Secret Rulebook of Cheating

Rule #2: Temptation is a Bitch

“We’re here,” Dan announced.

It had been an hour drive, most of which I spent looking out the window. I was seated behind Rob, who was driving, and was grateful that Dayan sat in the middle and not Jason. We were at some remote place inland. I could see a dam lake some fifteen minutes’ walk away but other than that it was just green and a few houses like the one we were parked in front of. This one was the definition of fancy - two-storeys, stone, columns on the front, floor-to-ceiling windows, massive wooden door. The only thing that seemed to be missing was a butler.

“Welcome to the future Casa de Rob Morris!” Rob called out, eyes on the residence. “I’ll own one of these one day.”

“Just remember your friends when you do,” Dan blurted.

“What kind of person do you think I am, Dan?” Rob feigned offence and placed a heavy hand on my shoulder. “Nikki, you’re always welcome!”

“Just Nikki?” Dan grumbled.

“How inconsiderate of me!” Rob bumped his palm into his forehead lightly. “Forgive me, Dayan. You, too, of course.”

“After three years of living under the same roof, really?” Dan was shaking his head slowly.

“If you’re only going to invite hot girls then I definitely want in!” Jason joined in the parley and my ears pricked up.

Did he just say I was hot?

He certainly said something that Dayan didn’t appreciate. She was giving him a mean look.

“What?” he said innocently. “Someone needs to help Rob with all the hard work. Like moving around furniture and stuff.” He winked at Rob.

“Furniture. Right.” Dayan was so not born yesterday.

“Are we going in or what?” Dan saved Jason’s neck.

We drew our luggage out of the trunk. I patiently waited for Rob to extract mine and hand it to me. Not that I was too spoiled to handle my own baggage but I simply tried to avoid any close contact with Jason, who was pulling out both his and Dayan’s bags. Rob, however, decided to carry my backpack all the way to the house. Okay, maybe he did spoil me a little.

“Dibs on the master bedroom!” he called once we entered and he finally let me have my baggage. The house was just as fancy on the inside. The first floor had high ceiling and seemed to have no walls and it combined a lobby, lounge and dining space and a kitchen.

“Not if I get there first,” Dan challenged and they raced for it, tripping each other on the stairway, conveniently installed between the lounge and the dining areas.

The bedrooms were all on the upper level. Rob beat Dan to the largest and Dan had to content himself with the second-largest next to it. Jason and Dayan took the one on the other side of Rob’s and I was left with the last one, across from them – something else to be grateful for. The walls didn’t seem very thick and the last thing I wanted to listen to tonight was-

God, what was wrong with me!

I went inside my room. Mila - my roommate for the night, hadn’t arrived yet, neither had Nadia and Sylvia – Rob and Dan’s girls. The three of them didn’t live in Worcester like us. They didn’t even live in Massachusetts. How the boys managed to handle the long-distance relationships so well was beyond me. I guess frequent trips like this didn’t hurt.

I rummaged through my backpack for my swimsuit and quickly changed into it, topping it with a sundress, which I was going to take right off since the swimming pool was in the backyard. I got rid of all the jewellery, except for my anklet-slash-bracelet – depending on the occasion – and headed downstairs.