Chapter 4
Melissa not only talked a good game, but played one as well. Twenty minutes after they started, a pile of socks, jeans, and shirts sat before her. All she had lost was the black thigh-highs she had worn and the black lace vest. Cassie had fared pretty well, also. She was still wearing her skirt and bra. All of the men, however, were stripped down to their underpants. Melissa teased Joey, saying, �Looks like I was close. Like the boxer briefs,� she teased with a wink
�Man,� Justin complained, �I'm getting cold. Can I have my clothes back?�
�Nope,� she said, �ya gotta win them. And the only way to win is to bet, and I would say all of you boys are down to brass tacks, so to speak,� she laughed as the men frowned at her. �Oh, ok, you big babies. I don't think I want to go any farther than this anyway,� she laughed.
�Oh yeah?� Justin said as he stood up and turned around. He began to hum what sounded like a song from some cheesy seventies soft-core porn film. He poked out his butt and slowly began to pull down his black briefs.
�Woooooo, take it off!� Cassie howled, receiving a poke in the ribs from JC. Cassie's mockery prompted Justin to stop what he was doing and to turn bright red as he pulled his waistband back up and laughed.
Melissa began to dole out the clothing to the proper owners, but Joey's clothes stayed in front of her. �Hey, um, are you forgetting someone here?� he asked.
Melissa looked directly at him, her eyes travelling up and down his body, and replied simply, �No.�
�Whad'ya mean no?� he moaned. �I'm starting to feel naked here.�
�Yes, but if you'll remember correctly, you owe me something,� she challenged, never looking away from his eyes.
�What?� he teased, though he knew full well what she wanted.
�The briefs, Fatone. Hand em over,� she taunted.
�Come and get em,� he challenged, sitting perfectly still, daring her to make a move.
She said nothing, but rolled her eyes as she grinned.
All of the others got up and started to get dressed, except for JC who was struggling to pull his jeans on while staying seated. Cassie looked questioningly at him and he blushed slightly. She then looked down to see the reason he would not get out of the chair and her eyes grew large. Cassie stood up from the table and put her arms around his neck, leaning close to his ear she whispered, �I'm going up to my room now, the door to the left of the stairs, to light the fireplace. You're more than welcome to join me.� She could feel the heat of his skin and knew her words had struck home. Slowly, she withdrew her arms and turned to leave, but his hand snaked around her waist and suddenly she was sitting in his lap, again staring into his blue eyes. No words were needed then, as their lips came together in the electric jolt of a first kiss. The pounding of blood was almost deafening as Cassie felt his tongue trace the outline of her lips. Slowly she opened her mouth to him and felt another jolt surge through her as his tongue assaulted hers. His hands had somehow made their way to her face and cupped it softly. Cassie held onto him, afraid to break the spell, afraid he would disappear into her fantasies. His assault finally slowed and reluctantly they separated, their eyes still closed, relishing the feel on their lips.
JC ran his hands through her hair and held her to him, willing his heart to slow down. �I'll be there as soon as I say goodnight to the guys,� he said huskily into her ear. Cassie nodded and broke apart from their embrace to look into his eyes again. She smiled at him and kissed his cheek before leaving the room. JC slumped back into the chair and let out a ragged breath. Never had he kissed someone like that before. It was like he had been hit by lightning. In fact, he could still feel her lips on his. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes for a moment, trying to regain his composure. The sight of everyone's mouths hanging open quickly brought him back to reality.
�Damn, I knew I should have gone to the karaoke bar,� Chris said causing everyone to snicker, except for JC, who was still in some other world.
They all sat for a few moments in idle conversation, discussing music, movies, and other points of interest. They had only been talking for about five minutes when JC stood up suddenly. �Oh man,� Justin said, covering his eyes, �save it for Cassie.�
JC looked down as he realized he had never quite finished dressing. He then excused himself, stretching, �Man, I'm beat. I think I'll head up.� He then all but sprinted up the stairs, not allowing any of the comments he knew he would have to hear.
�Man,� Chris noted, �I've never seen him move that fast. Wonder what she said.�
�You KNOW what she said,� Lance interrupted, yawning. �Not to be a party pooper, but I'm a little tired.�
�Oh no problem,� Melissa said, snapping into what Cassie always referred to as hostess mode as she rose from her seat.
�Yeah, I guess I might as well get to bed too. Not all of us can go upstairs with a beautiful woman, unless?� Justin teased as he looked toward Melissa.
�Keep dreaming, Little Man. Let me show you to your room,� she said as she gathered up the clothes in front of her and started to walk away.
�Hey! Where do you think you're going with my clothes?� Joey wailed.
�If you want em, come and get em,� she teased, as she quickly walked away, narrowly averting his reach as he grabbed at her. She stuck out her tongue and walked toward the exit of the room, with Justin and Lance close behind. Before leaving, she turned around and heaved Joey pants toward him, �Here,� she teased, �Wouldn't want you to have the same problem as JC.�
Melissa still held his shirt in her arms and as she left the room she brought it up to her face, taking in his wonderful, masculine aroma. As she breathed him in, she felt light-headed, as if she could faint from his scent alone. My God, he was sexy; not in a conventional way, but there was just something about him that made her forget everything. �Um, Melissa, Are you ok?� Lance asked, grinning. She had left the kitchen only to stop in her tracks, her back against the wall, her mind a million miles away.
�Uh, what? Oh, yeah. Um, sorry,� she fumbled for words as she colored. �I, um, ok, just follow me,� she gave up and walked past him.
�I think somebody has the hots for Joey,� he teased.
�It's not�� she attempted, poorly, to conceal her feelings. �He's...It's...Oh come on, your room is this way,� she sighed as she led them to their rooms.
In the other room, Joey stood with his back to Chris as he dressed. 'If only she knew how right she was,' he thought to himself, as he remembered her last comment. What was he going to do with that girl? Every time he looked at her, he wanted her right then and there. She induced feelings that he just couldn't explain. He couldn't compare her to any woman he had ever met. From the moment that she had touched him, he had yearned for her, and that desire grew with every glance, every lingering touch. There was more, though. He wanted to find a way to make her happy. Every time she smiled, he wanted that more than anything. He tried to shake off the feeling, but it was impossible.
�Man, I definitely should have gone with you and JC. Every chick in that place was about 19, and then the one girl I meet makes fun of me, while you and JC get the hook up!�
Joey smiled, �I don't know about all that, but you know, either way, it�s cool. I mean if it happens, hell yes, but if not, that's cool too.�
�Hey man, you know how it is. Sometimes you meet someone who you just want to know. You know what I mean?� Chris said.
�You know, yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I mean everything about her is just cool, and I want to know more, and this is crazy. I mean, what the hell?� Joey was at a loss for words.
�Well, just be careful. I mean, she's obviously been through something pretty hard, so that complicates things. And from listening to you talk, I'd say your feelings about her are pretty complex,� Chris advised in typical big brother fashion.
To say Joey was confused was putting it lightly. To say he didn't have the slightest clue about what was going on in his head was a little more accurate. �Complex...yeah Man, you can say that again."