Heated Abscondment

Chapter Fifteen - Part Two

The evening continued as the group drank beer and liquor from the men’s stocked wet bar.

The women enjoyed showing the men the common drinking games from American college days.

After a few rounds of coin flip, some simple card games, the group moved on to show the men beer pong.

While they were setting up a makeshift small scale of the game, Etienne quietly strode up beside Ada and murmured in her ear.

“We could up the stakes and wager something else besides just drinks.”

She choked on her drink a bit, then shook her head.

“Nope. Nope. I’m good.”

She swallowed hard, then without looking at him she quickly walked away to join one of the other girls.

Etienne lazily followed and stood with her watching the development of Casmin and Adrian learning beer pong. It didn’t seem like a hard concept, in fact it seemed too easy.

He voiced that thought.

Mari answered, “Yes. You’re right. Right now it’s especially easy, because the throw space is so small. Normally it’s twice this length.”

“We have an island long enough for it, or we have a table set up for it at our place.” Lisa added before she tossed a ball.

“And there’s more cups in the set up that the make shift set up we have here.” Rachael said sipping her beer. “That’s why it tends to have more of an effect, since it’s technically more beer you’re actually drinking in one game.”

Etienne nodded.

“Welp! Time to go girls!” Ada suddenly exclaimed.

Etienne frowned, he mentally prepared himself for some kind of manipulation ploy. He wasn’t going to let her slip through his grasp.

“What? Why?” Lisa asked.

It seems he wasn’t the only one who didn’t want them to leave.

“Lurch just texted. He’s off work now. He’s about to head to our place.”

Etienne felt jealousy flare through his whole body. That man she called Lurch had said that he saw Ada as only a friend. Then what was he doing texting her and coming over to their place in the middle of the night.

“Why doesn’t he just come here?” One of the girls suggested.

Ada quickly glanced at Etienne then looked back at her friend.

“I don’t think Etienne would agree to that. Plus I’d feel it’d be rude to our friends’ hospitality.”

Etienne felt something surge in his chest. She’s right. He wouldn’t agree to it. Not just because he felt this man was pursuing the same woman, but for security reasons also.

Somehow Ada had caught on to that and prevented Etienne from having to compromise himself to explain it.

“But I don’t want to turn Lurch away and miss out on seeing him.” Ada said.

Etienne saw red with Ada’s remark. He knows he doesn’t have any substantial claim, but he was going to make sure she felt that claim after tonight.

“Ada. Stop. You don’t have to keep pushing it. I don’t think he feels the same way about me.” Another one of her friends said. He thought her name was Abigail.

His anger faltered at that comment from her friend.

“C’mon Abby! Yes, he does!” Lisa protested.

“So, it’s settled. We need to get back home.” Ada said.

Etienne wasn’t going to let her slip away this easy.

“They may. But you don’t have to get back home.” Etienne said.

The group chuckled while Ada turned bright red.

“Why don’t the guys just come with us to our place?” Astrid said a little shyly. She looked up at Casmin with a small smile.

It looks like his friends weren’t the only ones pursuing a girl tonight. He smiled at this development in his favor.

“Yea!” Lisa exclaimed, “Then we can show them the proper way to play beer pong.”

Adrian looked at Etienne and he smiled and nodded to his friends.

“Let’s do it then.” Adrian said smiling at Lisa.

Ada groaned.

“Fine! Let’s get going then.”

She pushed up off the counter she was leaning against then stopped and looked at the guys.

“Do you guys have any clothing that isn’t…Suits?” She asked.

***

A few minutes later the men emerged from their bedrooms changed.

Ada quirked an eyebrow.

They were wearing crisp designer jeans and athletic polos.

She shook her head as she called for an uber on her phone.

When they left the suite and made their way downstairs, she noticed that Etienne’s lackeys weren’t following them out.

That was just fine by her, because then it meant less strangers at their place and she didn’t have to explain to the girls why she had suspicions that Etienne was a man not to get tangled with.

When the ubers arrived, Ada was determined this time to not get stuck next to Etienne.

She followed directly behind Mari to sit next to her on a bench seat.

But Etienne ended up being seated directly behind Ada and did not waste his chance to lean forward and speak to her.

His words were all innocent, but he spoke in a low voice and right in her ear.

His breath would tickle the hairs on her neck, sending electricity down her back with every movement.

It was tantalizing and sent shivers up and down her spine.

She was squeezing her legs tight and keeping her back ram rod straight, fighting off the urge that was building inside her.