The Bet Read Free Page B

thoughts of Jake poured in on their own accord.
    “What the hell am I doing?”
    “Now, she says it.” Char shook her head and took another shot.
    “I mean…” Kacey looked down at her hands. “I have to be alone with him for more than three days, and even then I have to lie to his entire family!”
    “And let’s be honest,” Char interjected, her speech slightly louder than normal. “You’re like the worst liar on the planet.”
    “Am not.” Travis, Jake’s spawn of a brother was. But Kacey refused to think about Travis. The last time she saw him, he yelled at her for running over their mailbox during Christmas break. She cried, he yelled some more, and then refused to speak to her the rest of the time she was visiting. That was three years ago.
    “Are too!” Char poked her manicured finger across the table. “Remember that one time we tried to sneak out of the house and go to Jake’s birthday party in high school?”
    “No,” Kacey lied, trying desperately to swallow the giant lump of guilt in her throat.
    “Really? Out of all the times during this day that you would say no, you choose now? Seriously? What happened to no when you were talking to Jake? Or no when he was propositioning you for—”
    “Totally different and you know it. Besides, I would like to point out that I didn’t tell my mom a terrible lie. If the dog had stopped barking, then…”
    Char threw her head back and laughed. “Let’s not blame the dog. Even if the dog had stopped barking, you used that as an excuse to admit all to your mom. And later told me it was a sign from God that you were sinning.”
    Kacey looked away. Just because her friend was totally right didn’t mean she had to actually acknowledge the fact. So what? Yeah, she was a little bit of a prude, but the one time, the one time she had decided in her life to go for it…
    She was royally screwed.
    In more ways than one.
    Kacey let out a large sigh and motioned for Char to pour her a shot. “Regardless, I said yes, and you know how I am with commitment.”
    Char swore. “You’re more loyal than my dog, and he’s blind, meaning he depends on me for everything, including when and where to go pee.”
    “Your encouragement is astonishing.” Kacey smiled sweetly and followed her shot with a large gulp of water. She needed a clear head if she was to adequately plan how the weekend was going to progress. One thing was for sure. Jake couldn’t touch her — he couldn’t put one of his hands on her. If he did, she wasn’t sure if she would be able to say no.
    “…and another thing…”
    Oh gosh! Was Char still talking about her damn dog?
    “If you let him touch you, or kiss you...” She slammed her fist on the table, her eyes slightly glazed over from the tequila. “If one of his perfectly manicured hands even grazes across your bare flesh, I’ll castrate him.”
    Kacey pursed her lips together and nodded. “Thanks, Char. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
    “Me eisher...” Char hiccupped and Kacey motioned for the check. Truly, it’s not every day a friend gets wasted on your behalf. But Kacey knew better too. Char was the truest type of friend. When Kacey cried, Char cried. When Kacey threatened to kill Jake, Char offered to pay for a hit man, and when Kacey finally moved on and only mentioned Jake as the man who shall not be named , Char went ahead and nicknamed him Bastard for her sake.
    If anything, Char was just trying to help, though her methods were a little extreme.
    Kacey laid out a couple of bills on the check and helped her friend out, all the while wondering how she was going to get through the next week without dying.

Chapter Three
    “Are you out of your mind?” Travis yelled. “You blackmailed and then hired Kacey? As in the same Kacey you used to take baths with? That Kacey?”
    Jake wasn’t in the mood to defend himself to his brother. Seriously, why was it such a big deal? So what that he’d called in a favor.