Gaming for Love (4 page)

“Hi Scotty,” she
says, using my childhood nickname. “Luke wants to have a pool party
this afternoon but I want to make sure he doesn’t bother you if you
are planning to work.”

“No, it’s cool.”
A pool party for Luke means plenty of college girls in barely there
bikinis. Just what I need to get my mind off a certain bookworm. I
think that maybe it’s time to get back in the saddle, so to speak.

“Great. Your dad and
I are going to take Alex shopping and stay at Owen’s condo so that
you boys don’t have to worry about her.”

“You mean so you
don’t have to worry about us corrupting her!” I say with a laugh.

“We love you boys and
support your choices, but yes.” She chuckles into the phone.

“I get it. And thanks
for always supporting us. I’ll stop up at the house and give Alex
some money so she can get whatever she wants.”

“You don’t need to
do that, Scott.”

“Yeah, I do,” I
tell her, remembering why I need to find a quick fuck and forget
about Yasmin. I can’t have her. I won’t let myself.

* * *

Yasmin

I’m sitting at home, deciding
which sexy romance book I want to read since Sam and Danny have
banished me from the store today, when I get the text from Ryan.

My brothers and I are having a pool party. You should come if
you’re not busy. It starts at 2:00.

I look at it and think
about how to respond. When I drove up to their house last night, I
nearly fainted. I mean, I know Maggie has a huge rock on her finger
and everyone I had met in the family had been dressed nicely, but I
had no idea that they were
rich
.
Like, seriously rich. But they were so nice and down to earth that my
unease went away immediately.

I think of my books and
then I remember the cabanas with comfy looking couches that
surrounded one side of their pool. If I could snag one of those, they
would be perfect to read in. I saw ceiling fans and misters in them
so I could be comfortable in the heat.

Making my decision, I text back a
quick reply.

Sure, I would love to. Thanks.

I decide on the book
and then think about what to wear. I have some skimpy bikinis but I
don’t want to look like I’m looking to get laid. Although if I’m
honest, and if last night’s dream is any indication, my body would
like nothing more than to have Scott sink into it. Still, I’m not
going there. I choose a more modest purple bikini with a bandeau top
and boy short bottoms. I’ll wear a maxi over it, because what if no
one is swimming at this fancy pool party?

I realize my mistake as
soon as I pull up to the house at 2:30. The cars in the driveway are
not fancy and the music and yelling from the backyard is deafening. I
ring the bell but no one answers so I try the door which is unlocked.
I walk to the backyard and take in a scene that looks straight out of
a 80s frat movie. Girls in skimpy bikinis and college age guys are
flooding the backyard. A few of the cabana curtains are closed and I
can only imagine what is going on inside. I am ready to turn around
when I hear my name.

“Yasmin! Glad you
could make it!” Luke shouts from the pool.

I look over and see him
surrounded by girls, all of whom shoot me death glares at his
acknowledgement. I wave and as I turn to the left, I see Scott, also
surrounded by girls. Our eyes lock and his seem to darken. I’m
frozen again, but then he looks away and I see one of the girls next
to him pouting and thrusting up her fake looking breasts at him. She
is blond and super thin - the complete opposite of me. He smiles and
starts talking to her. I know then that I was misreading him and
stupid to even fantasize about him. Obviously, his tastes run to size
zero not six (on a lucky day).

I look around again and
see the cabana closest to the deep end is vacant and doesn’t seem
to have anyone’s stuff in it to lay claim. This is probably because
most of the party is centered around the shallow end of the pool
where everyone can stand and party more easily. I make my way over,
plop down on the couch - it
is
comfy - and start to read. Ryan and Owen come over to say hi and ask
if I am okay over here by myself. I assure them that I’m fine and
perfectly happy to be reading my book, alone. They bring me water and
snacks and tell me to find them if I need anything else. I thank
them, thinking that I really do like this family. Well, most of it.

I am at a
very
good part in my book, with the main characters about to finally have
their epic sex scene when a guy comes over to the cabana. He’s
around six feet tall with wavy blond hair and a surfer’s body.
Board shorts ride low on his hips. He is cute but I’m not
interested and
really
want to read my book.

“Hey, what is someone
as hot as you doing here all alone
reading
?”
he says, laughing in a mocking way.

“I like to read and
this couch is comfortable,” I tell him and look back down at my
book, hoping he takes the hint.

Which, of course he
doesn’t. “You’re dismissing me? Really? Do you know how many
girls out there would love to be alone with me?” he says, waving
his hand out toward the pool.

“Well then maybe you
should go back out there and find one.”

“Listen, bitch - ,”
he starts to say, the expression in his eyes frightening me, when the
voice from my dreams cuts in.

“No you listen,
bitch
. She made it
clear that she’s not interested and now you need to step away.”

I look up to see Scott,
dripping wet, looking menacing with his piercings and tattoos,
glaring at this guy. He also looks hot, like really hot. Most of his
chest is covered with tats and I want to explore them all with my
hands. And Okay, my mouth and tongue too. Damn, I need to control
myself before I jump him.

“Whoa dude, I didn’t
know she was taken. Sorry man.” Surfer boy makes a hasty exit.

“What are you doing
here, Yasmin?” Scott asks looking angry at me now.

“Ryan invited me,”
I tell him defensively. I’m honestly a little hurt that he doesn’t
seem happy to see me after last night. I thought… I don’t know
what I thought, but I was obviously wrong.

“So, what, you come
here in a
dress
with
a book to read at a pool party?”

“I was planning to
read today and I saw how comfy these couches looked last night, so
why not? And, not that it’s any of your business, but I have a
bathing suit on under my dress.”

“Well, then you need
to get in the pool and have some fun.” And before I can think about
that, he reaches over and picks me up in his arms, runs for the pool
and jumps in the deep end.

I push to the surface,
my book floating somewhere behind me. Scott surfaces in front of me.
“What the hell was that for?” I ask him, treading water.

“I wanted you to have
some fun.”

“I
was
having fun!”

“Reading? You’re at
a pool party and reading is more fun?”

“I was at a
really
good part in my book!”

“A good part?” he
says grabbing my book from behind me. Looking at the cover, his smirk
is back. “Yasmin, I would happily do anything to you that you read
in one of these books.”

What? Did he just say
what I think he said? He
is
moving closer to me. We are about an inch away from each other now
and the tension is almost too much to bear. I want him to kiss me. I
need
him to kiss me.
All over my body. Oh God, he’s leaning closer. Yes please.

“Scott,” I whisper,
pleading with my eyes for him to kiss me.

“Yeah, baby. I know.”
He moves his head toward me when all of a sudden he is hit in the
head by a beach ball. I look past him and see the bikini girl smiling
like she just won something.

And she did win. The
spell is broken. Scott looks at me like a scared, cornered animal and
then quickly swims to the shallow end and grabs bikini girl to dunk
her under the water. They come up laughing. I can’t believe how
stupid I am. Did I really think that he would kiss me when he could
be with her? I can’t compete with her or any of the other girls at
this party.

This is my cue to
leave. I pull off my dress, grab my book, swim to the ladder and
climb out of the pool. Ryan comes over to the cabana as I am toweling
off and gathering my things.

“Are you okay? Scott
can seem like an asshole sometimes, but he doesn’t mean it. It’s
been a rough few months for all of us. You don’t have to go. I will
keep him away from you if you want.” He’s so sincere and I hug
him tightly.

“Thanks, Ryan. But
this isn’t really my scene and I’m not in the mood to see Scott
hooking up with someone else who I obviously can’t compete with,”
I tell him honestly, instantly regretting it. Did I actually just
admit to Ryan that I like Scott? What is wrong with me? He doesn’t
make fun of me or tell me I’m right.

Instead, he looks at me
curiously and says, “You like him. I thought you did last night,
but now I know. Give him a chance, Yasmin. I think the two of you
would be good together. Like I said, he’s really not the asshole
that he seems to be sometimes. And as for competing with that girl,
she has nothing on you. You look smoking hot in your bikini. There is
not a guy here who wouldn’t want to have a chance with you.”

I look past him to see
Scott in the pool with Bikini Girl. She is on his lap on the steps
with her mouth latched onto his neck. He is looking straight at me
while he rubs her back. He looks mad. What is
he
mad about? He reaches down and pulls her in for a kiss, looking at me
the whole time.

“There’s one who
doesn’t want to have a chance with me,” I say as I try not to
cry.

Ryan notices the
stricken expression on my face and turns around to look behind him.
“That little fucker.” He turns back to me. “I’m sorry,
Yasmin. There is no excuse for my brother or his behavior. Please
don’t let it influence your opinion of the rest of us. We all
really like you.”

“You don’t need to
apologize for him. And it’s not like we are together or something.
We had a good conversation last night and I thought that he was
interested. But, I guess I was wrong. And I guess he felt the need to
show me just how wrong I was. I really like everyone else in the
family, too.” I look at him. “How come no one has snatched you
up, Ryan? Although I’m not interested in you that way—no
offense—a girl would be lucky to have you!”

He laughs heartily and
then turns serious. “No offense taken. There was a girl once and
she pretty much shredded my heart. I don’t let myself get close to
anyone anymore. Not just because I am afraid of getting hurt. No one
has ever come close to comparing to her, no matter how much she hurt
me.”

I reach out to touch
his cheek. “I’m sorry, Ryan. You deserve to be happy. I’m glad
that we are becoming friends.”

“Me too, Yasmin.
You’re a cool girl.” We both look over to where Scott is. He
pulls his mouth away from Bikini Girl long enough to smirk at us and
then he kisses her again, moving his hands under her bikini bottoms
as she squirms.

“I
really
have to leave now,” I say and Ryan nods, looking
disappointed. I wave goodbye to Owen and Luke, who look at me a
little sadly, and then I’m gone.

Scott

I wake up to the mother
of a hangover, alone in my bed. Thank God I wasn’t drunk enough to
let that girl in with me. She tried but I couldn’t even kiss her
after Yasmin left, let alone get it up. I shouldn’t have kissed her
while she was there, but seeing Yasmin in that sexy bikini, hugging
Ryan with a smile made me want to kill my brother. I wanted to be the
one hugging her but I knew I couldn’t. I had to make sure that she
didn’t think what almost happened in the pool was going to happen
again. So, I pretended to be into whatever her name was. I must have
done a good job of convincing her because she left right away.

I
wanted
to want that girl and I tried to play along even though I
felt nothing with her. Every time I tried, I saw Yasmin, with her
lips parted and eyes going almost black when I told her I would do
what those guys in romance books do for their girls. What the fuck
was I thinking? Oh yeah, I was thinking that I needed to fuck her
more than I needed my next breath. I would have, too, if whatever her
name is hadn’t hit me with that ball. Jealous little bitch stopped
me from tasting those hot lips that I think of all day and night.

I should thank her,
really I should. She wanted me to thank her in a carnal way last
night and I thought about it, really planned on it. It wouldn’t
have been here, though. I don’t bring anyone into my home, my bed.
It is always their place or a hotel or even their car. Never mine.
Not even Amber. I am saving my places, if not myself for the “one.”
I know it sounds cheesy, but I want what my parents have. I want
someone special who is in the relationship just for me and nothing
else.

Someone
like Yasmin.

Fuck, I can’t think
like that. I barely know her. But I know that she is saving my niece
and my family loves her. And I want her so bad that I can’t even
get it up for another, willing girl.

Maybe I do need to just
fuck her. I could get her out of my system. I still don’t think one
night would be enough. We could go to her place or a hotel for a
weekend. I would need a Costco size box of condoms. Or two. Shit, I’m
about to come just thinking about it, about her. Time for a cold
shower. Or maybe a hot one, while I think of her in my arms for those
few seconds.