Vodka and Lemonade

I grabbed a handful of jewelry before heading out of the small mansion. As I ran the few blocks to the bus station, I threw my hair up in a messy ponytail. I was running really late to Brian’s little get together. We had been dating for about a week and a half, and I had yet to feel any different. The only thing that really changed was the fact he would call me every night before work…and that I actually didn’t have to turn tricks for him- I could completely ignore him and still be considered “normal.” The best thing about it, though, was that I could fight and bicker with him without getting smacked. In fact, we discovered really quickly that our fights were major turn-ons for the both of us, and that they led to amazing sex.

Once the bus stopped in Huntington Beach, Brian’s hometown, I quickly got off and ran the two blocks to his apartment complex, then ran up two flights of stairs before stumbling into his apartment. I put my hands on my knees and started gasping for breath.
He laughed at me and looked at the clock on the wall. “Baby, you’re twenty minutes early. Why were you rushing?”

I put up my pointer finger, signaling for him to give me a minute. I bent over and placed my forehead on my knees, my arms were wrapped tight around the back of my bent knees so that I could stay balanced.

“Baby, I know I’m sexy, but you don’t have to lose your breath every time you see me,” Brian teased as he walked over to me.

I quickly stood up and flipped him off. “Actually, I need to use your shower. The one at the House has finally decided to die,” I said, putting my hand on his chest and giving him a light shove before I walked toward the bathroom.

“You look fine,” he said, swallowing hard.

I turned around and glared at him. “Trust me, I need one.”

Brian put his hands up in defeat. “Fine then, we’ll talk after you get out.”

I disappeared into the bathroom and quickly washed the sweat and cologne off of me. The downside to having wealthy old men as your clientele was the sheer amount of cologne they poured on themselves. It was very overwhelming and very disgusting. Once when I managed to get most of the sweat off, I turned off the water and wrapped myself in a towel. “It’s casual dress, right?” I asked in the doorway between the living room and the bathroom. I don’t know why, but I really wanted to impress his friends. I guess it was kinda like a fresh-start kind of deal…whatever that meant.

Brian almost dropped his can of coke and stuttered a bit. “Y-yea, just wear your r-regular clothes. My friends won’t care.” His eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head.

Smirking, I turned and walked into his bedroom. Brian instantly scampered behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist before assaulting my shoulders and the back of my neck.

I leaned back into him and reached my hand back to grab his head. I let out a low moan as the towel fell to the floor. “Hmm, continue to do that, and I say we blow off your friends,” I said in a low voice as I turned around in his arms. There was something in his eyes that I couldn’t place, but whatever it was, it caused my smile to instantly drop. “What’s wrong?”

He quickly let go of me and crossed to the other side of the room. “Nothing, you should get dressed,” he said, not even looking at me.

I crossed my arms and let our a hollow laugh. “Am I hearing this right? Brian Haner is actually passing up sex? Someone call the press, please.” I said in a teasing voice.

“Danni, just get dressed, okay?” Brian pleaded, still not looking at me.

I shrugged my shoulders and quickly put on a clean pair of pants and bra before walking over to him. I slid my arms around his neck and started to play with the hair at the back of his neck. “Brian, what’s wrong? Two seconds ago, you were as happy and as horny as can be. What’s changed?” I was really trying to be the caring girlfriend.

Brian unhooked my arms from around his neck and put them in front of her. “I don’t know how to say this…”

“Say what?” I asked. This whole deal was way too confusing.

“I- I don’t know how I feel about smelling him on you,” he said, his hands still holding mine.

I chuckled lightly and smiled gently. “It doesn’t mean a thing. I promise. There is nothing for you to be jealous over. It’s one of my many jobs- and before you contradict me, hear me out. It’s something that pays the bills and puts food on the table and, until I can get something better, I will continue to do it.”

“I can support you.”

“No, you can’t, Brian…you need that money to pay off your school debt. Okay? Now, let’s drop this subject, let me put a shirt on, and we’ll go visit your friends,” I smiled, pulling away from him and grabbing a random

“This conversation is far from over.”

“I know, but at least it’s over with for now.”

~*~
We pulled into a driveway that looked vaguely familiar. “Is this it?” I asked.

“Yea, this is ZV’s place. Well, technically it’s his parent’s. Are you okay?”

I snapped out of it. “Yea, fine,” I smiled back to him as I climbed out of the SUV.

Brian shrugged and walked right into the quaint two story house. “Alright, fuckers, you better not have drunk all the booze already,” he called, leading me into the kitchen. He grabbed two beer and then led me into what looked like the living room. Two very large and muscular guys sat in front of the TV playing a video game. There were also three girls clustered in a group and talking animatedly to each other.

“Get your own shit, and make sure that your head doesn’t get so big that you can’t fit it through a door,” one of the guys yelled. All I could see was that he had gauges in his ear and that he was wearing a black bandana.

“Har, har,” Brian said hollowly as he sat down, bringing me onto his lap. “Guys, I’d like you to meet Danni.”

The taller of the two that was playing the game instantly whipped his head around. His icy blue eyes locked onto my steely grey ones. Instantly, we both jumped up and crushed each other in a giant hug.

Jimmy rocked me back and forth for several seconds. He pulled back and searched my face before punching my arm. “Don’t you fucking do that again! I thought you died!”

“Next time, don’t step in front of a fucking bullet!” I yelled back at him.

Without another word, he pulled me back into his embrace.