Never Have I Ever Page 2

  “I need a partner for beer pong. Do you want to play?”

  “Wait... A…What?” I mumbled.

  “Partner. Beer Pong. You and me.” He sounded out. Without another word, he grabbed my hand and dragged me off the couch. It was unexpected and forceful, but I didn’t fight it. His brown eyes captured my voice of reason. It felt like I was drowning in his masculinity.

  “Sure, I’ll help,” I replied as I slipped my phone in my back pocket and stood next to him.

  “Do you know how to play?” he asked handing me a ping pong ball.

  “Affirmative,” I winked and then tossed the ball in the top right cup of the six cup triangle.

  “Nice shot!”

  “Hey, the game didn’t start yet!” The opposing team cried taking the ball out of the red solo cup of beer. My teammate shrugged.

  “It just started! Drink up!” He shouted tossing his own ball into the plastic cup in the back center of the triangle. Both teammates groaned, drank the two cups and removed them from play.

  “Looks like I choose the right teammate, I’m Carlos, by the way,” he grinned sticking out his hand.

  “Christina,” I replied returning the formal greeting. We watched as the team both took their shots. One of the balls missed, while the second landed on its mark on the tip of the triangle.

  “Don’t worry I got this,” Carlos said as he finished the beer in one swig. He cleaned the ping pong balls in water and then handed one of them to me. “Your turn.”

  I took my shot and missed, but Carlos hit his mark once again. Our opponents followed our volley, with perfect shots of their own, sinking two balls in the center and back left of the triangle. The game was all tied up as we finished our drinks.

  The next couple of rounds were like a boxing match as we traded shots left and right. Carlos and I were a perfect team cheering each other on during the match. Playing with him felt natural, as if we have been friends for ten years, even though we just meet. The game flew by, until both teams had only two cups remaining each.

  “Alright Christina. Don’t let me down. We could win it here if we both sink our shots.”

  I nodded in agreement and focused on the top cup. I took a breath and released the prayer. My ball dinged on the table and missed.

  Damn.

  Carlos winked at me and took his shot but missed as well. We both stood and watched in disappointment as our opponents’ balls sunk in our two remaining cups. While the opposing team celebrated, Carlos and I finished the two drinks on the table.

  “Sorry Christina. You win some and lose some,” he said placing the cups in the trash.

  “It’s okay. Sorry to let you down.”

  “Are you kidding me? You were the MVP. I was the one who held the team down. Usually I am a lot better. I can’t believe I missed that last shot.” He complained pretending a fake throw towards the cups on the opposite of the table.

  “It happens. Could you get me another beer?” I asked pushing my hair behind my ear.

  Please notice the signal. Please notice the signal. I don’t want our night to end here! You’re too darn cute to lose.

  “Sure.” Carlos disappeared into the thick crowd to retrieve the refreshment.

  Yes, mission accomplished. He saw the signal. What was step two of this plan again? From the distance, I could see Carlos return with two beer bottles in his hands.

  Shit, he’s coming back.

  “Thanks,” I replied popping the beer cap off with the edge of the table. Carlos raised his eyebrows at my skill and handed me his bottle to open. Without question, I applied the same courtesy to his beer, and then handed it back to him.

  “Impressive,” he commented taking a sip of his beer.

  “My dad taught me. He also taught me how to shoot a 9mm too, so no funny business.”

  “Don’t shoot!” Carlos placed both his hands up in a defensive position.

  “I don’t have my gun on me. I think you would be fine, however, don’t make me regret it.”

  “I’ll try not to.” Carlos grinned. He took another sip of his beer. “What brings you to the Gamma Alpha party?”

  “Friend, you?” And to find a guy to hump later.

  “Free Beer,” Carlos replied holding up his beer.

  I laughed so hard beer shot out of my mouth.

  Carlos joined in my laughter when he stared at my wet face full of beer.

  “It looks like I have a drinking problem,” I joked attempting to wipe my face.

  “Ha, an Airplane refence!”

  “Yeah, it’s my Dad’s favorite movie.”

  “Your father has good taste in films.” Carlos replied. His eyes never left my face, but when his brown eyes broke their connection with mine, I wanted to beg for the reconnection.

  “What? Do I still have something on my face? I thought I got it all.”

  “Yeah, you missed a spot. I wish there was a towel around here.” Carlos searched the area for a towel and spotted a dish rag on the coffee table behind us. He frowned when he touched the cloth. “Damn it’s wet.”

  He looked back at me, and I could tell he was running his wheels on how to help me. It was cute watching him think. It was like watching someone figure out a puzzle, the way his eyes moved to connect the dots.

  “Do you trust me?” He asked.

  “What?”

  “I usually don’t do this. God, I feel like my mother.” He placed his thumb on my cheek and wiped away the liquid. His skin felt rough but moisturized at the same time. I could tell he’s worked with his hands, but cared enough not to let them turn to sandpaper. My body shuttered, while my heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t barely function.

  What the hell?

  Taking a step backwards, I giggled and pushed a dangle of my blonde hair behind my ear. He only responded with a smile. A gorgeous smile at that.

  Damn his dentist must be proud. Why does it feel like it is million degrees in this room?

  I grabbed my shirt and started fanning myself, but the high temperature didn’t change.

  When he finished drying my cheek with his thumb, I craved for his touch once more.

  How could one touch send me into a frenzy? I’ve been touched before by a man, but this touch… This touch was different. This touch made even the smallest hairs on my body stand.

  “All gone.” He grinned looking at my face. His smile alone raddled my legs.

  Damn girl, you just met the guy. He’s not perfect. No one is, but if it was possible to be near perfect, he would meet the definition.

  The song on the speakers switched to Thinking Out Loud, by Ed Sheeran. Carlos laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

  “Do you care to dance?”

  I grinned back at him and nodded.

  He took my hand and led me to the dance area.

  From the corner of my eye, I spotted Stacy with Todd slow dancing as well. The moment she spotted me, she mouthed, “who is that?”

  I simply shrugged back towards her, and mouthed, “Carlos?”

  “Carlos?” Stacy reviewed his figure, then nodded, giving me her full stamp of approval.

  I winked at her agreeing to her silent thoughts.

  “Do you know her?” Carlos asked noting the link between Stacy and me.

  “Roommate.”

  “Oh, okay.” Carlos smiled and waved at Stacy. My friend replied with a Meet the Parents, gesture of I’m watching you, by pointing at her eyes then towards him. I couldn’t help but to laugh at her. “Your friend is protective of you.”

  “Her bark is worst than her bite.”

  “I sure hope so,” Carlos muttered with his eyes still on Stacy.

  “Hey…” I touched his chin and moved his vision back towards me. “Do you trust me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then you have nothing to worry about.” Carlos returned a smile and placed his hands on my hips. I drew closer to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. Our slow dance continued after the Ed Sheeran song switched to a Shania Twa
in song.

  “Where are you from?” he whispered in my ear.

  “Charleston, West Virginia. You?”

  “Good ole Eastcliff, North Carolina.”

  “A local?”

  “Born and raised.” He grinned. “Major and year?”

  “Senior English major. I want to be an editor one day for one of the big publishing houses.”

  “That’s sounds like an awesome career choice.”

  “It’s a tough field to get into but I’ve wanted to work in a publishing house all my life. What about you?”

  “Senior Construction Major.”

  “Ah, explains the hands.” Carlos laughed.

  “They are rough, aren’t they? Since I was thirteen, every Saturday and Sunday, sun up to sun down, I help my stepdad with his construction business.”

  “Is that what you plan on doing after college? Taking over your stepfather’s business?”

  He shrugged as we continued to sway in our slow dance. “I’m not sure, what I want to do. I chosen the major because I owed so much to the man. But-” Carlos’ demeanor changed and he looked down at the ground. He shut his eyes, sighed and then reopened them.

  “But… It doesn’t look like you want to do that?” I asked.

  “It’s complicated… I actually wanted to have a career in …”

  “What?” I asked unable to hear his last comment. The slow country song switched to a upbeat rap song. Dozens of students flooded the dance floor and started dancing, causing the noise level to become unbearable.

  I could see Carlos lips moving, but I still couldn’t understand what he was saying.

  “I can’t hear you!” I yelled pointing to my ear, hoping he understood my signal.

  He nodded, looked outside, and then towards me again. Carlos and I shared the same glance. I was thinking it, but he said it out loud first.

  “Did you want to get out of here?”

  The Game

  I waited on the porch until Carlos emerged from the frat house carrying a case of beer and a navy blue wool blanket.

  “Where did you get those?”

  “I got the blanket from someone’s room and as for the beer…remember, free beer.”

  I laughed and slapped my head. “Of course. Are we planning on having a picnic outside?” I looked up at the cloudy night sky. Part of me wished the clouds would disappear to show the stars. The constellations always seemed closer in the Eastcliff mountain valley.

  “One better, follow me.”

  Carlos lead the way across the yard of the frat house, to a run-down red brick colonial next door. The house was boarded up and the paint was chipping away on its shutters. It had a large wrap around porch, with white pillars and a supporting a second story balcony. With all its flaws and old age, the home still seemed beautiful for it’s antiquity.

  Orange construction tape surrounded the house, with a large sign reading, “KEEP OUT! TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED!”

  Carlos removed the caution tape and walked towards the dwelling.

  “Umm, we’re not supposed to go in there,” I said pointing to the warning sign he had ignored.

  “It’s okay. Do you trust me?” he asked with his hand extended. With a wry grin, I took the leap of faith and grabbed his hand. He dragged me close to him, and we walked hand in hand into the building.

  The empty two-story colonial wooden floors creaked with each step we took. The noise of the party faded as we traveled further into the house. We stopped in what I believed was the living room. It was so damn dark, I could barely see a thing.

  From what was visible, the room was gutted, with only the home’s bones showing. On the opposite wall was a large brick fireplace. Carlos walked closer to the fireplace, spread the blanket out, near the mantle, and then placed the case of beer on top of the blanket.

  “I’ll be right back.” He disappeared into the dark. I took a seat on the blanket and continued to look around the living room. Around me I saw slabs of drywall, buckets of paint, and a table saw. The more I studied my surroundings the more I felt like we shouldn’t be here. Carlos returned with a large tree limb on his shoulder and a flashlight lantern in opposite hand. After turning on the light, he flipped the switch on the table saw and began cutting the log into smaller triangular pieces.

  God, did he look hot doing it. Everything about him screamed sexy. How his flannel shirt cuffs were rolled up to his elbows. How he moved his eyebrows to concentrate. How he bit his lower lip as the wood ran through the saw. As I watched him, I went through a mixture of emotions. I felt both scared and horny at the same time. Scared that we would be caught in the house, and horny watching him use the equipment.

  Was he allowed to use the saw? He needs to stop, wait no… continue… wait. Damn, I don’t know, the man has found a way for me to stumble even in thought.

  “Carlos?”

  “What’s up,” he asked preoccupied cutting the last part of wood.

  “Are you sure we are allowed to be here? What if the owners or the construction crew finds out we were trespassing?”

  “Not going to happen,” he replied calmly. He gathered the cut wood and began to stack the pieces inside the fireplace.

  “How are you so sure?”

  “Because I own the house, and the only construction crew working on it is me.”

  My mouth dropped at his confession. He chuckled as if he read my mind. “No, I’m not some hot billionaire playboy CEO. I am a poor college soul just like the rest of our classmates. I bought this house with my savings and a small investment from my stepfather. I plan on flipping it once I finish remodeling it. The plan is going much slower than I thought it would due to some money issues, but I hope to have it completed by the end of next year.”

  “How do you have enough savings for all of this?”

  “I’ve been working with my stepdad since I was thirteen and I got paid well for my work. Instead of spending money on video games and clothes, I saved it. I’m frugal.”

  I smiled and nodded. “Hence why you’re at the party. Free Beer.”

  Carlos winked at me as he finished stacking the logs in the fireplace. He lit the fire starter with a lighter from his pocket and placed it between two pieces of wood. Within minutes, the small fire lit the entire room, and Carlos and I were surrounded by a beautiful orange glow. With the amber light, I was able to see Carlos’ bright smile as he sat down on the blanket next to me. As he moved closer, I could smell the earthly scent of fresh wood. Most girls like fragrances by expensive cologne makers, but for me, his natural musk made my heart flutter.

  “I believe you earned this,” I told him, handing him an opened beer.

  “Thanks,” he grinned and took a sip of the lager. He inched closer to me and placed a hand on a floor behind me. We sat in silence watching the flames char the wood.

  “Hey, did you want to play a game?” He asked breaking the silent trance we were under.

  “What did you have in mind, Jigsaw?”

  “Ha- another nice movie reference. I like your taste in films.”

  I grinned at his comment.

  “Have you played Never Have I Ever?” Carlos asked.

  “I have, but isn’t the game usually played in a group?”

  “It is, but I figured we could play the game to get to know each other more.”

  “Okay.” I placed three fingers in the air. “You go first.”

  Carlos took a sip of his beer and smiled at me. “Never have I ever been outside of the state of North Carolina.”

  My mouth dropped in shock as I looked at Carlos. “No fair! You know I’m from West Virginia,” I complained taking a sip of my beer.

  “It’s the nature of the game.”

  “It’s more like you want to cheat to get me drunk. Once a frat boy always a frat boy. No more easy ones. Cheater.” With a grin, I poked him in the chest.

  Carlos grabbed his chest and faked as if he was offended.

  “I would never!”

  “Alrig
ht then, explain. How could someone, like yourself, never leave North Carolina?”

  “North Carolina has always been my home,” he said proudly. After taking a deep breath, his pride seemed to diminish, replaced by a distant stare. “My stepdad owns his own company, but money has always been tight because he’s the only source of income. The old saying goes, if it’s raining or snowing outside you don’t get paid. Which is why at my house we watch every penny. We didn’t have a second source of income because my mom stays at home to care for my younger brothers. With money so being tight, we usually stick to vacationing in North Carolina as it has everything you would need for a vacation. Cities to visit, beaches to swim, and mountains to snowboard.”

  “You snowboard?”

  “Yeah, since I was five.”

  “Me too.” I smiled from the shared connection. “I still can’t believe you have never been out of this state. You never traveled to Tennessee or West Virginia just to say you been to a different state?”

  “Never needed to. However, West Virginia sounds like a nice place to visit. Of course, you would have to be there for me to visit.”

  I blushed at his comment and I played with the label on my beer bottle. I don’t know if it was the fire or his comment that made the room feel like it was hotter than the surface of the sun.

  “Is there anywhere you never visited that you would like to go?” He asked.

  “England. I’d would love to see the locations where they filmed Pride and Prejudice. It’s my favorite book.”

  “Oh, I read that book in community college. It’s one of my favorites too.”

  “You like romance?”

  “Who doesn’t? That feeling of trying to find out if the character is going to stay with the one she claims to love. It’s better than any mystery or fantasy I’ve ever read. I love a good page turner.”