Womanizer

Megan blew on her gloved hands, shifting from foot to foot in an attempt to keep the blood flowing and not freeze to death. She and Brian had arrived in Tuscaloosa around five o'clock. This had given them plenty of time to check in at the hotel, shower, change, and eat.

They had then explored the University of Alabama campus. This had been the worst idea ever. Since sundown, the temperature had been dropping with each passing minute. By the time they'd finished walking the campus and joined the students at the bonfire, Megan's teeth had been chattering. Brian's brilliant solution to this unforeseen problem? Alcohol, of course.

Brian nudged her and held out the flask they'd been discreetly passing back and forth for the last fifteen minutes. Megan took it, quickly downing a sizable gulp. The alcohol burned down her throat and slowly, warmth spread throughout her body.

"Heads up," Brian muttered.

Megan saw someone approaching the place where she and Brian were standing. She shoved the flask into the pocket of her oversized Syn Gates hoodie.

"Hey, Megan!" It was John. "I was hoping I'd find you here." He nodded at Brian. "What's up, man?"

"Freezing my nuts off for the cause," Brian responded, earning a laugh from the younger man.

"You're on our side this weekend, then?" John asked.

"Nope. We have another bet."

"And Bri is an idiot," Megan cut in. "He refuses to accept that no one can beat the Crimson Tide!"

"Hell yeah!" exclaimed some random student who overheard her.

Brian shook his head. "Whatever."

"Are you sure you're not just letting her win?" John said, smirking. "Aren't girls supposed to like that?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Megan said loudly. "I thought the male chauvinists were over there!" She gestured vaguely to the distance and glared at John.

He lifted his hands in a gesture of defense. "My bad."

Brian chuckled. "Obviously college doesn't teach you how to deal with women."

"Nah, but man-whore school does," Megan grumbled, wishing she could take another sip from the flask. "Hands-on experience and all."

"I was top of my class," Brian retorted.

Megan rolled her eyes. "And what was the goal, if not straight 'As'? Obtaining the most sexually transmitted diseases?"

"Having the most partners without contracting an STD. I managed it with unusual finesse."

John's expression had taken on a hint of discomfort. Megan threw Brian one last acidic look and changed the subject. "Are y'all coming to the Hank Williams Jr. show?" she queried of John.

"Yeah, but we can't stay for the whole thing. Curfew is early on nights before a game."

"We'll probably turn in early tonight as well."

Brian quirked an eyebrow. "We will? Why?"

"Because we have to be up at the asscrack of dawn for the parade," Megan answered irritably.

"Oh. Right."

"It'll be worth it," John assured them. "The parade is definitely an experience you shouldn't miss out on."

"I'll need tons of caffeine to make it, but I wouldn't miss it," Megan said, rubbing her hands together.

"Maybe I'll fashion an IV for you," Brian commented. "One that shoots coffee straight into your veins. And then, I'll build a second one that pumps liquor into my body."

"So you can murder brain cells twenty-four hours a day instead of twelve?" Megan said sweetly.

John snickered.

Brian lit a cigarette, his dark eyes resting on Megan's face. "You know, Megan, you attract more flies with honey than vinegar."

"Well, thank God I'm not trying to attract flies."

Their eyes met. Megan's pulse had increased as a result of the banter. Brian's words always seemed to have some hidden meaning.

Or maybe not so hidden, Megan thought, briefly recalling his kiss. What he wanted was fairly apparent. He wasn't being subtle or coy. He also wasn't being pushy and aggressive. He knew that Megan knew enough about him to figure out that he would sleep with her if he had the chance. Now, he was just biding his time.

Megan tore her gaze from Brian's. She had been telling herself that they were just friends, that he didn't have ulterior motives, that he wasn't stalking her slowly. But deep down, she'd known. Why that realization should smack into her with the force of a train at this exact moment, she didn't even want to contemplate.

Because I'm going to be alone with him in a hotel room tonight.

They hadn't spent the night together since the night of the Arkansas game. And they hadn't been speaking that night when they got back to the hotel room.

Tonight, though, they would be alone without all the anger. Would Brian make his move?

"Megan?" Brian touched her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Megan glanced up to find both Brian and John studying her with concern. She managed a small smile. "Yeah. Just...cold."

"Let's head over to the coliseum," John suggested. "It's almost time to leave anyway."

Megan and Brian agreed and the trio set off for the Coleman Coliseum and Hank Williams Jr. Megan used the time to convince herself that she was overreacting. Nothing had changed between Brian and her. He hadn't been behaving any differently. Everything was just as it had always been. There was no reason to freak out.

And yet, some small part of her--the part that held all of her secret desires and the things she could never admit out loud--that part of her really liked the idea of Brian pursuing her and choosing to make his move tonight.

**********

Back at the hotel after the concert, Megan had hurried into the bathroom for another shower. She stood under the hot water for ages, letting the feeling return to her face, fingers, and toes.

Finally, satisfied that she was warm enough, she shut off the water and stepped out onto the cool tile. Her pajamas consisted of black sweatpants and a Vengeance University tee.

"Thawed out?" Brian joked as she emerged into the sitting/sleeping area.

"Yep. My circulation is back to normal and everything."

Brian laughed. "Great. Let's celebrate." He held up a mostly-full bottle of Southern Comfort. "I switched it up a bit."

The flask had held Jack Daniel's. They'd drained it during Hank Williams Jr.

Megan padded across the room and perched on the edge of the bed Brian was sitting on cross-legged. Brian turned on the television. Sharing the Southern Comfort, they searched for the lamest movie they could find. They eventually settled on one that possibly was supposed to be a horror film.

"Do you think if we drink more this'll be scary?" Brian mused aloud forty-five minutes--and most of the bottle--later.

"Nothing could make this scary," Megan declared. "Not even if we were messed up on drugs and hallucinating serial killer bunnies and dancing wolverines while watching it."

"'Serial killer bunnies?'"

"Uh, yeah. Haven't you ever seen Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail?"

"As a matter of fact, I have."

"Best. Movie. Ever." Megan tilted her head back, pouring the remainder of the liquor into her mouth. "All gone."

"Are you drunk?"

Megan smiled. She wasn't totally wasted, but she did have a pleasant buzz. "Just a smidge."

"Do you want more?" Brian produced another bottle of Southern Comfort from seemingly out of nowhere.

"You're like Santa Clause."

Brian handed her the bottle. She accepted it, paused, and gave him a suspicious look. "Are you trying to get me drunk?"

"You caught me."

Megan giggled. "There are only two reasons a guy gets a girl drunk."

Brian's lips twitched as he suppressed a grin. "Oh, really?"

"Really."

"And what are those reasons?"

"So he can have his way with her and..." Megan frowned thoughtfully. Seconds passed, then she shrugged. "Okay. There's only one reason a guy gets a girl drunk. HEY!" She rose to her knees, her eyes bright with intoxicated excitement. "Have you decided what you're going to do with me if you win the bet?"

Brian grimaced at her wording of the question. He knew what she meant, of course, but her phrasing sent perverted ideas parading through his mind. "No," he said. "What about you? Do you know what you want to do for our date?"

She took a long draft of Southern Comfort. "Not exactly. I want to go somewhere nice, though." She stretched out, much closer to him than when they'd begun drinking, and looked at him earnestly. "I've never been somewhere nice on a date. Not that I've dated that much. But the guys I have dated were much more interested in the end goal than in the process of reaching it. Unfortunately for them," she added dryly. "I'm not a slut."

Brian regarded her curiously. "Are you a virgin?"

She almost spit out her mouthful of liquor. Swallowing, she shifted her attention to the television. "No."

"How many partners have you had?"

"Does it matter?"

"No."

Megan sighed. "Two." She glanced at him. "What about you? Or can you count that high?"

Brian tugged the almost-empty bottle from her unresisting grip. "You've had enough."

She nodded and curled into a more comfortable position for sleeping. "Bri?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm glad you stayed in Alabama."

"So am I."

"You're helping Jani and Zee by getting me out of the way. They need alone time."

Not knowing what to say, Brian remained silent.

"And you're not so bad," Megan mumbled, her eyes closed. "I like you being around..." Just like that, her breathing evened out.

Brian watched her sleeping for a few seconds before rising and grabbing his jacket and a pack of cigarettes. Switching off the television, he walked out onto the balcony. He lit a cigarette and leaned against the railing, thinking.