He gaped at Sam. He couldn't answer her as he suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Strange feeling, that.
"Honestly, Sammy, you're so conservative. Chill! It's just sex," Kris admonished her cousin.
"I'd just hate for you to end up sleeping with a wacko. People you meet at clubs and pubs—well, you just don't know what they're like," Sam retorted.
"Do you think Trey's a wacko?"
"Of course not!"
"Well, he goes to clubs like this to find some fun. Do you think he's an undesirable character?" Kris asked, waving her hand in front of Trey's face.
"No," Sam admitted.
"There you go," Kris replied, as if a deal had already been sealed.
Trey inhaled deeply to get precious oxygen in his lungs. Suddenly, breathing had become hard.
He felt disturbed. Very disturbed. It was hypocritical, but he was on Sam's side. The thought of Kris going home with someone else tonight just didn't agree with him.
It was perplexing, but he put it down to his competitive nature. He wanted Kris. No doubt part of that strong attraction was the fact that they'd agreed not to sleep together. He loved the thrill of the chase. Wasn't that partly the reason why he enjoyed being single? There was always someone new, providing him with an injection of excitement when he wanted it.
The blond man Kris and Sam were talking about arrived at their table, carrying two glasses of wine and a bottle of beer.
The man gave him a curious look. In return, he gave him a hard stare.
"Thanks, Paul," Kris said with a cute smile as she accepted her wine from the newcomer.
"My pleasure," Paul responded with a sickly-sweet grin at Kris. He glanced at the only seat available—a single armchair adjacent to Trey.
Trey watched as Paul gave Kris a hopeful look, then glanced meaningfully at Sam and at him. Well, Paul could give all the non-verbal messages he wanted, but he wasn't about to offer to move to the armchair so Paul could sit next to Kris. Fortunately, Sam didn't look like she was about to volunteer either.
Kris sighed and stood up.
"Trey, would you mind moving to the middle, please?" she asked.
"Sure, babe," he said casually. He shifted closer to Sam and gave her a surreptitious wink.
Kris sat at the spot he'd just vacated and Paul happily took the single seat, leaning a bit so his knee touched Kris' as they chatted. Trey tried to quash an irrational irritation.
With loud music blaring, Sam looked like she was straining to hear the conversation between Paul and Kris. Trey put an arm around her shoulder and spoke close to her ear. "Don't worry. Your cousin will be going home with you tonight."
"How do you know?" Sam asked.
"Trust me."
"So, are you guys together?" Paul asked loudly, indicating Trey and Sam.
"Me and Sam?" Trey asked.
At Paul's hopeful nod, Trey placed his other arm around Kris' shoulders and said, "No."
"Oh. So, you're friends with these two girls?" Paul pressed.
"You could say that," he answered cryptically, taking his arm off Sam but keeping his hold on Kris.
Kris looked at him quizzically. He gave her a bright smile.
"Yes, he's a friend of ours," Kris said to Paul. "He's the best friend of our best friend's boyfriend."
"The best friend of your best friend's boyfriend," Paul repeated slowly as he tried to grasp the relationship.
"Yeah. Our other friends are still enjoying themselves somewhere on the dance floor. You'll probably meet them later," Kris continued.
"That'll be great," Paul said eagerly.
Trey's arm tightened involuntarily around Kris' shoulders. Meeting friends? That's not how one-night stands work. You only want to know their first names, if that.
Kris turned to him with a questioning frown.
"Oh. I was hoping you'd dance with me tonight. I guess that's out of the question now," Trey said with a disappointed pout.
Kris' expression was sceptical, then turned to surprise, before a full-blown smile split her face. "Really?"
He shrugged. "Well, you're busy with Paul right now, so I guess it doesn't matter."
She squinted at him. "Are you serious?"
Again, he shrugged.
"You should have said something earlier," Kris chided him before facing Paul. "Sorry, Paul, but I have to take this man to the dance floor. He's trying to conquer his fear of it, you see. So, please, excuse us."
Kris got to her feet and dragged Trey with her.
Trey sighed with relief and trepidation. He'd known that ruse would work but, man, what a sacrifice to get the result!
As they found themselves a spot amongst the crowd of energetic, enthusiastic bodies, he was pleased to see Kris grinning from ear to ear.
"Consider this our first lesson," she shouted as she held him at arms' length. "Watch my steps and copy me," she urged as she started to do something with her feet.