Page 723 of Filthy Elites

Jackson and Alec couldn’t make it, so they made everyone promise to have a repeat of the impromptu party the following weekend.

He looked around his apartment and was pleasantly surprised at how good it felt to be around friends and not people who called themselves a friend, while secretly or in reality blatantly, plotting behind his back. Adrian had been in that world for so long, he had forgotten how nice it was to just hang out, drink a good beer, and not have to worry about every single thing he did or said.

Watching Kelsey play hostess made his stomach tighten and his blood zing. He loved seeing her in his space flitting around making sure everyone was taken care of. He loved working side by side in his kitchen with her preparing dinner or making a snack. He could see things working out between them and it should have scared him, but it didn’t. Adrian wanted it.

Kelsey and Riley were sharing the love seat when Xander decided to squeeze in between them. Both girls tried to push the large guy off the chair, but they couldn’t manage to budge him. When Adrian was done pulling out the paper plates, he would rescue his girl from being squished.

“Get off of me!” Riley tried using her shoulder to get him to move, but Xander happily ignored her.

“Hunter! Throw me a beer.” Xander called out, not wanting to relinquish his stolen seat.

“Get it yourself!” Riley complained. “We were in the middle of a conversation and you’re interrupting.”

Xander spread his arms over the back of the seat behind both girls. “Chat away, ladies. I don’t mind hearing gossip.”

Kelsey rolled her eyes. “What if we were talking about you?”

Xander wiggled his eyebrows. “Even better. It’s my favorite topic of conversation.”

“Of course, it is.” Kelsey knew Xander was sitting there to drive Riley crazy. For some reason they couldn’t help picking at each other. She thought Riley had been interested in Xander romantically, but when Kelsey asked about it, she denied it vehemently. Riley had also started talking about a guy on the soccer team.

Kelsey could have had it wrong or maybe Xander liked her but was holding back for some reason. Hmmm. “Xander, how do you and the guys know Riley?”

Xander frowned at her, trying to see where she was going with her line of questioning. “Her brother is one of my best friends.”

Ahh. That’s it. Bro code.Kelsey nodded as if that vague answer said it all. She wiggled out of the seat.

Xander tried to pull her back. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“To help Adrian.” Kelsey hurried to the kitchen.

Adrian tagged Kelsey around the waist and kissed her forehead. “Are you having fun?”

Kelsey beamed up at him. “I am. It’s been so long since I’ve hung out like this with a group of people. I like these guys.”

Adrian surveyed the room. “Me too. Come on, let’s get this stuff out to them.”

After plates were filled and boxes were emptied, they sat around the coffee table. Some on the sofa and chairs and a few on the floor. No one seemed to mind that the place was old, and the furniture faded and worn.

Adrian couldn’t believe how happy he was feeling and tried not to wonder if it would all be taken away from him. He pushed negative thoughts aside and focused on the entertainment around him. These guys were funny and loved to tell stories. “How did you all end up in Community Service?”

Hunter shook his head. “Because we finally got caught!”

Cade rubbed the top of his mohawk. “Damn VP had a hidden camera.”

Ian shrugged. “Xander’s better at telling stories.”

Xander rubbed his hands together, playing it up. “Our football team is one of the best in the country because we have a bond that goes beyond the field. We are true friends who rely on each other, help out, and depend on each other. To create that bond and to encourage teamwork, every year we pull a prank. It helps the younger guys feel a part of things and cements trust. We always make sure to include all the new players and assure that if we do get caught, the older players take the heat. We protect our own. It’s also a good way for us to see who will be a good fit for the team, and who won’t.”

Xander cracked his neck and got comfortable. “None of our pranks are destructive or harmful. We’ve done things like draw a huge cartoon with a thumbs up that looks like his dick instead of his finger on the ballfield. We used grass-safe paint. Another time we filled one of the classrooms with so many balloons that the professor couldn’t enter the room. That was fun.”

Cade chuckled. “Tell them about the pool.”

Xander smiled. “We filled the university pool with windup toy swimmers. Some swam on the surface, and some were underwater. Another time we filled the heating vents with a soap solution so each time the heat came on, the rooms would fill with bubbles.”

Riley was pouting. “They never let me participate. Well, except this last time.”

Cade tossed an empty beer can at her. “She’s a jinx. The first time we let her have fun with us, we got caught.”

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