Chapter 7 - "He totally wants to bone you."

   It was now the weekend, and the girls and I were getting ready for a club. In their words, I needed to get 'dicked down' and stop worrying about Luka, the most confusing human being ever. The innocent flirtation was foreign to me and I was questioning his motives. That, and the fact that after the other night he'd barely spoken to me in passing. He hadn't even let me comfort him after his friends funeral, and normally he would. I didn't know what was up with him.

Where Luka's flirting was gone, Owen's was here with a vengeance. His wasn't so innocent, however; he'd often get just a little too touchy and a lot too overbearing. He was to the point now of asking for a kiss on the cheek when I asked him for any favor. Though younger me would give up one of her siblings for that chance, this me was pretty disgusted. It's not like he didn't bring home girls, I'd run into at least three walk-of-shames since I'd been here. I didn't like either guy messing with my head.

Luka didn't bring home any girls, much to my surprise. Though he hadn't been flirty or talkative with me, he hadn't shown anyone else the time of day either - besides Chris, of course. It was weird that I missed the teasing since I knew he was only messing with me. Luke Sanchez would never in a million years find me attractive.

I was currently adorned in a skin tight, short as sin red dress with heels higher than my IQ and my hair was pin straight. They went easy on my makeup this time - thank goodness, and I had a simple cat eye with bright red lips. I looked sexy and seductive but not like a try hard.

Giana was wearing a little black dress and heels at least a hundred feet higher than mine. Her hair was in an mussy updo that looked like just enough effort had been put into it, despite the fact that she actually sat fiddling with it for an hour while Zoey straightened my hair. It was always too high, or too low, or too messy, or too neat. When she'd finally found the perfect style, I almost screamed I was so overjoyed.

Zoey was opposite us in her pale pink sundress. She was wearing black flats to go with, ditching the heels and going for a tamer look. She said she was in the market for a boy-next-door type, and her usual long legged, edgy style wouldn't cut it. Zoey's long brown hair was braided down her back in a fishtail, and she even went as far as putting little white flowers in her hair. For a club. Her makeup was still in progress.

"How long has it been?" Giana murmured randomly as she continued to apply the pink lipstick to Zoey's lips.

"Since?"

"You know," Gia paused, sparing me a glance before grabbing the blush. "Since you've gotten nailed."

Zoey scoffed, earning a glare from Gia. "Nailed?"

"Yeah, you know, fornication?"

"Fornication?"

"Like sex!"

"We knew what you meant," Zoey mumbled, rolling her eyes. "Why try to use other words? Just say when was the last time you fucked."

"Zoey!" I hissed, swatting her and causing Gia to mess up the bronzer she'd just began applying. Gia scowled at me before grabbing a tissue to fix it. "No need to be so blunt."

"Someone had to be," Zoey shrugged, glancing at Gia. "Not all of us talk like granny over here."

"I'm an author," Gia stressed. "Of young adult fiction. I'm sorry I don't use vulgarity as a second tongue."

"Young adults do," I pointed out. "I mean, we're young adults and we curse like sailors."

"That's because together you and Zoey possess the IQ of a sailor. Drunk."

I gasped. "I'll have you know I graduated top of my class in college."

"Clown college?"

Zoey barked out a laugh at that one, whereas I frowned. "Not funny, I worked hard to get to the top."

"I know all about that," Gia attested, throwing her loose containers of makeup in her case and zipping it shut. "Do you know the demand for author's? Pretty low, I'll tell you that. There's a lot of competition. I don't see anyone banging down our door, telling you that you stole their dream job."

"Because being a math teacher for high school kids isn't anyone's dream job, Gia," Zoey murmured with a shake of her head.

"It's mine!" I defended.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Gia mocked sarcastically. "It's not like you wanted to be a doctor but didn't want to go to school for a hundred years, or anything."

"Don't be a smartass."

"Cursing makes you less attractive."

"Then I must be the ugliest fucking person in the world!" Zoey shouted, earning disagreements from the guys downstairs. The boys had unanimously decided they were lacking in guy time, and decided to invite their friends over while we were out at the club. Of course, that was only after Chris and Gia argued for a half hour on whether or not she was going.

Chris's argument; She was taken, and he didn't need to worry about her shacking it up with some drunk sleazeball. It's not that he didn't trust her, but the guys at the club, he'd said to defend his point. Gia's argument was that her two best friends were single, and she wasn't going to miss out because she wasn't. She also told him that she was a person, not an object, and nobody was going to tell her where she was going or what she was doing.

I sided with Gia. Obviously, she won the argument.

I hadn't seen their friends, but I could recognize those voices anywhere. They had the same guy friends from high school with a couple new ones added to the mix. Some weren't present, and I couldn't help but wonder if they were just busy or had broken away from the high school friend group. Regardless, there was only about five guys down there I could stand, and I lived with three of them.

The bozos in the friend group were in attendance.

I grabbed my clutch, filled with candy - because I have an unhealthy obsession, tissues - for no reason, my lipstick - for obvious reasons, A.K.A after what would hopefully be a very heated makeout session, my phone and money, courtesy of my parents who felt liable that I didn't have money. I didn't see how, but I wouldn't complain.

Zoey and Giana and I went down the stairs at different paces. Obviously, because Zoey wore flats, she was able to jog down them effortlessly. She waited rather impatiently as Giana and I took turns stepping so as not to end up tumbling over each other, and every second step she let out a huff of annoyance.

"Hurry up, god, the boy-next-door types will be gone before nine."

I pulled my phone out of my clutch, glowering at Zoey as I realized the time. "It's only a quarter 'til seven, Zoey. Stop being a drama queen."

When Gia and I reached the floor, which at the point I could kiss, we followed a childishly stomping Zoey to the back door. I now realized I'd heard the guys so clearly because they were in the back, and my balcony door was half cracked, but I digress.

"Bye, imbeciles, we're leaving!" Zoey called as she stepped out the door, Gia and I in tow.

Whistles sounded through the night air and I rolled my eyes. Men.

"Where are you girls off to?" Wayne, one of the guys I could stand asked with a friendly smile. Wayne was cute, with his dark skin and positive attitude, but he'd been locked down since high school. For being loyal to the same girl since ninth grade, I had to give him props.

"Going to find a ride to go on," Zoey murmured with a wink.

"I've got one," Gio, one of the creeps of the group stated with a pat to his lap.

"I'm looking for boy-next-door types, Giovanni, not make-me-puke types. I'll let you know next time I'm in the mood for that."

Gio smirked, sending her a flirtatious wink. "Give me a moment. I'll hop the fence, then I'll be your type."

"You'll never be her type, Gio," I blurted before I could help myself, inwardly face palming. The guys hadn't even taken notice to me, yet I'd just practically made myself a target. Great going, Chloe.

"And who might you be?" Nate, creepy guy number two purred, eyeing me like a piece of meat.

Luka slapped him on the back of the head as I retorted. "Your worst nightmare if you keep looking at me like a steak."

"Let him have it, Cheese Puff," Luka encouraged, eyeing me. His green eyes were two shades darker than normal, and I shifted nervously under his gaze.

"Cheese Puff?" Cooper, who was another guy I got along with, murmured before recognition flashed on every face in the yard - besides Chris, Owen and Luka. "Chloe?"

"In the flesh."

"Holy shit," Gio mumbled, letting his gaze analyze every inch of my body. His eyes lingering on me made me uncomfortable. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Rude!" Zoey snapped, narrowing her eyes at him.

"You got hot, Chloe," Nate hummed in appreciation, earning another hit to the back of the head, this time by Chris. "Ow!"

"Don't be a dickhead, Nate," Gia hissed, glowering. "She was hot before."

While the four of them - Gia, Gio, Zoey and Nate took to arguing about my past looks - or lack, thereof, Luka swaggered his way over lazily. His loose grey cotton shorts were hanging low on his hips and he was shirtless - the first I'd seen since summer. I couldn't help the sound of appreciation in the back of my throat as I stared at his six pack. It was nice.

"See something you like?" Luka asked, a smirk fixing itself on his lips.

I raised an eyebrow, looking into my clutch. "I do, actually. Reese's."

"Funny," he retorted. "You look-"

"Ravishing?" I teased, throwing his word back at him from the other night.

"Well, I was going to say debonair, but sure."

The crooked grin that replaced his smirk told me he was being playful, which confused me even more. He went from flirty, to basically ignoring that I was even of the female species, to playful in the span of a week? And men said women were confusing.

"Red's a good color on you."

"I thought black was?"

Luka took a step closer, causing me to robotically take a step back. I wasn't used to his proximity, and I didn't think I ever would be. "Black is a shade. But damn would I be lying if I said every color, shade and hue in fucking existence didn't look amazing on you."

"Always the charmer, Sanchez."

"Only for you, Cheese Puff."

The girls broke off from their argument with the guys, mumbling profanities under their breath and I followed after them. When we got just out of sight of the guys, who were staring at our retreating forms, Zoey spoke up. "He totally wants to bone you."

"He totally does not," I replied defensively as we climbed into the Uber Zoey had ordered during her argument with the guys. While we had discussed plans earlier, no one wanted to be DD so we decided to play it safe and order an Uber. If we were sober enough to correctly use the app, we'd order one back, but Chris was gonna call Gia every hour anyway, so we knew we'd get back.

"He definitely does," Gia agreed, turning from her spot in the front seat. "It's completely obvious."

"He's completely off limits."

"How do you figure?" Zoey asked.

"For one, he's got his eye on someone," I mumbled with a pointed look aimed towards my Spanish goddess of a best friend. "And two, he's my brothers best friend."

"Your brother's with your best friend!"

"It's just weird," I mumbled, watching the blurring scenery. "We grew up together."

"So did Chris and I, but that doesn't stop me from-"

I groaned, throwing my head skywards. "His sister is in the car, please refrain from speaking about him in any deragatory way until I've got a whole brewery in my fucking system."

"Relax, I was going to say cuddling with him every night."

Zoey and I shared skeptical looks before throwing them towards Gia. "No you weren't."

Zoey wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me into her and causing my seatbelt to dig into my neck painfully. "Thank god Chlo and I are single as two pringles, the club is boring when you're taken."

"It's not boring," Gia defended after thanking our Uber driver and getting out of his car. We followed suit, fixing our dresses as we walked towards the line waiting to get into the club. "I've got my two best friends and a plethora of alcohol. How could I be bored?"

"Uh, the agenda of your two best friends tonight is to get fucked into next week," Zoey informed her, earning stares from the people in line in front of us. "Mind your business," she hissed at them, causing them to turn around obediently.

"You guys never answered my question on how long it's been," Gia pointed out. "For me, six hours."

"God, ew!" I protested. "Please, stop doing that."

"Two days for me," Zoey piped up before realizing we were giving her incredulous looks. "What? I picked up a random from Target."

"No you didn't," Gia muttered shamefully as we scooted up in line.

"Hell yeah I did," Zoey commented. "Who knew two people could bond over stationary supplies? After we discussed pencils, I got to see his pencil."

Gia scoffed at Zoey's wiggling eyebrows. "You're disgusting."

"I'm honest," Zoey corrected as we moved up again. "I'm sorry I don't sugarcoat anything, miss author, but some of us like to enjoy life. I'm gonna party 'til I fucking drop until I'm locked down."

I zoned out their conversation long enough to see that we were second to next in line. I gasped, groaning and opening my clutch. Zoey and Gia gave me questioning looks, and I sighed. "I forgot my ID."

"So?"

"So, Zoey, I can't get in without an ID."

We were now next, and I was internally freaking out until Zoey laughed. I frowned at her, before she shook her head, mumbling about my innocence. She came up to me, pulling my dress down so the top of my cleavage and black lady bra came into view. Then, with a smirk, she said, "Use what your momma gave you."

"ID?" A gruff voice asked, and I eyed the bouncer apprehensively. He was my age, maybe a little older, with black hair. The guy was buff, his name tag read Dom, and I think if I tried hard enough I could be his type.

So, with faux confidence since I was actually shitting my pants on the inside, I waltzed right over to him as Gia and Zoey produced their ID's. As he looked them over, I trailed my index finger from the top of his chest down and almost smirked in victory as he shuddered.

Dom glanced over towards me and I leant in to his ear, letting the tip of my nose just barely graze his neck on my way. "I lost my number, handsome. Can I have yours?"

He smirked, leering at me. As his brown eyes drank me in I saw him nibble on his bottom lip. "You can have whatever you want, gorgeous."

I beamed at that, offering a tissue out of my clutch - I knew they'd come in handy, and he scribbled his number on it in messy scrawl. I thanked him, pecking his cheek and basking in the fact that I'd made him blush before following my two best friends into the club. I swayed my hips as I walked, for good measure, and heard a groan behind me. When we were out hearing range of Dom, both girls held their hands up for a high five.

"You little minx," Zoey teased as we made our way to the bar.

"Distraction, interesting," Gia murmured to herself. "But couldn't you have just told him you forgot your ID?"

"And how would I have gotten in? Hope he took my word for it?" I questioned.

"You could have gone home for it," Gia proposed.

"What a waste of time that would be," Zoey muttered, holding her hand up to wave to the bouncer. He came over and she ordered three shots of vodka. "I have to say, Chlo, I'm impressed. I would have went for the ear nibble and nixed the pickup line, but that was pretty good."

I scrunched my nose up in distaste. "I don't know where his ear's been."

"Fair point," Gia commented, grabbing her shot. Zoey and I did too.

"Cheers to getting fucked all the way up!" Zoey shouted, barely being heard over the bass of the blaring music before we knocked back our shots.