I've never been one for school functions; especially when there was dancing and alcohol involved. But Bea had set the target and by god I was going to make this count. Easiest two hundred dollars I'll ever make.
Yeah right.
Pulling my dress a little higher over my thighs, I ran my fingers through my hair and walked over to where Gloria, Damon and Lilian sat. It was obvious, even from where I was standing, that no one at that table was even remotely close to sober.
"Hey!" I yelled out. The music was pounding so loud, it was difficult to even breathe without feeling the sound echo through your being.
Gloria looked up, eyes unfocussed, and gave me a happy wave. Gloria, she was a happy drunk. An insanely naiive, annoyingly happy drunk.
"Hayley!" she yelled. "You should totally join us."
Damon and Lilian gave me a smile each and scooted over. "Where've you been?" Gloria shouted once I'd sat down. I waved a dismissive hand. "Around. Are you the only ones at this table?"
Gloria shook her head. I only just noticed that she was rocking to the music.
"Michael and eh ... yeah, Michael."
I felt the Bea in me smile.
"Where is he?"
God it was so easy to get Drunk Gloria to tell you the truth. I made a mental note to never tell her anything I wanted to keep private.
"Uhm..." her brown eyes scanned the room, then lit up. "THERE!"
And like an image from a dream, Michael stumbled out of the crowd. Looking him up and down, I realized that he wasn't drunk. At least not drunk enough to be drunk. Biting my lip, I cursed quietly.
His sobriety might make tonight's endeavour (and my two hundred dollars) a little difficult to achieve. I mean, I didn't know how committed he was to girlfriend girl and what his thoughts were about one night stands.
I was just about to quit the whole project when Bea popped up beside me. She had a bottle of tequila and shot glasses in her hands. Gloria gave her one of her happy go lucky grins.
"Hey Bea!" she said.
The bitch didn't even look at her. Pulling my face close to hers, she looked me straight in the eye.
"Giving up so quick, Hayley dear?"
Her breath reeked of alcohol.
Turning away, I pushed her half dressed body off of me. No one could dress trashy as well as Bea Mathews.
She fell on her ass, but laughed at me.
"Knew you'd chicken out."
Hit suddenly by another wave of bruised ego, I stood and gave her my most withering glare. Her smile fell off and she cringed.
"The night's not over yet."
Marching over to where Michael was standing, I laced my fingers through his empty hand and pulled him to the dance floor. He hesitated for a moment but followed me anyway.
"Let's dance." I whispered in his ear once we were safely inside the throng of moving bodies.
He didn't make any effort at subtlety. Raking his eyes over my very short, very tight dress, he looked me in the eye and smiled that heart stopping smile.
God, do you know how good you look when you smile?
"Let's."
And we did.
- - -
Getting Michael to invite me over to his house wasn't as hard as I had initially thought. Pulling the dark Elantra into the large driveway, he glanced at me and grinned. I swear my heart stopped beating.
Get your head in the game, Clarke.
He was still grinning at me, eyes shining. I felt myself get lost in those brown depths. My gaze lowered to those lips, that mouth, the gentle slopes of his face and I suddenly couldn't breathe anymore.
It would be so easy to just ...
Fix, fuck, forget.
Fix, fuck, forget.
"Parents?" I asked. It took all I had not to jump on him and take him then and there.
He gave me the most wicked wink ever and put his hand on my bare thigh. My mind exploded.
GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME.
"Just you and me, baby."
"Then what the fuck are we waiting for?"
- - -
I have no idea how we made it to his room without fucking on every single flat service we came across, but we did.
Fully clothed too. I felt the Bea in my head clap her hands with glee.
I do remember how clean his room was, though. The bed was made, and a desktop and printer sat to one side. There was a lava lamp, a closed door that I assumed was a closet and a dresser. Colognes, magazines and other knick knacks spilled across it. He flicked a switch and a dim glow illuminated the room.
My study of it didn't last too long though. Michael came up behind me and wound his arms around my waist. Every single nerve ending in my body came to life.
Turning around, I felt his lips mash onto mine with unmatched vigour.
You taste so good.
He pulled me up, harder against himself and I gasped when I felt how toned he really was beneath his clothes. Fingers fumbling, I reached for his shirt buttons and tugged. I let him deal with the zipper on my dress.
My legs went around his waist and my hand went lower, to his belt. His shirt had come off and the feel of his skin against mine woke me up to the fact that this was real now.
Michael, and my crush on him for god knew how long, was real. I could touch and feel and taste him now. He was there, before me, alive beneath my fingers. Michael wasn't a dream anymore.
One night, Hayley. Just one night.
I found the buckle of his belt, finally, and pulled until it gave way. His pants dropped and suddenly, we were on the bed. He sat down hard, laughed a little at the force with which he did so, and I was on him. He never stopped kissing me.
"Fuck, I don't like your dress." But his hands had found themselves up underit, and on the lace edging of my bra. Pulling away from his lips for a second, I pulled the dress up over my head and looked down at his face.
Michael was still as beautiful as he had been the first time I ever saw him. I mean, sure, his hair might have been messier, and his lips swollen but he was still... I trailed off. I couldn't think of that right now.
I kissed him again and focussed on the feel of his hands on my waist; running over my arms, my back, to the juncture between my legs.
Kissing a trail from his lips to his jaw, I ran my fingers down his chest, and lower, and followed with my tongue. He moaned.
Glancing up at his face, I grinned at the expression on it.
He was enjoying himself alright.
And suddenly, out of nowhere, Beyonce erupted into song. It took both of us quite awhile to realize that it was phone - my phone - and it was ringing.
"Ignore it," Michael said, when he saw me get up. His fingers had wrapped themselves around my wrist.
It was Bea, I knew it. She was going to want to know that I was seeing this through.
"I have to answer," I told him, kissing him once more for good measure. Ok, it wasn't for good measure. I just wanted to feel his lips against mine.
He made a face and then let me go. "Fine, but hurry."
Moving away from the bed, and him, I felt the cool night air hit my bare skin like a slap. My phone had fallen somewhere between the door and the bed.
When I finally answered, an incredibly wasted voice drawled over the phone.
"Get me pictures, bitch." Bea hissed. "No pictures, no money."
I wanted to kill her. "I will."
And I hung up. When I turned back around, Michael was looking at something on his sheet. I don't know where he was looking but he wasn't looking at me. Turning the camera function, I took a few snaps and turned the damned thing off.
No more interruptions.
When I got back to him, he was more than happy to start where we had left off.
"You are so fucking beautiful, it's unbelievable." He whispered when I kissed him.
And it hit me.
I couldn't do it anymore.
"What did you say?" I had moved away. His face turned worried.
"You're beautiful."
And I stopped breathing.
He had no idea how much time I'd spent fantasizing about the moment that he'd come to his senses, tell me that I was beautiful and sweep me off into the sunset.
He had no idea how much effort I'd put into dressing up and looking good just so for that little moment in time where his eyes would eventually glance upon mine and move on. He had no idea how long I'd spent pining over him like a love sick puppy.
Still do, actually.
"I can't do this anymore," I said. Suddenly, I felt as naked as a hairless mole rat. And not just naked. I felt exposed, vulnerable, weak.
He stood when I got off him.
Get out, get out, get out.
"What's wrong?"
Was I really this low? Sleeping with the guy I liked for two hundred dollars? Was I that desparate for Bea's attention? For his?
Taking one last look at him, I realized that I couldn't do it anymore.
I couldn't have sex with Michael and walk away like he meant nothing to me. I couldn't see him in school again tomorrow morning and not imagine his hands, or his lips, on my skin.
I couldn't.
Sniffling, I covered myself with the torn red dress I'd bought for tonight and shook my head.
"I can't do this anymore, I'm sorry."
He frowned. "Why not?"
And everything came rushing out. "I like you, Michael. God, how could you not have known that? I've liked you ever since Gloria first introduced us. I doubt that you'd even remember but I do. I was supposed to have been able to do this and walk away - but I can't. Not with you."
Michael blinked once, twice then opened his mouth.
The stupid romantic in me actually the gall to think that he would confess his hidden love for me too. What he actually did say, made me feel ten times worse then I already was.
"I'll drive you home, then."
And after lending me a shirt to wear, he did.