Secret Rulebook of Cheating

Rule #25: Bragging is a No-no

A/N: Sorry for being MIA. I'll try to publish the next parts soon. Excuse the lack of thorough editing – I don't want to keep you waiting for as long as I did again. 

Thank you.

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'Did we miss anything?' Sylvia asked cheerfully as we walked back to our table and took our seats. 'Where's Nadia?'

'She's talking on the phone,' Dan informed. 'And, no, you didn't miss anything. Just guys' talk.'

I noticed Rob smirk.

'And what do guys talk about when their girls visit the ladies room?' Sylvia probed.

Dan and Rob shared a look and then they both looked at Jason, who seemed to find the edge of the table cloth very interesting.

'You don't want to know,' Dan dismissed.

Sylvia, however, didn't let it go. 'Consider me intrigued.'

A gust of wind swirled around the restaurant as the terrace door slid open and Nadia came back inside. 'Mila sends her best. She wishes she was here with us,' she reported. 'So what did I miss?'

Deja-vu. Fact, we - girls were curious creatures.

'The guys here were talking about something that they don't want to tell us,' Sylvia betrayed them immediately.

'You know we won't leave you alone until you do, right?' Nadia threatened as she sat down.

Rob seemed unaffected by her pointed look. 'We don't ask what you girls talk about in the ladies room, do we?'

'That's because you don't want to hear about makeup and tampons,' Sylvia threw back and I felt immediate appreciation for her decision to omit the real exchange of words that went on in the bathroom. The guys flinched at the mention of tampons. Boys will be boys.

The waiter appeared, carrying a few bottles of water and some breadsticks. He left everything on the table and brought out a pad and a pen. Rob ordered sushi for all of us and some typical Japanese drink I couldn't pronounce the name of even if I tried.

'So will it be the easy way or the hard way?' Sylvia continued the conversation when he left as if we hadn't been interrupted. She was giving Dan the same look Nadia was giving Rob. I guess in a way, it was kind of scary.

Dan held her gaze for a moment and when Sylvia didn't even blink, he turned to Jason, blurted one quick 'sorry, bro' and turned back to his girl, betraying the bro code by spilling their guys' talk out. 'Jason just slipped that he'd had the hottest sex of his life with some gorgeous girl last night.'

The moment of shock when the words reached my brain sent the sip I had just taken from my water in the wrong pipe. I started coughing as I felt the barrier standing in the way of my air supply. Someone was quick enough to smack my back a few times until my lungs started functioning again.

'Are you okay?' Jason asked, worry in his eyes.

I nodded, clearing my throat one last time and reached for my water again. His hand was still on my back. 'Wrong pipe.'

All eyes were on me.

'I think I need more air.' I stood from my chair avoiding looking at Jason. He may have just saved my life but I was so mad at him.

I slid the glass door to the terrace, stepped outside and shut it back after myself, trying my best not to slam it. The balcony was wide and just above a ledge. I went to the edge and clutched the railing. The ocean was throwing its waves under, hitting the rock with the familiar sound. Just as the anger was crashing its waves inside me.