Nick looked out to see James, David, and Chris looking back at him, obviously expecting an answer to the question. “Uh, around?”
“Yeah, around that girl…” David said, pushing Nick aside so they could walk into the house.
Nick sighed and moved to let them through the door. “Yeah, I’ve been with India.”
“All the fucking time!” Chris admonished. “You’ve fallen off the fucking face of the earth, man! What the hell is that??”
“I think he likes her, dude.” David said, flopping down on the couch with Chris and James.
“So I guess we’re just not good enough for him anymore, huh?” Chris asked, turning to David as if he were going to have a deep conversation.
“We don’t have pussies, Chris.” David said, in mock seriousness.
Nick looked over at James, wondering why it was he called these clowns his closest friends.
James just shrugged. “You don’t talk to us anymore, man… so we gotta get it all out when we CAN see you.”
“Don’t even start that shit. Every time you get a new girl you disappear for weeks at a time, until she figures out what a dick you are and dumps your ass.” Nick told him, going into the kitchen to get beers for the guys.
~~~
Nick looked around his living room, semi-impressed with the disaster the guys had managed to create in a fairly short time. He’d been making a point to keep things a little cleaner than normal lately, since there was always a chance India might be over. He instinctively reached for the phone- he suddenly realized how much he wanted to talk to her… to hear her voice and her laugh after being with the guys. He dialed her number and waited for her to pick up, hoping she’d be home.
“Hellooo?”
Nick chuckled, “Helloooo to you, too.”
“Hey! What’s up?” India asked, obviously pleased he was calling.
“I was invaded.”
“What?”
“James and Chris and David came over… trashed my living room, harassed me about not hanging out with them anymore, drank all my beer, and left.” he said.
“Awww poor baby… the boys are picking on you because you’re spending all your time with a girl… I’m surprised they didn’t tease you about having cooties because of me.” India told him, giggling.
“Damn… no sympathy from you…”
“You should know better than to expect that from me.”
“I do… but that’s not gonna stop me from trying still.”
“I applaud your efforts. And I have a solution to your problem.” India said.
“Thanks… what’s that?” Nick asked.
“Hang with your boys this weekend… have some macho male bonding time. Drink, scratch, spit, talk about your bitches and all that manly stuff.” India said in her best impression of a tough-guy voice.
Nick was laughing so hard he could barely speak. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. The football team is going to districts, so Chas and I were talking about taking a tiny roadtrip… go to the game, spend the night, do some shopping or something… so I’ll do that and you and your boys can have a testosterone fest.” she explained.
“Whoa…” Nick wasn’t quite sure what to say to that. She’s telling him to hang with his friends? He wasn’t used to having a girl make her own plans and willingly spend time away from him like this. He could really get used to this independent woman thing.
India laughed at his apparent astonishment. “I know… how cool am I?”
“Pretty damn cool.” Nick said. Very damn cool. Really unfuckingbelievably cool.
~~~~
“You ready, hoochie?” India asked, as she walked into her sister’s tiny apartment.
“Almost, skank.” Chasity said, tossing a duffel bag onto the floor at India’s feet.
India picked up the bag and watched Chasity disappear back into her bedroom. “I told you to be ready to go BY 4:30, not at or around 4:30, crackwhore.”
“Listen here, gutter-slut, I will be ready whenever I am ready, and no time before then.” Chasity said, reappearing, then grabbing her purse and another bag from beside the door. “And now, I am ready.”
“About fucking time.” India teased as they walked out of the door, then paused for Chasity to lock the door.
India popped the trunk and set Chasity’s bags in alongside hers, slammed the trunk shut again and got into the car, groaning when she saw Chasity taking her cd out of the player to replace it with one of her own. “What are you going to torture me with today?”
“Kentucky Headhunters.” Chasity replied.
“You know I hate that shit!” India complained as she started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.
“Ah, but you dubbed me “Radio Bitch”, which means I have control over what is played in the car, Grasshopper.” Chasity said.
“But if it pisses off the driver and makes her want to RUN OFF THE ROAD then she’s going to have no need for a radio bitch because we’ll BOTH BE DEAD!!” India said, stopping at a four-way stop to exit the apartment complex.
“Pain in my ass…” Chasity mumbled, taking out the cd. “What the hell do you want to listen to?”
“I have 120 cds in this car, Chas. I know you can find something you can tolerate.” India told her, flipping off a driver who cut her off as she was about to take her turn at the intersection.
Chasity mumbled the artists to herself as she flipped through India’s cd collection, finally selecting something and putting into the player. “I have no idea how I lived with you.”
“You didn’t have a choice.” India reminded her.
As annoyed as she pretended to be, Chasity was glad to have this time with her sister. She missed being able to hang out with India like they used to- first because of college, then work, and now Nick… so this weekend was going to be an unusual treat- getting to hang out just the two of them. And hopefully give her plenty of chances to extract lots of information about how things were going with Nick.
~~~~
“So, what’s up with you and Nick?” Chasity asked as India flipped back the sheets on the hotel room bed.
India sighed and flopped down onto the extremely uncomfortable mattress. “I was just waiting for that.”
“Then you should have an answer ready for me.” Chasity said, leaning back onto the pillows she’d stacked against the faux headboard.
“They’re going fine… very well, actually.” India said. She’d tell Chas anything she wanted to know… but not without acting like she was a foreign criminal being interrogated by the FBI.
“How well is very well?” Chasity inquired, hoping for more detail than India was giving. She knew India would never flat out say anything… it was all part of the game of back-and-forth they’d played as long as either of them had been dating.
“Just ask, Chas.”
“Fine. Have you had sex with him yet?”
“No.” India said, tossing and turning on the bed in a vain attempt to somehow get more comfortable.
“Why not?” She hadn’t really expected India to have done it yet, but she was still curious as to the reasoning.
“Because I want it to be awesome. I know he’s used to getting it whenever he wants it… and there’s nothing spectacular about instant gratification. Yeah, I want it… but it’s not killing me to wait.. I’ve done without for long enough I’ve about forgotten what I’m missing… and I want him to want it… want me… REALLY badly.” India explained.
“But you do want him?”
“Hell yes, I want him! God.. he’s beautiful… I can’t wait to see him naked… get my hands on that ass…” India paused, giggling, “And I think he’s totally hung.”
“India Jayne Evans!!!” Chasity squealed. “Why do you think that?”
India continued to giggle, then finally caught a breath so she could talk. “He had these pants the other day that… fit just right…. and he was… a little excited to see me… I just, uh, don’t think he’s going to disappoint me in that… area.”
Chasity clapped her hands over her ears, “I don’t need to hear this!!”
India threw a pillow at her, “You’re just jealous!!”
~~~~
“Nick!! Wake the fuck up, dude!!” Chris yelled, chucking a few ice cubes from the cooler at Nick. “Where the hell are you??”
“What??? I’m right here!!” Nick shouted back, picking up the cubes that had landed near him and pelting Chris with them.
“You’ve been fuckin’ zonin’ all night, man.” David said, taking Chris’ side.
“Got that girl on the brain.” Chris accused.
“Maybe.” Nick muttered. He knew they were right… he had been somewhere else all night. He hadn’t spoken to India since Thursday night… and now, on Saturday, it felt like it had been an eternity since he’d talked to her. He was and wasn’t surprised at how much he missed her…. and time seemed to be moving extraordinarily slowly. He was ready for it to be Sunday afternoon, when he knew she’d be back… so he could call her, ask to see her… wrap his arms around her and hold her tightly as he kissed her…
“NICK!!!”
Nick snapped out of it, suddenly aware he was being yelled at again.
“Fuck, man, you’re impossible tonight.” David remarked.
“I thought last night was bad… but this is… I don’t know what the hell this is.” Chris said.
Nick looked to James for help, who just shrugged like he always did, unwilling to get involved. “Thanks…” he mumbled under his breath. Obviously he wasn’t going to get anything from James. He stood up, grabbing his surfboard and the sex wax, rubbing down the board.
“Fuck yeah! I’ll show you bitches how it’s done!” David yelled, retrieving his board.
Nick sighed with relief, if they were out in the water, surely they couldn’t get on his case anymore… and maybe the waves and adrenaline would take his mind off India for a while. He peeled his shirt off, and ran out to the water with his board, the other three guys close behind.