Chapter 14: Friday Night, 10:14PM

Carla took Don’s former seat at the table, carelessly dropping a small black bag next to her. She reached down and slipped off her heels.

The tall brunette near the door pressed it shut. “This all of us, Tiff?” she asked, looking around the room with a puzzled expression. “I thought everyone wanted to play again?” She started wandering over towards the middle of the room.

“Yup, this is all of us!” said Tiff. “Nia’s on her shift tonight so she can’t leave the floor. Becca’s out of town this week, and Stacy’s super sick.”

“I talked to Stace earlier today, she sounded miserable,” said Carla.

“Ugh, that sucks,” said the brunette. “Oh! I’m Jillian, by the way,” she said, looking at Alaina as she sat next to Carla on the far side of the table.

“Alaina,” said Alaina with a warm smile. “Nice to meet you!”

“I’m Carla,” said Carla. She gave the redhead an appraising look. “You’re playing?”

Ohh just that look is making me wet. “I am.”

“Cool,” said Carla, her lips curving into a sultry smile.

She’s totally checking me out!

“Laura, why didn’t you tell me this was your boyfriend you were scheming to get back?” said Carla, turning to the couple on the other end of the couch. “I was wrong, there’s definitely not tons of guys like him out there.”

What the fuck? They know each other? And she’s been scheming to get him back?

Laura picked her head up off Will’s shoulder and looked over with a contented smile. “Oh! Hey, Carla!” she said, her smile turning excited. “Sorry, I was spacing out a little bit. I still can’t believe we’re back together!” she said dreamily. She turned to Will and gave him a peck on his lips, and he rubbed his thumb against her stomach in response.

“I’m happy for you, Laura, you seem like you’re doing a lot better,” said Carla, eyeing the pair. “Since you’re here, you know what we’re about to play, right?”

“Yeah, Will told me all about it!” said Laura, capturing Will’s playful hand once more. She squeezed it and turned to look at Alaina. “It sounded orgasmic,” she said, giggling.

Is she mocking me? Alaina forced out a polite laugh.

“And you’re okay with that?” Carla asked. “I don’t want to—”

“No, no, it’s fine,” said Laura, a confident smile on her face. “Will said he’d play, and I’d hate to be the kind of girlfriend who doesn’t let her boyfriend keep his word.” She laughed, then leaned in and gave him a long, closed-mouth kiss before sliding off his lap and onto her feet, the action causing her skirt to ride up and flash a mouth-watering display of shapely thigh.

Why does evil always have to be so fucking sexy?

“Plus, I want to watch him turn you all into moaning puddles when you win!” Laura added, smiling brightly down at them.

“You sure?” asked Carla again.

“Positive!” said Laura. She gave Will a radiant smile and pulled a chair over to the head of the table next to him. “And even if it wasn’t for clit poker, I wouldn’t mind if it was you, Carla. I’d trust you to be good to him,” she finished, giving her acquaintance a fair approximation of Will’s eyebrow waggle.

Carla gave her an amused look. “Girl, if he and I ever hooked up, one of us would be a desiccated husk in the morning.”

“I like my odds,” said Will, waggling his own eyebrows.

Laura giggled. “See?”

“I’d challenge that if it were anyone else,” said Carla, giving Tiff a wry grin, “but he and Tiff already hustled me last week.” She looked back at Laura. “Since you’re okay with it, let’s play! Jill’s been talking my ear off about how she’s never cum so hard in her life.”

Jillian blushed and turned to Carla with an outraged expression. “Carla! You said you weren’t gonna say anything to anyone about that! If Jake finds out—”

“Did I say that? That doesn’t sound like something I’d say,” said Carla, grinning over at the brunette. “Nobody here’s going to tell, so don’t get yourself all worked up.” She patted the other girl’s knee. “And if you were really that worried, you wouldn’t have come back this time.”

Then she turned to the sofa and gestured. “You two, clear the sofa off so the man’s got some space to work. Before we get started, what does everyone say to a little rule change? I’ve got a midnight shoot on the other end of the city, so I can’t stay too long. How about we skip the chips this time: if you win, you win and then sit out the next round, and if you lose without folding in a showdown you also sit out the next round. We can just do ‘points’ for bets with a max of five each game. Sound good?”

So if I win, I get Will to eat me and then this is over? Nice, Carla! “Seems pretty reasonable.” Alaina moved to the chair at the end of the table opposite Laura.

“I like it!” declared Tiff. She opened a drawer under the table and retrieved a deck of cards, then shot to her feet and clicked over to the chair between Alaina and Carla where she leaned down and began removing her shoes.

That’s a good idea. Alaina reached down and began working the buckles on her ankles loose. Her eyes met Tiff’s. I might not be great with girls, but that’s a ‘fuck me’ look if I’ve ever seen one. She grinned back.

“I’m in,” said Jillian, stealing a hungry look at Will over the table.

What’s my Class at now, anyway? Ugh, twenty seven? This is getting way too close.

“That sounds good, Carla, I was thinking maybe we’d head back early anyway—it’s been a very long week,” said Laura. “I’ll just deal,” she added.

Wait, now they’re leaving when Carla does? Fuck, not nice at all!

“You’re not gonna play?” Tiff wrinkled her nose at Will’s evil, mind-controlling girlfriend.

“Well,” said Laura. She nibbled on her lip for a moment. Her eyes flicked around the table, then over to Alaina for a moment longer before ending at Will on the couch. “I could...” An ecstatic smile suddenly bloomed on her face. “But I won’t.” She turned to face Carla. “You said you have to leave early, and I know how much Will’s been thinking about you this week. I’d be much happier watching how this little game turns out, anyway,” she added, eyeing Alaina again with a slight smirk.

What the fuck does she have against me? Did I piss her off somehow in the past? Alaina racked her brain. I don’t think we’ve even said two words to each other before this week.

“Awfully generous of you, Laura,” said Carla. She gave the dyed-blonde girl an approving look and slid the pack of cards across the table to her.

“I’m always generous!” said Laura. She began to unpack the cards.

“Will, you sure you’re up to this again?” asked Jillian, staring at him with a look of pure lust. “I’ll try not to squeeze to tight like last time, but...” she chewed on her lip.

“Good thing I brought my scuba gear,” said Will, grinning back at her. He turned onto his side on the couch, propping himself up on his elbow. “I think this is about all I’ve got the energy for, anyway. I’m feeling especially drained this week.”

Laura began to shuffle the cards. Her tongue poked briefly out between her lips before she pressed them together into an exceptionally delighted grin while continuing to look down at the table.

Ugh, are you fucking serious?

“Did you two spend the entire week fucking?” asked Carla. She gave her acquaintance a teasing look. “Laura, you know I like you, but if he falls asleep on me after I’ve been waiting an entire week for this...”

How do they know each other?

“It wasn’t the whole week,” said Will. “We did have to go to school. Although...”

Laura blushed. “I still can’t believe you did that!” she whispered loudly. She began to nibble her lip and glanced over at Will.

He waggled his eyebrows at her.

Argh, just stop already!

“Laura, you know how to deal for Texas hold ‘em?” Tiff cut in, frowning.

Thanks, Tiff!

“I sure do!” said Laura. “I don’t really play cards much, but I read all about it tonight!” She skimmed the first card, face down, across the table.

Alaina pulled the card in front of her, but didn’t peek. “You’ve never played before?”

“Nope,” said Laura, continuing to deal. She smiled across the table. “Do you play much, Alaina?”

“I’ve played a few times,” the redhead allowed. Maybe more than just a few. Mom and I played a ton of card games the first few years after Dad died. I didn’t think I’d ever beat her at hold ‘em. She froze. Wait a minute. Did she let me win? She rolled her eyes to herself. Yeah, right. Mom was always more the You’ll Win When You’ve Earned It type.

“Oh my,” said Laura. “You seem confident. I’m so eager to see how well you do.”

How does she manage to make that sound so unbelievably patronizing? She peeked at her cards expressionlessly. Two of clubs and seven of hearts. Ugh.

“No point in anyone folding before the flop,” said Carla, staring at the edges of her cards. “Let’s see ‘em, Laura.”

Laura burned the top card, then dealt the flop.

Are you fucking serious? What the fuck am I going to do with this?

The six of diamonds, eight of spades, and seven of clubs stared up at her. “Bet,” she called.

Tiff hesitated. “I call,” she said after another moment, not looking up.

I’m getting the feeling Tiff’s not very good at poker.

“Raise,” said Carla. She grinned and looked around the table.

She’s really hard to read. Is it getting hotter in here?

“Call,” said Jillian, her expression neutral as she surveyed the table. She began tapping her left foot, causing her skirt to bounce.

Hm. Need a bigger sample size. “Call.”

“Call,” said Tiff. She glanced at Laura and pressed her lips together tightly.

Laura once again discarded the top card off the pile, then dealt the turn: the queen of hearts.

“Will, I don’t know if you need to do any exercises to warm up, but I hope you’ll be ready for me in a minute or two,” said Carla. She reached up into the skirt of her dress, moved her hand a little, then pulled out a tiny piece of fabric. She underhanded it to him, then licked her lips salaciously. “I’m very warm already,” she purred.

Did Carla really just—

“Ooh!” said Laura in a mock-scandalized voice, looking back and forth between Carla and Will with a hand over her mouth.

She’s really okay with this? How is she so happy with her and not me?

He unfolded the object, revealing the same pink, string-tie lingerie from the photo earlier that week. Under the light, the crotch was noticeably darker than the rest of the fabric “I can see that, Carla,” he said, glancing down at the garment. He winked at her, then put it on the armrest next to his elbow.

“Not even going to smell them?” Carla said, faking a pout. “Any other guy would kill to have those.”

Will gave her a lopsided grin. “You said I’d only have to wait a minute or two, so I’ll use them as a headrest while I get it straight from the source.”

He still acts exactly like I’d expect for the most part. Whatever she’s doing to him hasn’t changed him too much. Ugh, I guess I should fold this hand. There’s no chance I can do anything short of a Mom-level bluff, and I can’t risk sitting out an entire round.

“Fold.” Alaina nudged her cards towards the center of the table.

Everyone turned their attention to her.

“That was awfully quick,” remarked Laura. She glanced down at the recently-abandoned pair of cards.

“Not every hand is a winner,” said Alaina. She clenched her teeth.

“Bet,” Tiff interrupted.

“I definitely raise,” said Carla as she leaned forward in her chair, her eyes not leaving Will’s smirking face.

“Call,” said Jillian. She frowned at Carla.

“Call,” said Tiff, glancing up at Laura again.

“Tiff, you’re working tomorrow night?” asked Jillian.

Laura took the top card off the deck, then flipped over the river: the three of diamonds. She gave Will an adoring glance.

Well, at least I don’t have to regret folding.

“Yup!” said Tiff. She met her friend’s eyes behind the leaning Carla. “Why? You gonna come visit again?”

“For sure!” Jillian replied. “Jake said he’d come out, too, but you know how he is.” She raised her hand, palm held downwards, and rocked it from side to side. “Might end up having another band practice. Ugh, dating musicians is the worst.”

“Bet,” said Tiff.

“If he’s a musician, he must be good with his fingers, at least?” asked Alaina. Maybe if I get everyone talking I can figure out how Carla and Laura know each other.

Tiff giggled. “He’s a drummer, Laina.”

“Oh,” she said.

“I hear he’s not bad at banging stuff,” said Carla, leering at Jillian briefly. “We’re at five points now? Call.”

“Fold,” came Jillian’s voice from behind both hands that she had pressed against her face.

“Easiest game of my life,” said Carla, flipping over a five and nine of diamonds. “Tiff, you played pretty good last week, but your bluffing needs work tonight.” She stood up and focused her attention on Will. “You can stop when I pass out,” she said as she stepped around past Laura.

“That’s a lot of confidence in my abilities, Carla,” said Will. He reclined onto his back, his head resting on Carla’s panties. “Having you say something like that is a big turn on.”

“Oh fuck,” grunted Carla as her legs buckled slightly next to the couch. “What did you just do to me? Actually, I don’t even care.” She threw a leg over Will’s torso and leaned forward, her lips nearly touching his. Her tongue reached out and licked over his lips. “I hope you’re thirsty,” she said in a throaty voice before leaning back.

His hands rose and pulled the skirt of her dress up, revealing even more of her luxurious dark brown skin. “I’m feeling a little parched,” he said. “Not too much, maybe just a tiny bit.” His hands grabbed the dark skin of her rounded butt and pressed it forward, his light-skinned fingers digging in.

Alaina closed her mouth. I can’t believe I have to just sit here! My pussy feels like a fucking fountain! Ugh, this must be the Quirk building up at the same time. Double ugh, his cock’s getting hard and it’s pointing at me in his pants. Am I the only one getting this turned on? She looked around the table.

Laura was watching the spectacle with rapt attention, an eager smile on her face. She’s actually okay with this, isn’t she. I thought for sure she’d just be acting like she was happy. Or is she? I can’t read her even a tiny bit.

Jillian was looking over with longing, her legs rubbing slowly together. So she’s here while her boyfriend is off somewhere else, and she’s worried he’ll find out? Can’t really fault her, I guess, Will really is that good. Doesn’t seem like a relationship I’d want to be in, though.

A high-pitched moan drew her gaze back to the couch. Carla had pulled her dress off and was sitting astride Will, her curtain of black hair waving softly back and forth as her hips undulated over him. Her back is unbelievably sexy. No, her everything is unbelievably sexy. I wish I was Will right now. Argh!

Carla moaned again, louder.

“Laina.” Tiff whispered in her ear.

Alaina turned her head. The shorter girl had quietly slid her chair over and was leaning in close, a worried expression on her face. The wide expanse of skin revealed by the neckline of her dress was—

“I lost on purpose. You have to win, okay?” whispered Tiff.

Alaina’s eyes snapped up. “What?” she whispered back, her lips nearly touching Tiff’s cheek.

“I can’t...” Tiff began, her eyes darting over to the enraptured Laura. “My Skill isn’t working on Will. I don’t know what’s going on! I’ve been trying ever since they got here, but any time I try to find anything out about Will’s mind there’s like, this glowing red eye glaring at me. I can’t get anything!”

A glowing red eye? Glowing red eye ... Ugh, don’t tell me. Mom, did you do this somehow? How the fuck is that even possible. “What about Laura? Can’t you see if she’s used Skills on him recently?”

Carla’s moans turned into a shriek, and her back arched, pulling her breasts taut on her chest.

That’s some amazing sideboob. She was checking me out earlier, maybe I can—

“I tried that, too!” whispered Tiff frantically, her eyebrows up as high as they could go. “Something really weird is going on with her, too. All I got was a garbled mess the times I tried. I couldn’t figure out the right thing to check for, and my Skill is all used up for today! Laina, I’m sorry, I was wrong! I can’t do anything!”

Alaina blinked. She can’t do anything? Fuck, are you serious? What am I ... Still twenty seven, alright, alright, don’t panic. All I have to do is win one game of poker. She grabbed Tiff’s hand and squeezed it, rubbing her thumb over the other girl’s. “Alright, don’t worry, Tiff, I’ve got this. Next game for sure.”

Carla squealed, stiffened, and then fell forward over Will’s head. After resting for a moment, she slowly brought her legs out under her until she was resting, naked, against him. Her head moved forward, and there was the soft sound of a kiss. “Thanks, Will,” she said in a dazed voice, “it was worth waiting the week.”

Will stroked her back. “Glad I didn’t disappoint,” he said.

“Next game already!” said Jillian, looking back at the table. “Shit, if I don’t win the next round I might have to do something just to take the edge off!” She squirmed continuously in her seat, unable to settle down. “Come on, Laura, deal!”

Carla made no move to get up, instead moving in for another kiss.

Ugh, clit poker even includes cuddling after? Will, you’re a genius. Teach me everything you know. She squeezed her legs together. But fuck me first! Argh, I’m so fucking turned on I think I might die!

“That was...” said Laura, unable to tear her gaze away. “Um...” She nibbled on her lip, finally managing to avert her eyes. “Wow,” she muttered while she gathered up the cards once more. She glanced back over at Will with a coy smile while her hands executed a series of flawless riffle shuffles.

Didn’t she say she doesn’t play cards much? That looks pretty practiced to me. Is everything she says a lie?

“We’ll start with Jillian this time,” said Laura, dealing the first card to the brunette. “It looks like this’ll be a heads up game since it’s just the two of you! How exciting!” She finished the deal, then burned the top card and dealt the flop: the ace of spades, the jack of clubs, and the jack of hearts.

“Will, I packed a little towel in my bag if you want it, okay?” said Laura, looking over.

“Thanks, Laura, you’re amazing,” said Will.

Laura beamed at him.

Alaina peeked at her cards. Jack of diamonds, two of spades. Not a bad start. She didn’t smile, but she did rub her thighs against each other. Focus. Focus!

“Bet,” said Jillian, eyeing her across the table.

Alaina paused. I still can’t quite get a read on her. “Raise.”

Jillian glanced down at her cards again, then back at Alaina. Her eyes darted over to the sofa for a moment. “Call,” she said while her attention was still elsewhere.

The turn came out.

Two of hearts? A full house isn’t easy to beat. This should be a snap. She maintained a blank expression.

Jillian stared at the card. She glanced down at her face-down cards, then stared at Alaina. “You’re really hard to read,” she complained.

“You’re an open book,” Alaina lied. Maybe not exactly, but playing against someone who can control their fucking voice like Mom makes this easier than it probably would be otherwise. Fuck, she was totally letting me win, wasn’t she?

“Bet,” said Jillian after another moment.

Carla giggled.