“Hey Gunner, how are you doing tonight?” Ellie asked with that beautiful smile of hers.
“I’m doing much better now that you’re here. How was graduation?” I looked over Ellie’s shoulder to see Ari giving me a shit eating grin. Yep…. I knew Ellie had told her about the kiss just by the way Ari was looking at me.
“Ari…… how are you? How did your speech turn out?”
“Hey Gunner! Oh yeah…the whole speech thing. It went good after I about pissed my pants from nerves. But I looked out and saw Jeff so I just pictured his ass naked and sucking his thumb and strangely enough…… I calmed right down. ” Ari said with a shrug and the most serious face I had ever seen. I kind of believed she was telling me the truth. I threw my head backed and laughed. Damn I liked this girl.
“Well shit…I’m going to have to remember that one when I stand in front of a group pitching an idea for a new building Ari. ” Ari just gave me a wink.
Ellie introduced me to their two other friends. “Gunner this is Amanda, Amanda this is Gunner. ” Ahhh so this was Amanda who lost her virginity at a frat party. It was hard for me to keep a straight face but somehow I managed. She had short brownish red hair right to her shoulders and she was probably dressed the most provocatively in tight jeans and a brown tank top that showed her assets really well.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Amanda. ” I said with a smile.
“We have heard so much about you Gunner…. seems you made an impression on our Ellie here. ”
I laughed as I saw Ellie give Amanda a dirty look.
“Anyway, if you are done Manda, Gunner this is Heather. ” Heather was a little shorter than Ellie and Ari, and the only blonde in the group. She had shoulder length hair and blue eyes. She reminded me of Ellie in a way. Her innocence was pouring off of her.
“Heather it is very nice to meet you. ”
“The feeling is mutual, thank you for inviting us Gunner. ” Innocent and southern charm…these girls were in for a wakeup call tonight.
Both girls were more than pretty and I could already see the vultures swarming. I gave all four of them my lecture about no leaving with anyone, not even a girl. No taking any drinks from anyone other than each other, Jeff or me. I also made sure Amanda and Heather had plans for a ride home. Heather had drawn the smallest straw so she was not drinking tonight.
Jeff had already told Ellie that she and Ari could stay over. Something he was regretting just thirty minutes ago when I mentioned Ari staying over all night. I thought he was going to come undone.
Once I got the girls a beer and Heather a Diet Coke, they all moved out to the back yard and were quickly dancing. I had to smile at Ari…. man that girl knew how to get attention. There must have been at least four guys dancing around her. Amanda was holding her own and seemed to have Brad’s full attention. Ellie and Heather were dancing with each other and both seemed oblivious to the guys who were desperately trying to get their attention. I looked over as Jeff walked out the sliding glass door with Rebecca in tow. He scanned the people dancing. He saw Ellie and smiled. Then his smile faded and was replaced by pure anger. I followed to where he was looking.
Ari…. . she was dancing with another girl and two guys. Christina Aguilera’s “Your Body” was playing and wow…. Ari could sure dance. She saw Jeff and gave him a smile and a wink. I looked at Jeff and he had his hands balled up in fists. FUCK that girl had him under her spell whether he wanted to believe it or not.
Just then Ellie walked up to me and bumped my shoulder.
“You enjoying your first college party?” I asked as I gave her a wink. I looked into those beautiful blue eyes and my heart started to pound. The white lights we had hanging in all the trees were casting sparkles in her eyes and it took my breath away.
“YES! I think Ari is trying to make a statement though!” Ellie said with a nod of her head towards Ari.
“I think you might be right. By the look on Jeff’s face I would say it’s working. Where the hell did she learn to dance like that?”
Ellie laughed. “She’s been taking lessons since she was five years old. She loves to dance. ” Ellie said as she looked over to Jeff. I saw her smile fade from her face.
“Who is that with Jefferson and is that the girl from the coffee shop behind her? What was her name…… Crysti?”
Fuck…. .
”The girl is Rebecca. She is the cheerleader who Jeff went out with Thursday night. Crysti is another cheerleader and is one of Rebecca’s friends. Jeff invited Rebecca but I’m not sure why because he can’t stand her. ”
“Probably to piss off Ari I’m guessing. They had some kind of fight at dinner and Ari won’t tell me what they argued about. ”
Ellie stared at them for a good a minute. She turned back to me and smiled but it didn’t touch her eyes. I reached for her hand and brought it up to my mouth and kissed the back of her hand.
“Don’t worry Ellie sweetheart. ” I gave her a wink and slowly let her hand go.
“I’m not worried. I’m sure Jefferson knows what he is doing. I just hope he didn’t invite this girl to make Ari jealous. They were both in piss poor moods when they came back in from outside. Ari just told me Jefferson was being a dickwad. That seems to be her favorite word to describe him the last few days!” Ellie said with a small laugh.
I looked back out to the dance floor to see Ari dancing pretty close to Josh. I took a peek at Jeff and he was trying to pay attention to what ever Rebecca was saying to him but he kept looking out on the dance floor at Ari. He looked worried and he should have been. Josh has probably slept with every girl at this party except for Ellie and her friends. The way he was looking at Ari though…I know what that fucker was thinking.
“Gunner can I use the bathroom in your bedroom? Jefferson said y’all keep your rooms off limits and your bathroom. There was a pretty long line waiting for the bathroom when we walked in. ”