Four Letter Word

We moved around the staircase and stepped into a large room that seemed to span the length of the house, with floor-to-ceiling windows giving view to another deck that also ran the length. A huge, open kitchen was off to the left, one I was certain Martha Stewart would cut a bitch for. It was gorgeous even from a distance. I thought I spotted two ovens, two ovens, before my eyes moved through the rest of the room, occupied mostly by a large seating area—a comfy-looking sectional and two recliners facing a giant flat-screen TV mounted above a fireplace.

I was calculating how rude it would seem if I curled up on that sectional and stayed there the rest of the night when Tori nudged me with her elbow, grabbing my attention.

“There he is,” she said.

I followed her eyes across the room.

Jamie was standing at a rectangular table littered with red plastic cups, a game of beer pong going on, which he appeared to be participating in. He was focused on it, his arm around the waist of a scantily dressed blonde, all tits and ass hanging out of a bikini, no shorts, who was up on her toes pressing kisses to his neck.

Or at least she was.

Eyes lifting from the game, Jamie spotted Tori a second after I spotted him, released the neck kisser like she was on fire, and grabbed a cup before moving purposely through the crowd.

I might as well have been attached to a piece of furniture at that point. He didn’t notice my presence at all.

“What up, Legs,” he greeted Tori with a sexy, all-knowing smile, hair tussled and a cigarette tucked behind his ear, coming to a stop when he entered her personal space. “Surprised you’re here. Thought you hated me, babe.”

Tori plucked the cup out of his hand, brought it to her mouth, and downed it, thrusting it against his chest when she was finished and licking the residue off her lips.

“I do,” she replied, but she said it over her shoulder as she walked away and in the direction of the kitchen, giving Jamie eyes that screamed, Come and get me, with hips swaying heavily.

“Fuck yeah,” he mumbled, and was about to follow her when someone yelled behind me, turning his head and then, on his own, lowering it, spotting me for the first time.

His sexy smile turned soft and slow lip-curling, like something was jogging his memory.

I waved and attempted a smile, though I was sure it came out looking more like a quirky frown.

I wasn’t much for smiling these days.

“It’s you,” he said, eyes roaming my face. “Sydney, right?”

I gave him an odd look.

Idiot.

I waited on Jamie every time he came into Whitecaps because Tori refused to do it, and every single time, I went through my standard greeting, politely introducing myself, yet here he was, acting like I hadn’t told him my name at least ten times before.

Why were pretty boys so stupid?

“Uh, yeah,” I replied, awkwardly cutting my eyes away because he was now full-on staring. “Nice house. Seems like a lot for just one person.”

“I have a roommate,” he replied, undisclosed humor in his voice. “You should meet him. He’s around here somewhere, sulking over some girl he’s completely fuckin’ gone for. Messed up big with her and now he’s miserable, killin’ the mood and shit.”

Why was he telling me that? What did I care about his roommate’s relationship issues?

Idiot.

“Bet you could cheer him up,” he added.

I cut my eyes back to Jamie.

He was still smiling, doing it more obvious now.

Bet I could cheer him up.

Yeah. I knew exactly what that meant.

Random sex with a stranger was the last thing on my mind.

I shoved my hands into the front pocket of my hoodie and twisted my fingers together.

“I think I need a drink,” I said, wetting my lips.

Alcohol, the curer of all heartaches.

Jamie held his arm out and, with his other hand holding the empty cup, directed me toward the kitchen with it pressed to my lower back.

“Help yourself. I’ll be busy with Legs the rest of the night, so if you need anything, like I said”—he smiled down at me—“find my roommate.”

“Right. Thanks.”

I moved into the kitchen and over to the island, where every combination of girly beverage was on display.

Daiquiri mix in a blender, wine coolers, wine, Jell-O shooters.

I grabbed a cup and filled it with the cream-colored slush I assumed was piña colada flavored and took a sip, confirming that while my eyes scanned for Tori.

She was missing. So was Jamie.

I had a feeling he had either found her and they were off doing something together, naked and heavy breathing, or he was still trying to find her and hadn’t gotten to his bedroom yet, which I imagined was where she was waiting, naked and on the verge of heavy breathing.

I cringed when someone cranked up the music.

The room was noisy without the extra background effects. Over the music, people were hollering and squealing, some were even singing along to song lyrics, and all of it was pressing on my brain and making my eyes hurt.

I moved to the slider and stepped outside onto the deck.

It was quieter and nowhere near as crowded as the inside of the house. A small group of people were sitting on lounge chairs and smoking. They were talking but they weren’t hollering, so my head was already thanking me. Below, I could hear voices of people walking to and from the beach, which I got a better view of when I moved to the railing and looked out.

The view was beautiful. Salt water seasoned the air, and the shades of the setting sun painted the water in oranges and muddied reds.