here, observing and watching us. It was no place to do that. I knew that. But that didn't mean that I questioned our own decisions all of a sudden. This was especially the case when our eyes crossed. The way her ocean blue eyes captivated me and wouldn't let me go. All of once I felt my heart beat faster and the little grin that formed on Tatum's lips told me that she was feeling the same way.

"Isn't that your little pearl?" Claude's words sent a cold shiver down my spine.

"Please don't say pearl," I begged her and watched as she filled her cup with different types of alcohol.

"Oh heeeeeeey," growled a voice behind us, which I identified as Maddison's. One of my team, who was in the group with Tatum.

"Hey," I turned to them and realized my cheeks were turning red and I didn't even know why.

So stupid of me.

"So you're half of the Big Three and then you've got two beautiful cheerleaders with you," another team member observed the situation, her eyes lingering on Claude, who was sipping her cup and not realizing what was happening.

"Hmm?"

"I think you just got hit on," Sara summarized next to me. Whereas our friend took a minute to process the words.

"Oh," escaped her mouth when she finally understood. Then she turned her eyes to the three girls who were watching the situation with amusement. Tatum in particular, who couldn't help but pay me some extra attention, hidden but clearly for me.

"And pretty kooky," Keira enjoyed the sight. "But also pretty cute, though."

"Is this what I think is happening?" I heard the uncertainty in Sara's voice and had to hold back a laugh.
 
"I think so," I answered her in a whisper without taking my eyes off the situation.

Thank you," Claude replied, almost embarrassed. Untypical for her.

"Wha...", I stopped midsentence when I realized she was holding out a cup to me. "Thank you, but I don't drink."

"That's the answer I was hoping for," she came a little closer to my face. The music was blaring and she gently placed her lips against the shell of my ear. Nothing that was conspicuous, considering we were currently at a house party. "It's just water," she hissed to me afterwards.

I looked into the red cup. A mint and a lemon were floating around in the clear liquid. It looked like it was a gin and tonic - but apparently it wasn't. My eyes checked hers and again she responded by lifting the corner of her lips a little.

"Smell it," she pointed to the cup. "I'm not lying to you."

"I don't think so either. It's just..." I replayed in my head the first time Nora told me that she put mint and lemon in a cup of water so that nobody would ask her why she didn't drink. Because with this tactic, no one doubted. It looked like any other alcoholic drink. "I didn't realize we knew the same trick."

"I guess we'll both have to give the probs for that to someone else," Tatum gave a short laugh and all at once I was aware again that my non-girlfriend was already romantically involved with Nora Haughton. I could comfortably say that it no longer threw me totally off track. It was still strange somehow - yes. But that uneasy feeling was no longer spreading. Instead, my body was filled with the desire to kiss Tatum. I wanted nothing more than that. And my face probably spoke for itself, because she leaned towards me again and finally said, "We should quickly come up with an excuse to leave." 

I nodded with a grin. "I don't mind."

"Hey you," the host came around the corner. Visibly drunk, yet clear in his spoken language. "How about a round of cockroach poker?" He pointed his finger directly in my face. And at that moment at the latest, I would have declined his "invitation".