Author's note - because there were some questions after the last chapter, I want to clarify the following:
Liquid X (Liquid Ecstasy) and Ecstasy are not the same thing, they're opposites. Liquid X is GHB (what Mike Rodgers used on Sara in Gravity) and it's a Central Nervous System depressant which often causes a euphoric feeling before the person falls deeply asleep (before it was made illegal because it resulted in too many deaths, it was often used as a sleep aid). Ecstasy, on the other hand, has stimulant and hallucinogenic properties and can make a person very hyper. I hope that clears up any confusion. And the author is not endorsing or encouraging the use of either. Thanks!
Laws of Motion – Book 1
Written by: Ms Maggs / Edited by: KJT
Chapter 29
September 2, 2005
The Blakes
11:19 p.m.
I curse Ryan for planting these thoughts in my head, Sean lamented as he sat in his well-lit bedroom still freaked from the terrifying movie he just finished watching.
The sugar crash leaving him hungry, he decided to head for the kitchen in search of cornbread leftovers from his mother's delicious vegetarian chili dinner.
On his way into the family room, he saw the flicker of the TV. "Mom?" he asked, while trying to think of a valid reason to be so wired this close to midnight.
Ryan jumped off the couch. "What are you doing up?"
"Uh…I'm too excited about my trip to the body farm to sleep." Sean stepped into the room and looked at the screen. "What show is this?" He watched as the two women in athletic one piece bathing suits took tubes of sunscreen from their beach bags.
"You better shield your eyes, young man," Ryan teased as he settled in for the show. "It's a series called Enchanted Island…different people come to stay at this tropical resort and once there, they lose their inhibitions. Those babes are Pauline and Mary, two kindergarten teachers from Minnesota."
Watching the two women rub sunscreen on each other Sean commented, "I hope they're using something with a high degree of UV protection…being fair-skinned women from Minnesota, they'll burn easily and skin cancer is…" His train of thought was derailed when he saw the women peeling off their swimsuits and heard his brother clapping. "Why are they…"
"Oh, yeah!" Ryan whooped. "We've got boob!"
"We shouldn't be watching this," Sean cautioned after clicking the information button on the remote and discovering the show was rated M for mature audiences due to strong sexual content.
"Duh." Ryan snatched the remote and sat on it. "And if you try to stick your hand under my ass to get it back I'll fart on you…and let's not forget mom made veggie chili for dinner so I'm packing heat."
Sean knew from prior experiences to take that threat seriously.
"Pauline's boobs are even bigger than Tawny's, don't you think?" With a silly grin Ryan said, "I should know, because I stared at Tawny's plenty…yeah…I'd have to go with Pauline's being slightly bigger but, I think Tawny's are perkier."
"Tawny was your babysitter," Sean reminded his horny teenage brother. "How could you stare at her anatomy in a sexual manner?"
"She was here babysitting my sisters, not me." He laughed hard. "Plus, she's only nine years older than me and since she's with a guy who's about nine years older than her, it wouldn't be strange to her. Heck, Mom's four years older than Dad. See…my lusting isn't perverted."
"Speaking of perverse…" Staring at the two giggling women on screen Sean quizzed, "How can this show have strong sexual content if there are only two girls and no man?"
Mesmerized by the bouncing boobies before him, Ryan answered, "Dude…the two girls are going to get it on with each other."
Experiencing that familiar clueless feeling of late, Sean asked, "Girls kiss and touch other girls?"
"Some of them do." Ryan chuckled, "And the guy who did your hair tonight likes kissing boys. Some people like kissing both."
"Have you ever kissed a boy, Ryan?" Sean innocently asked while he watched the women oiling up.
"No! And I'm not planning to in the future because that would be gross. No…I'm strictly a ladies man," he announced in his coolest voice.
"How do you know for sure you wouldn't like it?"
Without hesitation Ryan answered, "I was watching another show a few nights ago when out of the blue these two guys started going at it…Ryan junior shriveled and hid pronto, that's how I know for sure." Pointing to his crotch he laughed, "See…he likes girls."
"Oh." When Sean saw a man wearing a blue fire department t-shirt and swim trunks approach the overly affectionate school teachers he gasped, "Uh oh…it looks like there's a fire on the island."
"But not the kind you're thinking of…it's gonna be a three-way!"
"What's a three-way?"
Ryan jokingly replied, "The number one item on my adult 'To Do before I Die' list. Two girls instead of just one."
In a deflated voice Sean lamented, "Great…I was just getting used to the idea of doing strange and uncomfortable things with one girl in the future. Now you're telling me I have to do them with two." As he watched Fireman Bob strip so the ladies could coat him with sunblock Sean posed yet another factual question. "The man can't be in two places at once so, what does the other girl do when the man is engaging in sexual intercourse with one of the…" He stopped the question when it was answered for him on screen. "Oh….OH! He's giving the other one a BJ!"
After a belly laugh Ryan commented, "Yeah…Uncle Nick neglected to mention that when the guy does it to the girl it's called something else. I'll fill you in later…right now I want to enjoy the show." Placing his hands behind his head Ryan sighed, "That fireman's hose will be getting a work out tonight. Look how happy he is. See…it's every man's fantasy, Bro… not one, but two hot babes wanting a piece of you."
Steffie Sinclair's House (Party Central)
11:25 p.m.
"Where the hell are they?" Becca grumped in Shanna's ear as she stood in the living room turned dance club. The thump of the music matched the pounding of her heart and if she had to wait another minute she was certain her head would explode. "Ugh…I hope the uptight Amish girl didn't chicken out and ruin my plan. As it is I can't even take the Liquid X with Hoj because I've drunk way too much waiting for them to show."
"Door opening!" Shanna nudged her friend. Please let it be them so she'll shut up!
"It's him!" Becca unslumped her shoulders and plastered a smile on her face. "How do I look?"
Instead of saying the first thing to pop into her mind, desperate and pathetic, she opted for, "Hot and ready to party."
"Excellent…I'll be a nice change of pace for Hoj from the conservative girl he…" Her words abruptly ended when she saw Tawny, the supposedly apprehensive partier, wearing a purple tube top as a dress. "What the…" Her hair and make up were expertly done as well. "She looks like a Playboy Playmate!" I don't believe this! No!
Shanna took off laughing while behind Becca, Charlie salivated, "Hell…I may just risk pissing off Greg 'I Know How to Kill You and Get Away with It' Sanders after all. Tawny is the hottest babe at this party hands down." He slapped his long-time friend on the back when he noticed her spitting nails. "Sorry, Becks…but, look around, even the straight girls are drooling over her. Somebody must have felt sorry for the hayseed and told her how to dress to impress tonight so she wouldn't be laughed at in baggy jeans and long-sleeved blouse."
"It had to be Bev! For once, she wanted her little boy to have the hottest date. Yep…Hoj is wearing Etro…that means Mommy Dearest footed the bill." Watching Charlie salivate over the farm girl turned porn star, a glint returned to Becca's eyes. "You know…Hoj won't be able to kill you if he's getting busy with me." Becca winked at him. "So…what do you say? Let's renew our alliance, Charles."
Grabbing a shot glass from one of the strolling cocktail waitresses Steffie hired for the night, he downed it and smacked his lips. "A little more liquid courage and I may be stupid enough to take you up on that."
"Ooh! That's it!" Becca turned to her friend to share her latest brainstorm. "I give half the Liquid X to Hoj in a shot, and the other half to the Amish teetotaler in water or soda. Ten minutes later, we come up with a way to separate them. Then, I'll be with Hoj when he's feeling no pain and you'll be with Tawny! Since she won't know she took something, she'll attribute her euphoric feelings to you and fawn all over you. Oh! If you could get her in bed, I could have Hoj…"
"Time out!" Charlie gaped at his long-time friend, "Do you have any idea how absolutely desperate and pathetic you sound? For crying out loud, Becks…why are you humiliating yourself over Sanders? Sure he has a better car and fancier clothes now, but he's still the same Dweeby Mama's Boy with a crap job."
"If I don't stop him from proposing I'll lose him forever, that's why! Just like in college when that shrew girlfriend of his kept interfering!" Pointing towards Tawny she seethed, "You know Hoj is a doormat! Do you think she's going to let him be my friend once she has a rock on her hand? No! She's going to control his every move. I have seventeen years of history with Hoj and I'm not going to let that interloper take him away from me! No…" She breathed deep. "I'll do whatever it takes to prevent that."
Rubbing his temples Charlie groaned, "Listen to you…you sound like a textbook soap opera conniving bitch."
"You audition for soap roles all the time Charlie. Think of it as a practice!" she snipped as Tawny and Greg approached. "Are you helping me or not!"
Charlie watched Tawny, looking outrageously sexy, making her way across the room and acquiesced. "I won't go near her if she's on something without knowing. That's date rape…I onlysleep with chicks who drug themselves…and I'm already in deep shit with my dad over what happened in Malibu under those circumstances. I'll seduce her without the help of pharmaceuticals and just to be safe, you'll have to settle for second base." He laughed, "Unless of course she jumps me, then I'll let her have her way with me."
Grinning as though she was at Tiffany's with a million dollar gift certificate, she watched the unsuspecting couple slowly make their way through the crowd. "Don't worry…I know Hoj's fragile ego…first base will be more than enough to make him dump her." She produced the vial. "But don't give it to him until I let you know it's safe for him to take it."
"I can't believe you're really going to…" Charlie slapped another shot glass down and watched Becca slip the vial of Liquid X in his pants pocket. "With friends like you he doesn't need enemies."
"Hey!" she scolded. "I'm helping make the inevitable happen sooner than later. I know what it's like to go through a painful divorce. If he marries her they'll never make it. Hell, I should have a god damn letter on my chest I'm such a hero."
Laughing, Charlie massaged her shoulders. "Yeah…I think you should have two…SB for Super Bitch."
University Trauma Center
11:31 p.m.
When Nurse Amber entered the room and saw her patient peacefully slumbering next to his shrew of a fiancée who was reading a Harry Potter book, she flicked on the lights and announced, "Time for a blood draw."
Carrie lowered the book and whispered, "He just fell asleep. Would you please come back later? Thanks."
"I'm sorry," Amber said through a shit-eating grin. "But the doctor will need to review the lab results before eight a.m. rounds in order for Mr. Stokes to be discharged tomorrow." Producing a lab kit she approached. "I need his blood."
For the first time Carrie noticed the nurse's eye teeth were longer than normal and her mind raced. She works graveyard…she's nasty…she has freaky eye teeth…and she seems a little too excited over blood. All evidence points to her being a nasty woman who doesn't like to deal with people and hasn't had dental work…or a Vampiress.
Steffie Sinclair's House (Party Central)
11:39 p.m.
"Hoj!" Becca waved and flashed a toothy grin. "Get your ass over here already." Because the quicker you get it here, the sooner I'll be getting a piece of it. And if I drink anymore while waiting for you I'll be too tanked to party.
In Tawny's ear Greg whispered, "Remember what I said…don't drink anything here. I don't even care if it's in a bottle with a seal. Nothing. I have water and Sprite in my mom's car if you get thirsty."
Aww…I love how he's blocking the fact that I went to outrageous parties like this every weekend for years. "Don't worry, Chuckles." Glancing up she saw Becca eyeing Greg like a vulture confronted with fresh kill. You can look, but don't even think about touching my man's ass. "Where's your date, Becca?" she sweetly inquired while holding Greg's hand. "I can't wait to meet him."
"Ugh! I wish you could." Becca rolled her eyes. "Parker got called into surgery right as we were getting into his Porsche. Totally reminded me why I have a strict policy against dating doctors." Pecking Charlie's cheek Becca grinned. "Luckily Charles volunteered to help me have a good time tonight."
Greg's pulse notched. Just like my father suspected, there is no Parker Randolph. Ugh! The first thing he'll do is ask me about Becca's date. Then I'll have to admit he was right again! God I hate that! I can just see the smirk on his face when I tell him too. Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!
"Sweetie…" Tawny whispered, "What's with the tension? You're breaking my hand…and since it's my left one I'd really prefer it was healthy for its big day tomorrow."
"Sorry." He loosened his grip and smiled. "I hope your finger doesn't swell."
"You two seem a little tense. How about I get us some drinks," Charlie kindly offered. "What would you like?" Yes, what would you like to wash down your GHB, Hoj?
Tawny batted her eyes at Greg. "I think I want to try dancing first. We can have drinks when we're thirsty afterwards." Giggling, she glanced over at Becca. "He was giving me lessons before we came…that's why we were a little late. I'm a little uncoordinated so I was having a hard time catching on. That and I was being really shy about wearing this sexy dress his mom bought for me." Ha! I can't wait to see the look on your face when I'm moving my hump like nobody's business!
Becca pointed to the sinful crowd grinding in the middle of the expansive room. "No problem, we'll wait for you and watch you dance." Because I'd love a comedy appetizer before the meaty drama ahead.
"Come on, Greggy!" Tawny enthused. "I can't wait to shake my groove thing."
Becca grabbed two shots from the nearest cocktail girl. "This should be good." She handed one over to her accomplice. "Talk about the blind leading the blind on the dance floor."
"Uh…Becks." Charlie pointed straight ahead. "I think Hoj had some lessons since in the last year because he's not doing his customary Geek Tribal Dance. And Tawny must be a really fast learner because…damn." He gulped his shot and smiled. "Bad news…good news. The bad news is she's shaking her ass like she's been dancing for years. The good news is, now that I'm getting faced and watching her shake her ass, I have a much stronger commitment to your devious plan." Damn…I feel like an unruly pubescent boy again.
The Blakes
11:45 p.m.
Upon checking the TV listing Ryan jubilated, "Yes! There's another episode of Enchanted Island coming on."
On the couch, Sean sat shell-shocked as his randy brother read the episode summary.
"Uptight twins Tara and Tana arrive on the island hoping to shed some of the stress they've accumulated from their jobs as air traffic controllers. Things begin looking up when they meet twins Larry and Harry, geeky video game designers from Cleveland." Ryan punched his brother in the shoulder. "It's twins on twins! This could be us one day, Bro."
Sean slowly turned to look at his twisted brother. "You're sick."
Drew and Lissa's House
11:48 p.m.
Drew was sitting at his desk reviewing the sale paperwork left by their realtor when Lissa hurried into the room with Cassie in her arms. "She ran into the bedroom…before she could even tell me what was wrong, she vomited."
"What?" He stood and crossed the room to meet them. "She was dancing up a storm just a few hours ago." Filling with concern, Drew took his daughter in his arms.
"Ow!" she shrieked upon being jostled.
Lissa winced along with her daughter. "She's said her tummy hurts real bad."
Drew gently laid her on the leather couch. "Did you take her temperature?"
"Hundred one."
After brushing his daughter's hair back he softly instructed, "Use your finger to show Daddy where it hurts."
Tears streaming down her cheeks Cassie pointed to her belly button. "It hurt a little when I was falling asleep but it went away. Now it's back again and hurts more. Am I going to miss the party tomorrow?"
"I don't know yet, Sugar." He stroked her head again. "You remember Daddy sayin' he went to school to be a doctor for a little while, right?" When she nodded he smiled. "I'm going to pretend I'm a doctor for a minute and feel your tummy. I want you to close your eyes and tell me if I touch a place that hurts?"
"Okay," she sniffled.
Lissa stepped closer fretting as she watched her husband palpitate his fingers around their daughter's abdomen.
"Ow!"
"Keep your eyes closed tight for me, Sweetheart." Drew motioned for Lissa to come closer and when she did he calmly whispered in her ear. "She's presenting for appendicitis. We need to take her to the ER."
"Daddy…" Cassie grabbed his hand. "I'm gonna throw…" The action happened before the words. "Sorry."
"That's okay, Honey." As he smoothed his palm over his daughter's clammy forehead, Drew instructed his wife, "Wake Mama and tell her to watch the kids."
Trying not to panic, Lissa hurried for the door.
"Lis! Grab Cassie and me some fresh clothes too, and bring a bunch of towels for the car." He scooped up his daughter. "Honey…I won't know if you can go to the party or not until I have a real doctor look at you. Because it's night time, your regular doctor isn't in her office so we need to see one at the hospital."
Shivering with chills she whispered, "I'm scared, Daddy."
"I promise I'll hold your hand the whole time. And hospital doctors are real nice…your Aunt Barbara is at the hospital delivering babies all the time, remember?" After kissing her forehead, he assured her, "Don't worry…I won't let anything happen to my sweet little girl."
Party Central
11:55 p.m.
Planting her hands on her narrow hips Becca barked, "How much longer is that Amish bitch going to shove her hump in Hoj's crotch!" As if she willed it with her words, the first notes of the Black Eyed Peas song, My Hump blasted through the DJs speakers. "Perfect! Now she has musical encouragement too." She grabbed another shot and downed it. "A little more tequila and at least her saccharine smile will be a blur!"
Ready for action, Charlie grabbed Becca's hand. "Time to cut in."
Out of the corner of her eye Tawny saw the enemy on approach. "As predicted, she's moving in to paw you, Chuckles."
"Ugh…I'm having the best time dancing with you." Taking Tawny's hand Greg stopped dancing. "Okay, let's…"
"Have some fun!" Tawny shouted over the pulsating music. "Give her a taste of what's she's missing out on, Baby, and follow my lead." Tawny backed up to let the newest couple on the dance floor share her space. "Is my dancing okay?" she asked Charlie with feigned naiveté. "I watched music videos for hours trying to get hip and learn to move."
Watching the delicious gyration of Tawny's hips and then the bounce of her breasts, Charlie nodded, "Oh…you definitely have it goin' on, Baby." Dying to touch her he asked, "Is your boyfriend gonna kill me if I put my hands on you while we're dancing?" Because if I don't touch you before I die I know I'll feel my time on this planet was wasted.
Tawny put forth her best farm girl giggle. "Of course he won't mind, you big silly! We're just dancing as new friends, while Greg dances with his old friend!"
"Well okay then." With a pirate's smile he eased himself behind her and slid his hands over her waist. As he heard the familiar lyrics…'I'm a get, get, get, get, you drunk, get you love drunk off my hump'… Charlie pressed his groin to Tawny's ass and thought, Intoxicate me Baby.
Meanwhile, Becca was seizing her opportunity. "Hoj, when did you learn to dance like this?"
Speaking directly into her ear so he wouldn't strain his voice he proudly informed her, "I took lessons from a professional in Vegas."
"Did you eat anything before coming here?" she asked. Because I don't want you to die on me if I drug you on an empty stomach.
"Sonic." I can't believe she's not assaulting me yet.
The song inspiring her, Becca turned and pressed her body to Greg's. Just like old times, Baby. How long will it take you to snap to attention I wonder? "You seem way too sober."
You seem a drink away from wasted not to mention, pathetic and desperate! But since you're not being mean to Tawny, I'll let you keep going because you're only hurting yourself. "Unlike some of your ex-boyfriends, I don't like to drink when I'm responsible for driving a lady home."
Excellent! No alcohol in his system and he ate. "Do you have a cold?"
"What makes you ask?" Is she trying to prove she loves me by showing her concern?
I ask because GHB and other drugs don't mix, Honey. "You sound stuffy. Allergies? Do you take anything for them?" She chuckled, "That reminds me…I know you don't want to drink in front of the Amish girl, but did you take anything to get you loose before you came here, Baby? Or are you on Prozac or something and can't mix?"
"Nope…my veins are pure." And so are my thoughts. Then he realized one part of his body didn't get the purity memo and he cursed the hornylittle beast. Get down and stay down before she notices.
Catching Charlie's attention she gave a thumbs up to signal the plan was still on. "Looks like you still have feelings for me after all, Hojie." Yes! We've got wood!
Too late! Must think of something cool to say to make her understand I don't want her. "Hell, if a sheep was shoving its ass in my crotch the way you are, it would get the same results." When he saw her reaction Greg clarified, "I don't know that from first hand experience, I'm just guessing. I swear! I don't like farm animals! I don't even enter petting zoos because they creep me out." What the hell is a wrong with you Sanders! A sheep! Slick would not have referenced farm animals when shooting down a woman. Ugh…I suck at being Slicker. Maybe my name should be Sucker. Hey! My boner's gone! Making a mental note…self-implication of risqué activity with sheep is also a fantastic boner-eradicating thought!
And while her man was dancing with the predatory she-beast, Tawny made an offensive play against the player knocking hard at her back door. Turning, she waved her finger. "Listen up, Charles because if you don't, you will have to start worrying about what my knowledgeable boyfriend can do to you and get away with." With that she sang the song's next lyrics, "You can look but you can't touch it. If you touch it, I'm a start some drama. You don't want no drama. No, no drama, no, no, no, no drama. So don't pull on my hand boy, you ain't my man, boy, I'm just try'n to dance boy…and move my hump!"
Winking at Tawny, Charlie said, "I heard that loud and clear." Leaning over he kissed her cheek. "Thanks for the dance." Then he caught Becca's eye, "I forgot…I have this thing….over there…with that girl. Later!"
Before Becca could react, Tawny was grinding up against her. "Let's dance together," she stated in a sexy tone."Hoj can watch us." A tantalizing tease for my man.She winked at Greg. Yeah…this is as close to a threesome as you're ever gonna get Chuckles, so enjoy it.
She wasn't kidding when she said she'd be spoiling me until two a.m. Watching his first and current loves bumping breasts on the dance floor, Greg felt a sudden need to think about farm animals in precarious sexual situations.
Placing her hands on Tawny's hips to grind, Becca smirked, "Isn't this a bit risqué for an Ex-Amish girl?"
Covering her mouth Tawny giggled, "I saw something like this on the Cinemax channel once. I'll confess…I was a little curious."
September 3, 2005
The Blakes
12:14 a.m.
When Ryan saw Sean intently watching the Skinemax he needled, "Why are you still watching, Bro? Could it bet that you're…curious?"
"Stop it." Sean shifted uncomfortably and clung a little harder to the pillow he had over his lap.
Noticing the strategically placed pillow Ryan taunted, "You're sportin'!"
"Yes, I told you. Track starts Monday."
Ryan keeled over in a laughing fit. "You're killin' me."
Party Central
12:17 a.m.
Leaning against a wall watching his old dream girl and his future wife locked in a sinful grind on the dance floor, Greg wondered how much more his heart could take.
"Hoj!" Charlie handed over a shot glass and kept one for himself. "I didn't see this hookup coming, did you?" He knocked back his shot and watched Greg, who was too mesmerized by the girl play to worry about what he was drinking, do the same.
"Yuck! What was that?" Greg wiped his mouth and grimaced. "It was awful."
A smidgen of vodka and a full dose of GHB. Oops! I was only supposed to give you half a dose. Me bad. "I'm with you man." Charlie feigned displeasure while staring at his empty shot glass. "What crap vodka. Where's Steffie!" He took the evidence containing glass from the CSI's hand. "How dare our hostess serve us crappy vodka!" Keep watching, Hoj…I have a feeling the show will look even better to you in seven to twelve minutes. "I'll get us something better."
As Greg leaned against the wall watching Tawny and Becca get friendlier by the second he thought, And here my Dad was worried I'd be talking over the din of the room noise…HA!...I'm speechless! And happy…and so relaxed…I'm finally fitting in at one of these parties. This is great…yeah…I feel fantastic. Staring straight ahead, he quickly lost track of time and space.
"Hoj!" Charlie returned ten minutes later with a bottle of water and handed it over. "It's hot in here, isn't it?"
"Is it my imagination or does it seem like Becca is about to plant a juicy one on Tawny?" He rubbed his eyes to make sure.
Charlie enjoyed the view along with Greg. "Becca's so trashed I'm surprised she's still standing and Tawny…damn…she must be high on life because look at her move."
"This is soooooo surreal and soooo…" When Greg saw something sparkle out of the corner of his eye, he forgot what he was going to say. He tracked the shimmer to a girl in walking by. "Hey! Cool earrings, Girl in Black Dress!"
"Hoj! Focus on the show your women are giving you." Charlie recaptured his attention. "Apparently tonight is your lucky night, and three is your lucky number." Placing a hand on Greg's shoulder Charlie chuckled, "Unless of course you invite me to join for a little swap action instead."
"Are you high?" Greg asked before bursting into a fit of laughter. "You're not getting anywhere near my women….I mean woman."
Charlie couldn't help but feel for the guy. "Okay…okay I won't be a greedy SOB because this kind of stuff happens to me weekly. Have at it, Buddy." Laughing, he strolled away. "But, you better get busy!" You're already fifteen minutes in and you'll be out of the zone in less than an hour.
Tawny turned looking for Greg. What the hell is he doing! He should have been over here claiming me by now! Finally she saw him leaning against the wall and she flashed a smile that said I love you but I'm going to kill you if you don't get your butt over here and send the clingy chick packing!
From his position against the wall Greg saw Tawny lovingly gaze in his direction so he waved. "Hi, Honey! You look great! Really great!" When he saw two other club members nod approvingly in his direction Greg's ego inflated a little more. "Yep…those are my girls."
Determined to freak out the farm girl and send her running from the house, Becca whispered in her ear, "Have you ever kissed a girl?"
Uh…not without a guy stuffing a twenty in my g-string and making a request. "Oh my gosh…I never…" Ah!
"OH! OH!" Greg shrieked with glee when he saw the women enter a lip lock. "Did anyone else see that!" Glancing around he polled, "Am I hallucinating or did you see them kiss too?"
Taking Becca's hand, Tawny dragged her off the dance floor to end the charade. "Greggy" She marched over and forced a smile. "Becca wants to go somewhere private. What do say about that?" She shoved Becca in his face. You know the answer, Baby. Let her hear it loud and clear. Three's a crowd. Send her packing. "Do it, Greg!" she accidentally said out loud.
"Uh…" Greg gazed at Tawny with tranquil eyes. "I can't believe you want to…wow…really?" He gripped the wall to steady himself. "Okay then…Sanders, party of three!"
"What?" Tawny shrieked.
Becca wasted no time grabbing her man's hand. "I know the perfect spot." I may not be getting you to myself, but I know from working in corporate that if you get a foot in the door, you can look for an opportunity to make your case. Who would have thought the Amish girl would go for this! Then again…they are into communal living.
Right as she was about to rip Greg a new one, Tawny saw him trip and crash into another woman.
"Sorry!" he exclaimed while clinging to the stranger. "Hmm…who are you?"
"Monica Lipschitz," the sexy redhead informed him.
"I'm really sorry." Greg accented his apology with a bear hug and he teetered. "Are we still friends, Stranger?"
That's when Tawny realized Greg was wasted. "Oh, Chuckles…you've been punked." She glanced around looking for the guilty party. There's no way Becca could have done it, so who…" That's when she noticed a not so innocent bystander laughing at Greg's actions. "Charlie! What did you give him!" She darted across the room, but unfortunately he saw her coming and slipped into a crowd. "Hey! Get your ass back here you bastard! Tell me what and how much, right now! I'm not fooling around here, Charlie!" Terrified from the memory of a friend lapsing into a fatal coma from a bad trip at a party, she screamed, "I don't want him to die!"
Upon seeing Tawny take off after Charlie, Becca lit up like a Christmas tree. "Way to go, Charles!" she exclaimed while hurrying Greg out of the house. How the hell did he get Tawny to chase after him? "Hmm…looks like your girlfriend has plans of her own, Hoj."
When Tawny finally spotted Charlie by the pool ten minutes later, she smacked him across the face. "How dare you! What did you do to him!"
Kent Goodwyn, a buddy of Charlie's who was sitting on the pool's edge sans clothes, choked on the drink he was sipping. "I'm sure you deserved that, man." Then he batted his eyes at the buxom blonde. "He's a pig, Sweetheart…how about you go for a swim with me instead?"
"Answer me, Charlie!" Tawny shoved him. "Or you won't have to worry about Greg killing you because I'll do the job myself."
Figuring he stalled long enough to give Becca a chance, Charlie held up his hands. "It was an accident, okay? I gave him my drink in error. It had a splash of vodka and a capful of Liquid X …two grams maybe…I'd be fine with that dose, so, he'll be fine. I confirmed he wasn't on anything and hadn't been drinking."
"Sorry… but, I don't believe your accident story! This has Manipulation by Bitcha written all over it! And you have at least thirty pounds on Greg so don't tell me your dose is his dose!"
Charlie glanced at his watch. "You know…for someone who's so worried about Becca, you don't seem to care that she's been out of your sight and with your boyfriend for over fifteen minutes after he's had Easy Lay surging through his veins for thirty minutes." Charlie shrugged. "But maybe I'm just the paranoid type."
"Oh my god!" Remembering Greg's warning not to run when panicked, she walked as quickly as possible toward the mini-mansion. "I was so worried about him OD'ing that I didn't even think about that."
Ever the opportunist, Charlie followed, hoping she'd need a shoulder to cry on later when she found Becca devouring Greg. "I'll help you look for them, Sweetheart!"
Once inside the enormous kitchen Tawny stood on a chair and gave her loudest whistle. "Has anyone seen Hoj and Becca!" The replies came fast and furious.
"Upstairs."
"Who?"
"Poolhouse."
"I think they took off in a limo."
"Forget them and come sit on my lap, Baby!"
"Who did your boobs?"
After another frantic whistle Tawny asked, "How many bedrooms does this house have?"
"Seven! All upstairs!"
"Seven!" Tawny stepped off the chair and hurried for the stairs, determined to save her man.
"Seven bedrooms?" Steffie, the home's owner shook her head. "Only if you're not counting the guesthouse. Then there are nine and that's where I saw them headed."
Charlie grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses from the kitchen counter in case he needed to ease the farm girl's pain. "Tawny…I think you're going the wrong way," he whispered, hoping the pointless time searching inside the house would give Becca enough time to commit her crime in the guesthouse so he could clean up when Tawny broke down.
Party Central – Guest House
1:07 a.m.
Lying side by side on the king size bed, Greg and Becca had spent the last twenty minutes walking down memory lane and stripping down to their underwear because Becca suggested they go for a swim when Tawny arrived. "That Christmas I spent at your house when my mom jetted off to London without telling me was my best ever, Hoj."
"Mine too." Rolling onto his back he gazed up at the ceiling and lost himself in its grainy texture. "Do you still have the charm bracelet I gave you?"
"Of course I do." She cuddled up enjoying the tender moment. "I keep it in the mother of pearl jewelry box you brought back for me from Hawaii when you went there with your parents on Spring Break." Swirling her fingertips over his cheek she whispered, "You called me every day from the phone in the hotel bathroom because you thought it was so cool to have a phone in the john."
Smiling, he turned to face her and tried to focus on her face. "I can't believe you remember that," he remarked in a tender voice.
After returning his smile, she brushed a kiss over his parted lips.
Suddenly confused as to why he was in bed with Becca, Greg absentmindedly asked, "Wait…why isn't Tawny here? Why are we…are we supposed to meet her by the pool to go swimming?"
"Don't you, remember, Hoj?" Becca began her manipulative ego-bashing plan, "Tawny said since this is the night before you get engaged she wants to sow the last of her wild oats. She wants you to do the same."
"She said that?" He searched his hazy memory. "I don't…no…"
"She's with Charlie, remember? We saw her take off after him."
"No, she …" He ran his fingers through his hair. "I remember her dancing with Charlie." His memory was cloudy…loud music, Tawny laughing, Charlie with his hands gripping her hips. "Uh…"
"Dirty dancing," Becca cooed in his ear. "He was behind her…enticing her…and apparently she wanted what he was offering. Don't you remember? She was giggling and having a great time. Don't feel bad, you know he gets every girl he wants…except me…because I only want you, Hoj."
"Damn…" It seemed impossible and possible at the same time. "Tawny's with Charlie..." he half-asked, half-stated. "Just for tonight?"
"Yes…to sow her last wild oats…and you're with me." Sliding on top of him Becca murmured, "Remember…Tawny took my hand and brought me to you while you were leaning against the wall watching us grind." She waited for his eyes to meet hers and when they did, she realized he was drugged. Oh! Charlie slipped you the Liquid X, that's why you're so confused. I thought it was just your fragile ego talking. Immediately she began exploiting her good fortune."This is what Tawny wanted. She yelled at you to 'do it', remember? If you ask me…she's a bit manipulative."
"Right…Tawny told me to be with you…now I remember," he hypnotically murmured while gliding his hands over Becca's silky skin. "She must think I need more closure. Okay…if she wants me to do this I will…I'll do anything for her."
Pulling back, Becca recalled Charlie's words, 'I won't go near her if she's on something without knowing. That's date rape…' "Uh…Hoj…I think this is even too much for me."
"Wait…where are you going?" he wistfully inquired while grabbing her wrist. "I don't want to be alone. I can't go back to being alone."
"You want me to stay?"
"Please…" he pleaded while wondering if he was awake or asleep.
"Well…if you insist." Deluding herself that Greg was capable of knowing what he really wanted, she straddled his hips and enticed him visually by playing with her long dark hair. "How about this? How does this feel?"
"Sooooo good." Every move propelled him further into the pleasure zone. "Are we in Hawaii?" A blissful grin appeared on his face. "Are we in Hawaii buying you another mother of pearl jewelry box?" Gripping her waist he rolled their bodies until she was against the pillows. "Or are we somewhere else?"
Reaching over she switched off the nightstand light. "It's dark. We can be anywhere you want to be." She quickly shed her bra. "Where do you want us to be, Hoj?"
In the pitch black of the room he got his bearings. "Fiji…I've always wanted to go there." Every touch of her hands sent a delicious shiver through his body. "I can't believe how good this feels. Why didn't it feel this way the other night when I was with you? Everything felt wrong that night…this feels so good." The sensation of her flesh against his was extraordinary. "Wait…when did you toss your bra? Why does it seem like I keep missing stuff?"
"You could worry about that or…you could kiss me." A delightful sigh tumbled over her lips when he pressed his mouth to her neck. "Good choice." After his mouth roamed her anxious body for a while, Becca moaned, "Mmm…what do you want to do while we're in Fiji, Hoj?"
"Anything…everything," he dreamily replied while coiling his fingertips around the lace of her thong. "This."
"My turn," she purred while knocking him back against the satiny pillows strewn about the bed.
His fingers eagerly weaved through her thick wavy hair. "Mmm…" He slurred, "I can't believe how real this dream feels."
"If you think that feels good…" She filled with anticipation. "I can't wait to see how you feel about my next move."
"Where are we again?" he groggily asked while she tugged off his underwear. "I lost track of…"
"Paradise, Baby." Throwing his boxer briefs to the ground she urged, "And I want you to tell me all about it." Greg was a natural talker but she knew GHB was notorious for increasing verbosity, so she encouraged him to lavish her with praise, "Tell me how paradise feels…how it feels being there with me."
"Incredible…" he gasped while strengthening his hold on her hair. "I love it here with you, Princess…you're so good to me…mmm...I love you, Tawny…so much and forever."
"Hoj!" Becca bolted up. "Damn you! I can't believe you just called me her name while I'm…"
"Huh?" In the darkness he reached out. "Why are you…" Confusion quickly rendered him speechless.
Suddenly the sound of a door flying open filled the room and the lights flashed on.
In the doorway, Tawny and Charlie stood gaping at naked Becca perched over naked Greg. Wincing from the bright light, with her hair wild, and her red lipstick smudged over her mouth, Becca looked like a vampire caught in the middle of a meal.
"Oh my God!" Tawny screamed. "You really are raping him!"
Becca wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Actually…we were just getting started before you so rudely interrupted, and even if we had done the deed already…I wouldn't rush to press any criminal charges if I were you because he begged me to get it on with him."
"You know that was the Blue Love talking, not Greg!" Tawny snarled.
"Look away, Sweetheart," Charlie instructed in a loving voice as he tugged Tawny close. "Don't let him see you shed a tear. Pick a shoulder."
"Get your hands off me, Charlie!" Tawny snapped.
Finally able to focus his eyes, Greg saw Charlie pulling Tawny into his chest with one hand while he held a bottle of wine and two glasses in the other. "Princess?" Images and words mingled in his fuzzy head…Tawny dancing with Charlie, her leading Becca over and suggesting they go someplace private, seeing Tawny run after Charlie, Becca telling him that Tawny wanted one night with a hunk before getting engaged. "Why are you doing this?" Greg remarked in a distant voice as his happiness morphed into despair. "Why do want him? He's just like Drew. You said you were done with guys like that, Tawny." His heart hammering in his chest, he begged for an explanation. "Why?"
While Becca wondered who Drew was and realized Tawny may not be as innocent as she pretends, she connivingly whispered in Greg's ear, "Tell her to get out. She's making a fool out of you pawing Charlie in front of you. With a body like hers, she's going to get hit on all the time by guys like him. Are you going to put up with her sleeping with every hunk who hits on her? You deserve better than that." Knowing that GHB leaves a person very susceptible to suggestion she loudly urged, "End it now before she rips your heart out like Peter did to me. End it! Tell her to go to hell!"
"I heard that!" After finally extracting herself from Charlie's drunken arms, Tawny rushed the bed. "That's it! The gloves are off, Becks! You know he's tripping and you're messing with his head! Get out before I throw you out!"
"I think you're tripping, girlfriend," Becca shouted back. "How dare you say I'm messing with his head! You're the one who begged me to keep him busy so you could run off andbe with Charlie in the poolhouse. Now that I think about it, I bet the two of you made those plans at the club this afternoon, and were counting the minutes until you could be together. Don't deny it, because I saw the two of you on the dance floor grinding and grinning."
"What!" Tawny yelled as Charlie was rendered speechless from the shock of his friend's lowest move to date. "I only ran after Charlie to find out what he gave Greg because I was worried he could die from it! Greg, tell her that we were just kidding around dancing with…" That's when she realized her man was hugging his knees and staring at her with tears in his eyes. "Oh God…Honey…no….no…it's not true. I swear it's not true. Your head's screwed up because you swallowed some GHB. You know that stuff is a trippy depressant and your brain chemistry isn't all that stable to begin with, Sweetie." She lovingly stroked his hair. "They don't call it Grievous Bodily Harm for nothing, right? It's messing you up, Honey…please believe me." Oh my god! He doesn't believe me! "Greg…come on…look in my eyes. You know I'd never hurt you. You know that." Tawny glared at Charlie, "Now do you see why you don't give people shit without knowing what they can handle! Sure GHB can cause mild euphoria when the person is feeling good, but when they're upset what do you think happens, Charlie? It makes it worse!"
"I'm sorry, Tawny," Charlie replied, a little too late.
"I…" Anxiety gripping him, Greg lifted his hands to his head. "Nothing's making sense."
"Allow me to clear it up for you, Hoj…your girlfriend is a lying whore," Becca coolly informed him while smirking at Tawny. "I heard her tell Charlie she'd meet him in the poolhouse once she was rid of you tonight. I also heard her tell him that the thought of spending her entire life with a wimpy Mama's Boy was freaking her out and she's thinking of turning down your proposal."
"You cold-hearted bitch! And you claim you love him? You don't know the first thing about love!" Tawny raged while forcefully shoving Becca off the bed and sending her crashing to the floor. "Look what you're doing to him. You're torturing him. Stop it!"
Charlie ran across the room to grab his cohort off the ground. "She's right. Shut your mouth and get dressed. You're wasted and he's out of it. I don't need to be part of another bad scene, Becks."
"Get off me!" Becca shook loose from his grip. "You're just sucking up to farm girl so you can get in her pants! That's why you gave Hoj the G in the first place, isn't it, Charles! So, let's not get all high and mighty."
"Greg, please…" Tawny frantically wiped his tears. "She's trying to confuse you. Please…come back to me."
Try as he might to grasp the truth, it stayed out of reach. "I can't understand any of this," he slurred.
"She's another Deanna, Hoj!" Becca yelled while yanking on her clothes. "She's cheating on you and lying to your face."
Tawny shrilled, "Charlie! Get her out of here before I kill her!"
"Yo! Hoj!" Charlie clapped his hands in front of Greg's face to startle him. "Tawny told me to go to hell on the dance floor. I didn't touch her after that. Remember…I kissed her cheek and walked away." He clapped again. "Listen to me, man. Remember the shot you drank…you said it tasted like crap. It tasted likecrap because it was GHB and vodka. Alright? Tawny is telling the truth, not Becca. Becca's being a manipulative bitch."
"Thank you for not being a jerk your whole life, Charlie," Tawny remarked while pulling a blanket around Greg's shoulders. "Honey…" she whispered in her freaked man's ear for only him to hear. "We're getting engaged tomorrow, remember. You're the father of my babies. You know I wouldn't sleep with another man when I love you and have your babies growing inside of me. We love each other…so much and forever, remember, Honey?" Her own tears formed as she sang in his ear, "Come what may…"
"Come what may," he murmured.
"That's right," Tawny soothed. "The drugs will be out of your system in a matter of hours. We just need to ride this out and it will all be clear when you wake up?" Kissing his cheek she whispered, "Hang in there, Sweetie."
After tugging on the last of her clothes Becca snapped, "You know, I'm not buying the innocent farm girl routine anymore, Tawny. It's clear you've partied before…you dance like a pro, you curse with the right inflection, and you have knowledge of street drugs. I think you're a gold-digging tramp who realized Hoj is the only child of a doting mother with a lot of cash so you played to his sensitive side and got him to fall for you. I wouldn't be surprised if the farm girl story is a ruse and Hoj is marrying you because you're knocked up."
"Get out!" Tawny raged as she postured to tackle the witch.
"Oooh! Looks like I hit a nerve!" Becca cackled before egging her nemesis on. "You know what they say…when people get defensive it's because they're guilty as charged!"
"That's it!" Jumping off the bed, she lunged for Becca's hair. "I'll drag you out myself!"
"Let go of me!" Becca shrieked from the pain.
"I'll let go…" Tawny marched on with a clump of Becca's hair in her hand. "Right after your ass is out the door!"
Charlie looked on in amusement. "Hoj…are you aware enough to appreciate two chicks fighting over you?" When he glanced over at the bed he saw Greg had passed out so he grabbed his cell phone and snapped a picture of Tawny pulling Becca to the door by her locks. "I'll show it to you tomorrow. Maybe it will lessen your urge to kill me for causing all this."
At the door, Tawny shoved Becca out. "Don't even think about talking to either one of us after what you pulled here tonight! Don't even breathe in our direction! As far as we're concerned…you don't exist!" Grabbing the door Tawny sneered, "Slamming!" And then she did just that, being careful to lock it behind her. "Sorry, Greg," she announced while leaning against the wall catching her breath. "…I know the two of you have a history and she has problems but…that was long overdue."
"Bravo!" Charlie gave her a round of applause. "If wasn't already crushing on you…"
"Spare me." When Tawny saw Greg had collapsed against the bed she raced over. "Honey!" She slapped his cheeks. "Oh thank God…he's breathing. I'm right here, Sweetie." Glancing over her shoulder she barked, "Charlie, I need your help getting him dressed and to the car."
In a sleepy voice Greg said, "I had another nightmare, Princess…a bad one…I thought you slept with Charlie in the poolhouse…" Try as he might he couldn't get up or open his eyes. "It was the worst one yet…worse than all the Tucker ones combined. Am I still dreaming? I can't move…"
"Shhh…" Tawny kissed his cheek while tears spilled over hers. "There's nothing to worry about."
Plaza Medical Center - Chicago
1:35 a.m.
For the last fifteen minutes, Lissa had been wearing a path in the carpet of the Surgical Waiting Area while Cassie underwent an emergency appendectomy.
"Lis…please…" Drew stepped in front of her and spoke confidently, "She's gonna be fine. It's routine laparoscopic surgery…three small incisions. You'll see…she'll be herself again in a few days. I made sure the doctor and the anesthesiologist were the best of the best."
"I just feel like…" Choking on her tears she confessed, "I feel like she's being punished for our selfish behavior. When we were fighting, we were being so careless with our family's wellbeing. We came so close to losing Nicky…" she gulped, "I feel like maybe we were supposed to get a reality check by losing him and because he survived, we're going to lose Cassie to teach us a lesson."
"Now Lis…come on…you know that's not true." Instinctively he reached out to hold her. "Sorry…I…"
Her voice drifted into a sob-strangled whisper, "Hold me."
In an instant, Drew had his wife in his arms, holding her tight and stroking her hair while she cried. "There you go…you'll feel better if you let it out."
The Blakes
1:45 a.m.
Sean glanced over at his brother, who was still mesmerized by the nude action on the TV screen. "Ryan…" He said in a jittery voice, "It really hurts."
"Nah…" He pointed the screen and shook his head. "They're professionals."
"No…that's not what I mean. Look…" Sean pointed to the pillow covering his lap. "It really hurts."
"I'm sure it does, Dude. You've been watching naked girls for hours and unlike me, you didn't make two trips to the bathroom." Ryan couldn't resist torturing his brother. "You know…if you don't do something about it, it will explode."
"Stop it." He gripped his trendy hair and closed his eyes trying to will it away for the umpteenth time.
"Seriously…you're a science geek. You know what happens when pressure reaches an extreme within a sealed container...BAM!" When he saw Sean wince he needled, "And you were worried about getting caught washing your sheets. Ha! How are you going to explain a splattered body part all over your jammies?"
"There has to be another way!" Sean frantically exclaimed.
"If you're worried about paying me the ten bucks, I'll take it in installments."
"It's not about the money, Ryan!"
"Okay…okay. There is another way." He desperately tried not to laugh. "I heard that reading the Bible backwards wards it off but, since I like handling the problem the quick and enjoyable way, I can't vouch for the Biblical method." He tossed the remote on the couch and stood. "I've watched enough educational TV for one night. Don't stay up too late. Ha!" Once he was around the corner he stood in the shadows to see what Sean would do next. Seconds later he saw his brother make a mad dash for the bookshelf to retrieve a Bible.
There, in the family room, by the light of the late night soft-core TV, Sean began the mystical ritual, "Amen, people God's with be…"
On the way to his room, Ryan covered his mouth to stifle the riotous laughter trying to escape.
Author's Notes:
Thanks for reading and thanks Rojaji for leaving a reivew :-)
Sara and Gil will have their special time in the next chapter. I tried to run their story at the same time as the party stuff but it felt overshadowed by the party action and I didn't want that to happen. Also, it would have forced the party into a cliffhanger and I knew many people would want to kill me for that!
Next Chapter: Late night turns into early morning. Who will be more exhausted…Gil or Sean? LOL. Plus plenty more! Posting: Monday
Maggs