Page 7 of Rum & Coke
“Are you going to shoot me?” Gabe asked Paul.
“This is how it’s going to go,” Paul replied. “You’re going to run, and we’re going to chase you—”
“You want me to run in the woods naked?” He laughed sarcastically.
Nick shot a paintball near Gabe’s foot as though we were some mob and he needed to intimidate Gabe. “Let him finish.”
“Are you fuckers for real?” Gabe groaned.
“Yep,” Bradley stated.
“Like I was saying,” Paul said, “you run, we hunt. Think of it like hide and seek.”
“Motherfucker, I’m gonna kick your ass.” Gabe moved as though he was going to strangle him with the long handcuffs, but stopped when all of us pointed our guns at him. They, of course, weren’t real, but being hit by a paintball hurt like a bitch.
“Boss, you need to hurry up before a car comes,” Robertointerjected.
“Alfred!” Paul shouted. “Jesus, I know. We’re parked on the side of the road. I get it. Now if everyone will shut the fuck up, we’ll be on our way in two minutes!” He paused for a second. “Okay, you’ll be running, yada-yada, and if we catch you, we shoot you with these.” He gestured to the guns. “There’s a campsite just behind me that you need to find.”
“How am I supposed to find it?”
“Don’t give me that shit, Captain Hastings.”
“You’re serious?”
Paul bobbed his head.
“And I don’t get a gun?”
“Nope, but you get a flashlight.”
We laughed.
“You know paybacks are a bitch, right?” Gabe questioned.
Paul chuckled under his breath. “Shit, I’m never getting married.”
“Maybe not, but I know where you sleep.”
“Touché. We’ll give you a thirty second head start.”
I only had thirty seconds to make my move with Tessa, so while they released Gabe and he ran off, I went back into the bus. I was nervous and scared, but I was going to try.
“Hey,” I called out.
Tess looked up from her phone. She had put all her clothes on and, I had to admit, I was bummed. “Hey,” she replied.
“I don’t have long, but I was wondering if I could get your number?” I stepped in front of her, and she stood. We were inches from each other, and I wanted to lean down and taste her lips.
She smiled up at me, and I instantly relaxed. “Well, I don’t usually give my number to clients.”
“Oh,” I breathed, defeated. We stared at each other for a few beats. I wanted to beg. That wasn’t me though. Sure Tessa was gorgeous, and I wanted to get to know her better, but once she got wind of what—wait, she did know what I did on the side. She knew we were S&R guys. At least, I assumed she knew. I was about to wish her a good life because she was obviously in the same mindset as all other women I dated, but then she spoke.
“I’m not looking for a boyfriend.”
“And I’m not looking for a girlfriend.”
“But I could use a friend.”
