"And that is why I will never go night fishing with Eldon ever again." James said finishing his story.
The response was an eruption of laughter from everyone sitting on the deck of the lake house.
"Okay seriously? It was one time, and no one got seriously hurt." Eldon said throwing his arms up in a dramatic fashion.
"Dude speak for yourself. I still have the scar on my ass from the fishhook." West said and everyone started laughing except for Eldon who put his head down in embarrassment as Thalia gently patted his back in a sympathetic fashion.
James shook his head and smiled as he took in the sight before him. Glancing down at the brunette snuggled up next to him he felt his smile grow bigger.
He and Riley were getting married in a few days. He had loved her since he was sixteen and after 8 years together their story was starting a new chapter.
Currently they were seated on the large deck of a lake house accompanied by many of their friends. In celebration of their upcoming nuptials, they had rented the large lake house in order to celebrate with their friends. Not everyone had been able to make it. A lot of the younger dancers from the studio wouldn't be arriving until the day of the wedding. Currently Piper, Emily, Michelle, Hunter, John, Max, Amanda, Giselle, Chloe, Thalia, Eldon, West, Stephanie, Noah, and Richelle had arrived. On this particular night, they were gathered out of the deck enjoying drinks and playing a game of 'never have I ever'.
"Okay." Riley said with a chuckle after taking a sip from her can of ginger ale. "I think it's my turn now." She reached over her fiancé and pulled a card from the deck on the side table. "Oh, this is a good one." She mumbled to herself with a smirk growing on her face.
She looked up at all of her friends and read from the card. "Never have I ever walked in on anyone here having sex."
After a few seconds everyone raised their drinks and took a sip. Everyone except for James and Riley.
"Seriously?" James asked in surprise.
"How are we," Riley gestured to her and James "The only ones here not drinking?"
No one responded to her, they all just awkwardly stared at James and Riley.
"That must have been awkward." James said with a chuckle, "It wasn't all at the same time was it? Because that would just be weird."
Again no one answered, they all just look at the couple.
"Why are you all looking at us?" she asked someone nervously, exchanging a look with James.
"Well, you see." Michelle started.
"It's just that." Giselle added.
"Basically we've." Hunter continued.
"We've all caught you guys in the act." West stated.
James choked on his drink and Riley started to blush in embarrassment.
"What? All of you?" she asked, somewhat horrified. She let out a groan when everyone nodded their heads in the affirmative.
"You and James seem to suffer from a lack of discretion per say." Emily said from her position on Hunters lap.
"Oh my god." Riley mumbled horrified.
"Can I ask where and when you witness our so-called lack of discretion?" James asked wrapping an arm around his equally embarrassed fiancé.
"Riley's room." Emily said.
"The pool house." Hunter said, referring to the small building in the backyard of Emily and Riley's childhood home.
"James's Car." Piper added.
"The news years party at your apartment." Max said before shaking his head trying to get that image out of his head.
"The costume closet." Chloe added.
"The bathroom at the nightclub." Amanda mentioned. Both James and Riley blushed at her obvious reference to Riley's twenty-first birthday when some of them had gone to a nightclub to celebrate and the couple had snuck off to the bathroom for their own celebration.
"The recording studio." John said.
"The tour bus." Michelle added. She was referring to the time she and Riley had accompanied the band on a tour, and she had caught the couple celebrating after a very successful concert.
"Studio B." Noah stated.
"Your office at the studio." Richelle mentioned. There was a reason she never sat on the couch in that office.
"The hotel after nationals." Giselle stated.
Despite their embarrassment, neither Riley nor James could resist smiling at the thought of nationals. That was their first time. The excitement from winning combined with Riley's admission of love had resulted in their first-time making love.
"The hotel in Miami." Eldon said.
"London." Thalia added.
"The hammock that time we all went camping." Stephanie mentioned.
"The Boat." West stated.
Riley groaned and buried her head in James's chest while James stared at a nearby tree trying to avoid making eye contact with any of their friends.
"Wait when you say boat you don't mean the boat down there do you?" Hunter asked and pointed to the boat beside the dock.
"The one and the same." West said with a nod.
"Dude how did you even see us?" James asked in disbelief. "We weren't even close to the shore." He added and Riley gently smacked his chest after he disclosed even more information about their intimate moments.
"The drone." He answered and everyone turned their heads and stared at West.
"Why were you?" Giselle started to ask.
"I was not looking for them. I was looking for the BeavCoon." West explained. Seeing the confused looks on everyone's faces he continued. "It's a creature with a head of a beaver and a rump of racoon."
The response was a bunch of eye rolls and head shakes in disbelief.
"You know it is kind of impressive that the two of you haven't ended up pregnant." Stephanie said taking a sip of her wine.
This comment caused a blushing Riley to lift her head and exchange a look with James.
"You didn't see them on the boat today." West mumbled.
"We uh...we don't have to worry about that." James said nervously.
"Bro protection isn't always one hundred percent effective." Eldon said and West nodded in agreement while Thalia made a noise of disbelief at what her Boyfriend had just said.
Riley couldn't help but let out a tiny laugh at her friend's antics. She certainly hadn't foreseen any of this being conversation tonight. Maybe something good could come from this deeply embarrassing conversation.
James looked at her and she could tell he was thinking the same thing.
"We might as well just them Riles." He said with a smile.
"Tell us what?" Emily asked.
"Well, you see when James said we didn't have to worry about getting pregnant he only meant for the next few months."
It took a few seconds for it to register with everyone what Riley had just said.
"No Way." Chloe said.
"For real?" Hunter asked.
"Are you serious?" Piper asked excitedly.
Eldon looked around in confusion. "Bro what is going on?" He asked West.
West shook his head and sighed. "Dude isn't it obvious. James put a bun in Riley's oven."
"Oh."
James shook his head in disbelief at how West had just phrased his explanation.
"I'm pregnant." Riley said with a smile on her face.
Cheers and sequels of excitement erupted across the deck and everyone stood up to congratulate Riley and James with hugs and lots of questions.
Later that night Riley and James agreed that they needed to be more discreet with their intimacy, if only to avoid another embarrassing game of 'never have I ever.'
Of course that resolution didn't last long. It turned out that pregnancy hormones made Riley extremely horny and over the next few months some of their friends found themselves once again experiencing the lack of discretion that Jiley was known for, but that is a different story for a different time.