Kim Ann, Sandra and Angela had gained quite a lead on the guys as they headed towards the Alley’s doors. The building was silent and it looked dead with the neon lights turned off, but it didn’t deter their excitement.
“So what crawled up Nick’s ass on the way here?” asked Sandra, breaking the mood a bit.
“What?” Angela asked, even though she’d heard her.
“Why was he such a dick to me in the car, Angela?” persisted Sandra. “It’s not like I pushed you into him on purpose. Brian was trying to grab my boobs!”
Nick, Howie, AJ and Brian were approaching fast and Angela didn’t want to take the risk of being heard, so she whispered, “I’ll tell you later, okay?” Nick’s eyes were on her and she could tell he was trying to distinguish whether or not she was talking about him. She was relieved when he smiled at her trustingly.
All of them stood there momentarily, looking at the door before AJ broke the silence with a loud announcement. “Well, ladies and gents, I’m freezing my nuts off, so if you don’t mind, can we go inside the building, please.”
Kim Ann opened the door and slipped inside ahead of everyone, and AJ couldn’t help but point it out to Howie. “You know, D, if you’d keep your mouth shut, you’d be sittin’ pretty well tonight.”
Howie looked at AJ as if he were insane. The last thing he wanted was Angela mad at him over the whole virginity issue, too. He still felt bad for bringing up the loss of her parents earlier. “She’ll get over it,” he replied to keep the topic mum. “I know how to handle girls like Kim Ann.” He turned to Sandra and winked. “And you can tell her I said that, too.”
“Are you kidding?” exclaimed Sandra, stepping into the door. “I’m kind of interested to see just how well you do, Howie.”
“He da man,” said Brian, nodding slowly, walking in behind Sandra with AJ and Howie close behind.
Nick tugged on Angela’s arm as she attempted to follow and pulled her back to let the door shut behind the others. He smiled at her mischievously and looked at the ground before looking at her with his head still lowered. “I just want to say that I’m sorry about the whole car incident. I mean, it was just one of those things, ya know?” He’d considered not mentioning it at all, but decided it would be best to assure her that he didn’t have a one-track mind about the future the evening. If he didn’t, there would be a good possibility that she would shy away totally from him later on when they were alone.
Angela blushed and looked away from Nick, embarrassed. “Shit happens,” she said, laughing softly. Why is he bringing this up? She thought, uncomfortable with discussing it like it was a trauma or something.
Nick laughed with her and pulled her to him, gently, pressing his forehead against hers. “I think it was the kiss before we got into the car,” he said playfully.
“Oh,” Angela replied. “And all this time I thought it was the ear biting.”
“Well,” Nick said shrugging as he pulled back away. “I think it was the double whammy effect, actually.” He moved towards the door then stopped and held out his left hand to her. “You coming?”
Angela wanted to smile when she first looked into Nick’s eyes, but he maintained direct eye contact without even the slightest hint of a smile. It was the same look he had given her earlier in the day when he was angry with Kenneth - a cocky, self-assured smirk, almost. When she took his hand, though, the corners of his mouth gave way slightly to a smile….but the smirk was not entirely gone. In a sense it bothered her because it made her feel weak and untrusting of him, but in another sense, it excited her. How could he be such a Jekyll and Hyde? One minute, he was boyish and charming and the next, he was manly and arrogant. Who was the real Nick? She wondered. Which one should she trust?
As they entered the Alley, Brian shouted at them. “Hey look, everybody! They’re holding hands! Isn’t that suhweet?!?”
Before Nick could respond with a smart-assed comeback, though, Howie had snapped a picture. Nick stopped and pointed at him angrily. “No more pictures, D,” he said sharply. “I’m here to have a good time, not get my picture taken.” He let go of Angela’s hand and grabbed the camera from Howie.
AJ gave Nick a cold, hard stare. “Chill out, man. We’re all here to have fun.” Nick gave AJ a cold, hard stare back and tossed the camera at him.
“So have it,” he said, walking over to Brian.
Angela couldn’t believe he’d gone from charming to asshole in 5 seconds and looked at AJ, confused. AJ shrugged at her, although he knew it was because Howie had taken a picture of him holding hands with her on one of the disposables for the magazine. She shrugged back at him and went over to the bar area to talk to Gary, the owner of the Alley. Kim Ann and Sandra were behind the bar checking out the array of bottles.
“Hi, Angela,” greeted Gary. “I haven’t seen YOU in awhile.”
Angela smiled. “I know. I’ve been busy with school.”
Gary smiled back at her and looked up at the clock, anxiously. “I just want to go over a few rules before I take off for the night. Now,” he looked over at Kim Ann and Sandra and then over to the Boys. “You’re all over 21, correct?”
Angela hesitated, debating on telling him that Nick was only 20, and before she could respond, Kim Ann answered him. “Hell yeah, we are. Are you gonna let us have at the alcohol?”
“Well,” considered Gary. “Do I really have a choice?” He kept glancing down at Kim Ann’s chest as he talked to her, and Kim Ann immediately played up to it, pulling her shoulders back ever so subtly to push it out further.
“We won’t tell anyone,” she said coyly, smiling at him. Sandra was behind her out of Gary’s view rolling her eyes and mimicking her.
Gary fell for the subtle flirting hook, line and sinker. “Are you the designated driver?” He asked in a flirtatious manner. “I could get in big time trouble if you get pulled over for drunk driving, young lady.”
Kim Ann gave Gary a pouty look. “But then I can’t drink.” She proceeded to smile and said, “How about I designate the driver?” She looked at Angela first and Angela shook her head and mouthed the words “Not me,” then she started panning through the Boys. AJ, yeah right, she thought. Howie….maybe. No, Howie’s shaking his head. Nick? No, he’s avoiding all eye contact… Her eyes settled on Brian.
Brian smiled and rolled his eyes. “Okay, I’ll do it. I don’t have to drink to have fun.”
Gary smiled at Kim Ann and glanced at her chest again before turning to Angela to lay down the rules. “Okay, here’s the deal. You can drink, but don’t wipe me out. You can bowl, but keep it down to two lanes, you can use the Karaoke machine, but don’t mess with the buttons, and you can get on the computer as long as you want, but do NOT download anything off the internet. I don’t want any viruses.”
As Gary continued spouting rules, Angela’s mind drifted to the internet access. She just had to check the Purdue website and see how it looked. Even though she was still hurt by the fact that Professor Hodgkins had lied to her about giving her a computer, she was still proud that they were using her design for the whole student body to see. She also wanted to check her e-mail, not that there would probably be any.
“Angela,” said Gary sharply. “Are you getting all this?”
Kim Ann answered for Angela yet again, as she touched Gary’s arm. “Gary, you lost her when you said computer. The rest of us are paying attention. Don’t worry, we’ll be good.” She crinkled her nose slightly when she said ‘good’ and Gary crumbled like a cookie. “I just don’t want any wild and crazy partying going on in here, okay?”
“You got any video games?” Nick shouted out, interrupting.
“Yes,” said Gary. “The video games are in the side room over there. And,” he pointed to a door in the corner. “The pool tables are downstairs. Now, Lexi’s down there shooting right now, but she’ll be done in a bit. I told her she could stay. She won’t bother you.”
AJ perked up at the mention of another girl – and one that played pool, too! “Lexi?” he asked. “Who’s Lexi?”
Gary looked AJ up and down. AJ’s tattoos were covered by the open dress shirt he had on over his red T-shirt and the baseball cap he was sporting backwards also brought a sense of normalcy to his appearance. Gary smiled at him. “Lexi’s my niece. Don’t get too excited there, young man, she’s very picky and she probably won’t be here long.”
“Well then I’d better get down there,” laughed AJ, walking towards the bar.
Gary looked around the place one last time and decided it was time to go. He grabbed his coat and started towards the door. “Oh, and there’s four pizza’s in the back for you. I don’t want you cooking anything tonight. I turned everything In the kitchen off because I didn’t want to worry about it.” He looked at Kim Ann one last time, longingly. “And the lights are over there by the door. Just flip ‘em off as you go, okay?”
“Okay,” she replied, smiling warmly. “Thanks Gary. You’re the coolest.”
The moment Gary walked out the door Sandra turned to Kim Ann and laughed. “My GOD, Kim Ann, why didn’t you just suck his dick or something?”
“Hey, man,” Kim Ann replied cockily. “I just wanted to make sure that we could drink and have the run of the place.”
AJ positioned himself immediately behind the bar and started pouring a shot of tequila. “You’d make a hella groupie, Kim Ann.” His eyes wandered down to her chest as he completed his sentence. “I bet you could get by Billy without BSB consent.” He looked back up to her, but her eyes were on his groin area.
“Why thank you, AJ,” she answered, unflinching. She brought her eyes back up slowly and smirked at him. AJ laughed at her. “You’re one bad lady, you know it?” He downed his shot with his eyes still on her and finished with a big “Ahhhhh, Tequila.”
“Bad to da Bone,” she replied smugly. “Now pour us a shot, Tattooed One.”
“You know,” said AJ, as he bent down and popped back up with a handful of shot glasses. “I could be a bartender. It’d be cool for awhile.” He held the tequila bottle up at Kim Ann and she nodded, then Sandra and she nodded, and then Angela, who crinkled her nose in indecision, but still nodded. He then proceeded to pour shots for the four of them, placing them in front of the girls when he finished.
Angela looked at the shot hesitantly. “Don’t you get like a lemon and salt with this or something?”
AJ shook his head at her. “You big pussy, just drink it.” He winked and shouted “Bottoms up!” and sucked shot number 2 down. Soon after, Kim Ann, Sandra and Angela finished theirs.
Angela made a face and exclaimed. “God, that’s nasty!”
Nick cracked up laughing behind her. “Haven’t you ever had tequila before?”
“Yes,” Angela replied, giving him a dirty look. “But I prefer to drink stuff that tastes good.”
“Well let me make you a drink,” said AJ. “I think you’ll like it, Ange.” First, he poured Kim Ann, Sandra and himself another shot of tequila and downed his shot with them. Then, he dug around the cupboards behind the bar and pulled out a shaker. He proceeded to pour and mix and pour and mix. After what seemed like an eternity, as well as an ungodly amount of alcohol, he stopped, capped the shaker and shook it up. He smiled at her and the others as he plunged a glass into the ice chest and scooped it out half full, filled it with the mix and handed Angela the drink. “Try this one,” he said, raising his eyebrows at her.
Nick’s hyena laugh echoed through the bowling alley. “You’re not going to drink that are you Angela?”
Angela looked at him curiously. “Why? You think I can’t handle my alcohol, little boy?”
Nick got up and walked over to the bar beside her. “That’s EXACTLY what I’m saying.”
Kim Ann and Sandra snickered amongst themselves and left the bar to go over to Howie and Brian.
“Pffffffft.” Angela said to Nick as she grabbed a straw off the counter, stuck it into AJ’s concoction and took a long drink from it. With a surprised look, she said, “AJ, this is excellent! You MUST pour Nick one.”
Nick shook his head, incredulous that she had wolfed down half her drink in one sip. “I ain’t drinkin’ anything until I eat first. I’m starving.”
“Damn, Nick, you ate a whole fuckin’ bag of chips before we came here,” AJ said loudly.
“It wasn’t a whole bag, AJ, and you know it,” Nick argued.
“Oh, thas right, there were what, two chips left in the bottom of the bag?” persisted AJ.
Angela shot AJ a warning look. “It takes a lot more to keep a man Nick’s size going, AJ.” She could tell that AJ wanted to say something, but instead he just kept eye contact with her to let her know that it was only because of her that he let it go.
“Yeah,” quipped Nick, going into the kitchen area for pizza. He came back out with two pieces and sat down at the bar.
Angela picked up her drink and started to head for the office --- and the internet.
“Hey!” shouted Nick. “Where you goin’? You’re not leaving until I actually SEE you finish that.”
Angela scoffed. “What, you think I’m going to dump it or something?”
“Actually, yes I do,” Nick answered cockily. “I haveta see you finish it.”
Angela scoffed at him again, removed the straw from the glass and guzzled it until it was empty. She slapped the glass onto the counter. “Fill ‘er up, AJ. I’m runnin’ on empty.”
AJ’s eyes twinkled and he shook his head in disbelief. “Will you marry me?”
Angela laughed and shook her head. “No, but you CAN bartend for me anytime, AJ.” She looked over at Nick and could tell he was bothered by her and AJ’s flirtations. It made her feel back in control for the moment. “Well, I’m going to check out the computer.” Nick smiled at her and waved goodbye, but said nothing. She smiled back, picked up her drink, and left.
Kim Ann, Sandra, Brian and Howie walked up to the bar beside Nick. “So where did Angela go?” asked Sandra.
Nick chewed his pizza hurriedly, trying to reach a point to where he could answer. He swallowed hard. “Internet,” he managed to say.
“Shit!” said Sandra. “Come on, Kimmi, you know she’s gonna go to the site.”
“The site?” asked Nick.
“The Purdue site,” answered Sandra. “She created it.”
“Really?” asked Nick, obviously impressed.
“Yeah,” said Kim Ann. “But the fat-ass professor didn’t give her credit for it. He put a disclaimer or something that it was designed by his class, under his instruction. She’s gonna flip out if she sees that.”
“Well, let’s go!” pushed Sandra.
Kim Ann held up her finger. “One more shot. AJ?”
“My pleasure,” said AJ, pouring the tequila again.
“Y’all are gonna get sick,” observed Nick. “Especially Angela.”
Kim Ann smiled wryly. “Don’t worry, Loverboy, Angie will still be functional by the time you make your move.”
“What?!?” exclaimed Nick. “What are you trying to imply there, Kim Ann?”
Kim Ann slammed her shot. “I’m not stupid, Nick. I KNOW what you got planned. Don’t worry, I’ll prep her for ya.”
“You’d better not say a fuckin’ word to her, Kim Ann,” growled Nick. “You don’t know what I’ve got planned and what I don’t.”
“AJ, could you get me a beer, son?” asked Kim Ann, ignoring Nick. “Bud Light, please.”
“Draft, can or bottle?” asked AJ, thoroughly enjoying his job position.
“Bottle,” said Kim Ann, “No glass.”
“Oooh,” replied AJ, handing her the beer. “You’re turning me on.”
“AJ, you wouldn’t make it as a bartender,” said Kim Ann, laughing. “You are turned on too much by alcohol and the thought of women drinking it.”
Howie laughed. “Well, I hope you don’t get turned on by me asking for a Corona.”
“Sorry, D, but you’re not my type. Besides, I know what YOU got planned for Kim Ann tonight.” AJ nodded at him as he handed him the Corona.
“Don’t drink a lot of those, Howie,” said Kim Ann. “I’ll be pissed if YOU’RE not fully functional.”
Howie smiled, relieved that Kim Ann was warming up to him again. “Don’t worry, Kim Ann, the D man won’t let you down.”
“No sex in the house,” stated Nick, digging at Kim Ann.
“Well,” said Kim Ann haughtily. “If that’s the way you want to play, Nick, then trust me, I can convince Angela NOT to sleep with you. She looks up to me THAT much.”
“Oh you think, do you?” smirked Nick.
“Children, if you can’t play well together, we’re leaving,” interrupted Brian. Like Nick, he’d opted for some pizza. “I don’t want to spend my night listening to you guys bickering over sex all night.”
“Fine enough,” said Kim Ann. “Come on, Sandra. Let’s go sidetrack Angela.” She grabbed her beer and headed off to the office.
Sandra followed, only after getting a beer from AJ. “You might want to mix up another one of those concoctions, too, for Angie. She’s probably getting thirsty.”
Nick smiled and shook his head. “No way.”
“Way,” replied Sandra, sauntering off behind Kim Ann.
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