“They all want sex.”
“Then it’s your lucky weekend.”
“A whole weekend with some random woman? No way. No one’s gonna fall for that.”
“Hey, give her some credit. You’re gonna have to be her slave, that’s enticing enough … ”
“Sex slave.” Brian hasn’t stopped laughing.
“ … to the first lucky woman I’ll pick.” Caleb jerks his chin at the door of the poker room. “Do you have the balls to take this one on?”
“Balls? You’re talking to me about balls?”
*
“There’s only one way to find out,” Cassie says, grinning. “Go see for yourself. I’ll come with you.”
The brunette holds out her hand. “I’m Melanie.”
Sam gives it a shake. “Samantha. And this is Cassandra.”
“Cassie and she’s Sam.” Cassie rolls her eyes and elbows Sam. “What’s with the formality?”
Melanie says, “This Brian Morton that we’re all talking about … he thinks he’s God’s gift to women.”
“So what’s new? He’s a regular prick,” Cassie says.
“With an ego the size of the moon,” Melanie affirms.
The blonde tosses back her drink. “You can say that about his cock,” she slurs.
“But you still want him,” Sam says to Melanie.
She flushes slightly. Then again, it could be due to the martini in her hand. “Just to try him out. You know, to see what the fuss is all about.”
“Like a one night stand?” Sam is aware that her tone has taken on a little disapproving lilt.
“What? You don’t do one night stands?”
“More like a one hour stand,” the blonde throws in. “And we weren’t even standing.”
Sam says carefully, “Well, I sort of want more in a relationship with a man. Sex is just a very small part of it.”#p#分页标题#e#
“That’s why she never gets laid,” Cassie remarks. “So tell me more about this Brian. He sounds interesting.”
“You’d say that.” Sam rolls her eyes.
Melanie says, “He sleeps with anything that moves, apparently, but he doesn’t sleep with a woman twice. Ever.”
“It’s his rule,” says Melanie’s brunette friend. “He doesn’t want emotional entanglements.”
“Why not?” Sam asks.
The two brunettes eye each other and shrug.
Melanie says. “Maybe you should ask him yourself.”
“But the man can sure fuck,” the blonde interjects. She’s slumping in her seat now. She quickly downs the rest of her drink before she can lose her balance.
Cassie says, “He does sound like our high school bully. That guy could fuck you in ways you’d never imagine. And he doesn’t even have to use his penis. Only thing … I don’t remember him being a dreamboat. Do you, Sam?”
A procession of vivid memories fleet through Sam’s mind. The Brian Morton she knew was a huge kid in eighth grade – a little on the tubby side. Scratch that. He was hulking, overweight, and tall. Towered over everyone at fourteen. Ham-fisted. Sulky, petulant mouth. He was always with his two buddies, Caleb and Norman. He scored surprisingly good grades. Better grades than her, which was something she could never stomach about him.
“Hey, Jaws,” he used to yell at her. “Bitten off someone’s leg yet?”
Then there was that incident with the chalk. Brian Morton drew – with white chalk – a picture of shark teeth encapsulating the words ‘FUCK ME’ on her chair in mirror image. Unsuspecting, she sat upon it. And walked around school the entire day with it imprinted upon her black skirt.
In the smoky atmosphere of the bar, Sam can feel her blood beginning a slow simmer.
She declares, “If I ever see him again, I’ll give him a piece of my mind. It was always me he targeted, never Cassie.”
Cassie chortles. “Give him a piece of your mind? You should do more than that, girl. You should slap his pudgy face.”
Melanie points towards the door of the pool room. “Well, today might be your lucky day. Go get him, if he’s the one you’re looking to decapitate.”
*
“OK, now that we are all agreed on the bets, it’s showdown,” the dealer says.
Brian flips open his two cards. They are a two of diamonds and a five of clubs. He knew he didn’t have a good hand but that wasn’t the point.
He grins. “Bring it on, Cal.”
Caleb opens his cards. They are a king of spades and a jack of spades.
Straight flush.
“Wow,” Brian says. “No wonder you were so confident.”