Shadow Kiss

Chapter 6

After we had gotten to the motel, I promptly dug out my cell phone and called the pizza place. When I had put in my order, my friend promised to hand deliver it personally. So here I was in the room Zak rented for me….waiting for my pizza….and my friend. I fell back onto the bed in a fit of giggles.
I wanted to see the look on Zak’s face SO bad when my friend drops off the pizza. Mostly because I wanted to wipe that smug look off Zak’s face and see what he looked like when jealous. Then again…I was assuming he was going to get jealous. Ugh, I really hoped he did.
My friend, Luke, and I had a very odd friendship. Mostly because we had dated at one point. After deciding that we were better off as just friends. We broke up and continued our close friendship. Because we were so close though, many people assumed we were dating. We would constantly hang all over each other and even on the occasion hold hands. But anyone who knew us personally knew we weren’t dating. After Luke had found himself a girlfriend though, we had stopped hanging out as much because we both knew how odd our friendship was and we didn’t want his girlfriend to get the wrong idea. I knew though if I explained the situation to Luke…he would definitely play along with me.
I sat up abruptly pulled out of my thoughts when a loud pounding came at the door.
“Coming!” I called out racing for the door. I could already smell the pizza.
“Not without me you’re not!” A familiar voice chuckled.
I swung open the door and threw myself into Luke’s arms with a squeal. Even though we lived in the same town and hung out on occasion, I still loved it whenever I had the opportunity to hug him without his girlfriend hanging around. She was very possessive of him and that irked both Luke and me, but he was more tolerant of it. I just rolled with the punches for his sake.
Luke was about Zak’s height (six feet tall) except the muscles in his arms were a bit larger than Zak’s. He worked out at the gym at least 2 hours daily. His left arm was covered in multiple tattoos of various meanings and his bottom lip was pierced on the right side. Although he could look scary because of his height and size, Luke was actually a big softie. He had a boyish looking face complete with large baby blue eyes. His blonde hair fell in jagged layers to brush the tops of his shoulders. I could remember the times I would run my fingers through his hair to find it to be incredibly soft and full of shine.
Luke held the pizza in one hand while wrapping his arm around my waist with the other.
“Hey, beautiful,” he greeted releasing his grip on me.
“How’s the business?” I asked taking the pizza from his hands.
Luke shrugged. “Not doing too badly for this being a small town.”
“How’s Janine?” I asked. I didn’t really care, but it was common courtesy to ask your best friend about his other half.
Luke stared at me shocked. “I didn’t tell you?”
My eyes widened. “Tell me she’s not pregnant.”
Luke burst out laughing. “Trust me. She’s NOT pregnant,” Luke shuddered. “I couldn’t imagine the horrors of having a child with that woman.”
“By the way you’re talking about her, I’m assuming you guys broke up?” I guessed perking up a little bit at the idea. I had never really liked her mostly because she kept me from seeing my best friend.
Luke nodded. “Yupp. Just yesterday,” he sighed.
“Who broke up with whom?” I asked finally motioning for him to come in the room.
“I broke up with her. I fear if you had been there when it happened.”
I laughed and set the pizza down on the bed. “Why?”
“Because she flipped the fuck out, man! Holy shit. You thought she was crazy before? No longer than the words ‘I want to break up’ left my mouth, she was turning bat shit psycho. I swear I saw her eyes turn black and her fucking nails turn into long ass talons. That reminds me… make sure you keep your nails TRIMMED. You fucking girls and feeling the need to keep them long…do you realize those things can be used as a weapon??”
I laughed at his rambling. How I had missed him talking up to the point he could no longer breathe. “Yes, I do realize that. It’s WHY we keep them so long. Just in case we don’t have any weapons handy like you men seem to do.”
“Well…still. I have a nice fucking gash down my stomach. And you know I treasure my abs more than my face.”
“Yeah, I know. I know,” I giggled. I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly once more. “I missed you, Luke,” I sighed happily.
“Of course you did. When I see my reflection, I’m like ‘hey there, handsome. Where have YOU been all this time? I missed your gorgeous self’.”
I punched Luke in the arm. “You’re such a narcissist.”
“Ugh, you and your big words,” he sighed.
“It means self-absorbed you dunce.”
“I know! I’m just saying that you could have said self-absorbed instead of nacre…nari…narcs—”
“Narcissist?” I grinned.
“Shut up. Yes that word.”
I rolled my eyes. “Hey…since you’re single now…” I began.
Luke sighed and sat down onto the bed. “I knew this talk was coming. You missed having my gorgeous body all to yourself didn’t you? I knew this day would come when you realized that me being your friend just was too much for you to handle.” He shook his head at me.
I slapped him hard on the back of his head. “Don’t let your ego get ahead of what little brains you have left. That’s not what I was going to say.”
He rubbed the back of his head. “Okay, one…that fucking hurt. Two: that was uncalled for. And three: what were you going to say then?”
“One: it was completely called for. I had to beat your ego back to the dark hole it crawled out of somehow. Two: I need your help to make someone jealous.”
Luke shot up off the bed rubbing his hands together like an evil scientist. “You know I do that all too well,” he grinned mischievously. “So who are we making jealous?”
A slow smile spread across my face. “Zak Bagans.”
Luke’s eyes widened. “Ex-squeeze me? Say that again for me, please?”
“Zak—”
“Yeah, I thought that’s what you said. I heard rumors that you had won the chance to go on lockdown with them, but you know this town and how they like to start rumors and shit.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I know. But will you help me out or not?”
“How do you know it will even work? Do you know if he is into you?” Luke questioned folding his arms across his broad chest.
“I don’t know if it will work that’s why I want to try and see if I can make him jealous because if I can…”
Luke’s eyes widened in realization. “Then that means he’s into you. Or at least somewhat. Enough to get jealous.”
“Precisely.” I patted his shoulder. “I’m so proud of you,” I cooed.
Luke narrowed his eyes. “Shut up. I’m smarter than you think.”
I chuckled. “I know, dear.”
“But how will you know if he is jealous of me being next to you…and not YOU being next to ME?” Luke teased waggling his eyebrows.
I gave him my most deadpan stare. “Nobody would be jealous of that,” I simply replied.
Luke grabbed his shirt over his heart as if he had been struck there with a bullet. “Agh! You wound me with your sharp tongue and poisonous words.”
I rolled my eyes, but smiled warmly. “So, Luke, I ask again. Will you help me?”
Luke placed his hand over his heart and got down on one knee, bowing his head. “Whatever my Mistress wishes of me.”
I took my foot, placed it against his head, and pushed him back onto his butt. “Don’t do that. It’s weird. Even for you.”
Luke gave a hearty laugh. “Yes, I will help you.”
I smiled. “Thanks, Luke. Now let’s go deliver the pizza to the guys and be sure to follow my lead.”