The Game Of Lust

Never have I ever

After work Paula and I were forced to ride with Andy as our love for cake got the best of us and my inability to take my car to a mechanic had me juggling rides with my co workers.

“So we have to pick Tyler up from football practice first,” Andy stated quietly with his head down as if preparing himself for the roars that would follow his late announcement.

“Why didn't you say that before I got in?” I snapped

“cause then you wouldn't have got in.”

“I don't wanna ride with your son's sweaty football team mates!”Paula joined.

“Well it's too late for that cause already there .”

We turned and saw Tyler approaching with three other people behind him.

“Oh God no!” I exclaimed, resting my head tiredly on the seat in front of me. “I am so glad I'm not you right now,” Paula said, turning around to see the perplexed expression on my face. Tyler yanked the door open,

“Hey dad, I was Wondering …” Before he could finish his sentence he noticed me sitting in the back seat and his countenance lifted into a wide smile, showing off the braces in my teeth. “Hi Miss Regina!” Tyler smiled happily before sneering at Paula “good evening Miss Haze,” he said to her and took his seat next to me, his three friends joined in and we became smudged together in the back seat like a can of sardine.

The car was engulfed in the smell of sweaty thirteen year olds.

“Dad I was wondering if you could make Changes on flavor of the cake,” Tyler said

“What do you mean?” Andy asked

“Justin over here is allergic to chocolate .” he gestured to his pimple faced friend sitting beside him.

“Well it's too late for that.. Let's just try not to give Justin any cake today .”

“But I want him to have cake!”

“Then you should have told me this a week ago!” Andy glared at him from the rearview mirror.

“That's not fair Dad .. It's my birthday! ” he made a fit and he began to shake Andy's seat from behind frantically screaming.

Tyler's attempt to annoy his father failed as he simply annoyed the rest of us with his endless screeching.

The drive to the bakery was long and painful as I fought the urge to jump out of the moving vehicle.

We arrived at the bakery longer than I prayed. Andy walked to the counter.

“I'm here to pick up a birthday cake” he said

“Mr Brooks?” she asked

“Yes .”

She handed him the cake in a large box which he handed to me as he leaned over and whispered,

“Excuse me, do you happen to have any other flavors that I could get right now?”

We were handed another box and the drive to his house wasn't as frustrating as Tyler had no reason to complain but instead decided to sing after the song on the radio with his friends.

Andy's house was already decorated with balloons and a bounce house outside, and an obscene amount of screaming children running around.

Paula and I sat a corner away from Andy's guests who were parents as well making us unable to flirt around, though Paula gave it a shot regardless. She loosened the ends of her oxblood colored blouse which was tucked into her denim jeans before She approached a handsome looking man in a black tracksuit, he had bright hazel eyes and a broad figure we both couldn't avert our eyes from.

“Hey! ,” she said standing in front of him.

“Hi .”

“So how do you know Andy?”

“oh I don't know him that well, i was actually invited by his wife maria,” the man explained.

“I see .. Well I'm Paula by the way,” she stretched her hand towards him and he joined him in for a handshake.

“I'm Maxwell, it's lovely to meet you Miss Paula,” he smiled politely.

Before she could say anything else, a child ran between us and grabbed him by the leg, she sneered at Paula and began to cry. “Daddy, daddy!”

Paula's mouth widened in shock as she excused the pair and respectfully returned to my side.

“How'd it go?” I laughed boisterously,

She shoved me away and slouched again. “Who the hell parties on a Monday anyways?” Paula asked, I turn to respond but a child runs by with a birthday whistle and sprays confetti on us both.

“Why'd we come here again?” I sighed, dusting off pieces of the confetti from my hair.

“I think he said something about cake,” she answered, peering about.

“I'm going home, ” I stood but was quickly pulled back into the chair.

“No we have to stay strong Regina!,”

As we sat by the stairs consoling ourselves, Andy's wife Maria approached with two bottles of beer in one hand and a toddler holding onto the other hand.

Maria had on a pair of Mom jeans and a purple blouse, she looked a lot older than Andy.

“How's it going guys?” she asked, handing us each a bottle.

“It's .. Great” I hesitated for a minute, trying my best to manage my sarcastic comments, which definitely would come off to most people as insulting but Maria was as calm and patient as a leaf floating on water.

“My husband's at the back with some of his friends .” she mentioned

“Wait, I thought we were his only friends,” I turned to Paula.

“No wonder he ditched us,”

Paula pops open the beer bottle and gulps down nearly all of its content.

She exhaled loudly.

“Would you both like some cake?” Maria asked, walking to the kitchen, we both turned to each other at the same time and ran after her.

By evening all the guests had gone and the birthday boy had fallen asleep with a pair of cardboard glasses on. We stayed behind along with two other people, a man and a lady who happened to be his siblings.

The lady was Eris and the man was Justice, we all assisted Andy in cleaning up the house after the party.

While we were at it, Eris came out of the kitchen with booze. The rest of us quickly got out the party cups and joined her in the drinking.

“I've never drank out of a disposable cup before,” I blurted out and everyone went Silent as they stared at me dumbstruck.

“Well I've never heard that before,” Eris said as she lowered herself on the sofa.

“What other common things haven't you done before?” Justice added.

“Well I've never … ” Before I could finish Paula's eyes lit up and she quickly interrupted “Why don't we play a game,” she said joining Eris on the sofa. We all put put down the trash bags and brooms.

“A drinking game, ” she explained

“Which one?” I asked indifferently “I can think of a dozen .”

“Never have I ever! .”

The others seemed interested and quickly agreed.

“Ok I'll start!” Eris said refilling her cup. “Never have I ever had s*x with a co worker!”

Paula looked sat quietly until she noticed my eyes fixed on her, she knew what the look meant and she knew she very guilty and so was I but no one knew I casually sleeping with out boss and I was glad.

She finally budged and drank from her cup. There was a loud guffaw of laughter as we all watched Paula have an embarrassing moment from

a game she had started.

“Never have I ever dated two guys at the same time,” I said and Justice drank, “Mine were two girls and they were sisters” he added jerking in laughter.

“I'm so ashamed of you,” Andy chuckled. “Ok .. Never have I ever lied to get out of work early .”

The rest of us drank to that.

“I lied to get out of work once … I'm probably gonna lie again tomorrow, when I wake up feeling like s**t after all this drinking .” Eris rambled.

,“Never have I ever been a in friends with benefits situation? ” Paula said

I hesitated but Andy lifted my drink to mouth, laughing. They knew about Matt and I's endless chain of casual s*x.

“Never have I ever flirted with an older man,” I said and Eris drank rest of booze and poured some more.

“I couldn't help it,” she laughed

“Who, Eris!? Don't tell me it's Maria's dad,” Andy asked sitting up immediately.

“It may have been him, ” Eris answered “What? He's barely looks sixty and he's crazy good looking .”

“You thirsty woman!” he shook his head in disappointment.

“Shut up Andrew, it was harmless flirting,” She snapped.

“Never have I ever gotten a colleague in trouble,” Andy said.

“Come on Andy say something nasty for once!” Paula sighed.

“Can't do that babe … I'm a happily married man now .” he smiled.

“Gosh you're so boring .”

The night ended with Eris getting stone drunk, she danced around singing after the song playing using a broom as a microphone. She eventually slept off in the bouncy house while Andy drove Paula and I home at early hours of the morning.

After taking off the uncomfortable dress I had on. I crashed on my bed with the remaining hours I had till dawn.

My house was just as I'd left it over the weekend, the magazine I was reading, the half finished can of orange juice still on the table.

I was fagged out and in my tired state began to dream of Cole.

He was sitting in a dark room surrounded by walls, covered in photos of different women. I'd worried myself all day about the photos I'd seen in Cole's house that they became part of my dreams.

I was seated in the chair before him, unable to move and unable to speak.

He didn't look so handsome anymore as his eyes hollowed and his skin turned gray.

I woke up with a start from the terrifying dream, sweating profusely, I remained seated as I struggled to catch my breath. I heard a knock on my door and climbed out of my bed quickly. It was Vivian.

“Gina, Can you give me a ride to the library” she came in and with a camera around her neck and her backpack.

“I haven't fixed my car yet, ” I muttered, robbing my swollen eyes.

“Are you serious? ” she yelled, “So you've been taking the subway for a whole month?”

“Look I've been busy”

“But i need a ride! ”

“Then get a cab!” I snapped

“Why do you look horrible, are you okay Gina ?” she asked noticing dark circles around my eyes.

“I haven't slept well in two days?”

“Why?,”

“The bastard … didn't even gimme back my clothes ” I blurted out angrily and immediately froze as I realized what I had said. Vivian's eyes now took more space on her head as they widened in shock.

“Who are you talking about? ” she walked to me, I hurried into my room and she followed.

“You slept with your boss again, didn't you?” she asked, as she stood by the door.