CHAPTER FIVE
“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better
to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”
-Marilyn Monroe
CALEB
What in the hell? I probably looked like a fool, standing at the back of the club with my mouth hanging open. Dante nudged me and my head swung his way. He gave me a what-the-fuck look. I shook my head at him, not wanting to shout an explanation over the music.
Gianna and her crew finished their performance, the DJ flowed into a new track and the crowd transitioned into dancing again. Other places I’d been to hired dancing or singing acts to mix up the club experience. It livened up the crowd when a surprise performance occurred since they always seemed spontaneous. It barely registered with me when Skylar and Nina took off to use the bathroom. I couldn’t see Gianna anymore and was scanning the crowd when Dante yelled over the music, “Hey, man, I’m gonna go talk to Taye!”
“I’ll come with you!” I yelled back, figuring Gianna would be nearby.
We worked our way through the masses and found Taye chatting up a petite brunette. When Dante was done greeting his cousin, I pounced on questioning him. “Hey, Taye, who’s the hot blonde in your crew?”
His expression filled with disapproval. “Don’t even think about it, Caleb. I know you, man. We don’t put up with anyone fucking around with Gigi or Cece.” Huh, Cece must be the Hispanic chick that danced with them.
“Gigi?” Now this would be good. “It’s not like that, Taye. It’s just I’m pretty sure I know her. Where’d she go?”
Taye gave me a skeptical look and pointed over to the dance floor where Gianna was dancing with one of the Hispanic guys from the crew. “She’s over there with Jared.”
My eyes darted over the pair, taking in her smiling up at the guy. So this was Jared. The guy she called when something went wrong. I’d rarely seen her smile and right now she was smiling as if she were high on life. At Jared. I didn’t know why, but the uncomfortable feeling of jealousy coursed through me.
“Yeah, that’s her, Gianna,” I stated when Taye continued to stare at me with wary disapproval.
Finally, and almost reluctantly, Taye said, “Hey, you guys should come to the after party at Jared and Cece’s house.”
“Sure, why not?” I agreed nonchalantly. It would be interesting to see how Gigi handled me invading her group of friends. I’d known Taye for years but he and Dante didn’t hang out much so I’d never met all of Taye’s friends.
A while later Taye rode with us to the after party to show us the way. Nina sat between Dante and Taye in the backseat. Skylar sat up front with me since she was sort of my date for the night. We arrived to the house the party was at and unloaded from the car, with Skylar easing up next to me as we strolled up the walkway.
Urging her in front of me and ignoring the confused look on her pretty face, I let her and the others go in ahead of me and stood back when we entered the living room. There were people dancing in the center of the living room, showing off mostly. Gianna and the other girl from the crew were laughing and doing silly dance moves that mimicked the guys’ serious ones.
Taye called, “Watch out!” and slid into the middle of the group doing a head slide on the hardwood floor. He flipped forward onto his feet to grab the Hispanic girl, Cece, and lift her up in the air.
The girl laughed and whined, “Taaaaaye!” as a giggling Gianna tried to pull her down. While the girls were distracted, Jared snuck up behind Gianna and poured a bottle of water over her head.
Gianna spun around in shock and Jared dashed away. Before Jared could escape through a doorway, Gianna jumped onto his back and they tumbled forward to the floor. Gianna straddled him while his face was to the floor. Triumphant, she declared, “That’s what you get, punk!”
I would’ve never imagined Gianna had this playful side to her personality. Actually, I assumed she was sadly lacking in the personality department. Why did she act so moody at home and school, then here she acted the complete opposite? It was unexpected, for sure.
She hopped up off Jared when he started to get on all fours with the clear intention of getting the best of her. Her gleeful smile faded and her blue eyes shot wide when she locked in on me.
I smirked and said devilishly, “Hello, Gianna.”
GIANNA
Oh. My. God. What was Caleb doing here?
With this thought foremost in my mind, I asked him, “What the fuck are you doing here, Caleb?” At the hostility in my tone, everyone’s eyes focused on us.
Jared confronted Caleb with his arms arrogantly crossed over his chest. “I don’t know you, what are you doing in my house?”
To my surprise, Taye stepped forward. “It’s cool, Jared. He’s a friend of mine.” How did my friend Taye know my infuriating stepbrother? Taye turned to me. “It’s cool that he came, right? I’ve known Caleb forever ‘cause he’s my cousin’s best friend.” What was I to say to that?
“And I’m Gianna’s stepbrother,” Caleb piped in slyly. I guess there went pretending we were nothing to each other.
Jared was confused for a second before his face broke into a welcoming grin. He gave Caleb one of those awkward half hug, pat on the back things guys did. “Dude, nice to meet you. I’m sorry if I was an ass, but you understand. Us guys are always having to watch out for our girl, Gigi. Hey, so you must be the guy who beat down that Josh motherfucker. No one fucks with our Gigi. We’ve been telling her to dump his ass for months. Thanks for jumping in and taking care of it for us.”
“Us?” Caleb raised his eyebrows, all GQ handsome dressed in black pants with a grey t-shirt and black vest. His hair looked like the girl standing next to him, obviously his date, ran her hands through it in a moment of passion. As usual, his mere presence annoyed me. The girl was clinging onto his arm with a starry look in her eyes. Her short purple dress made her look cheap, which was probably Caleb’s usual type.
“Yeah, the crew.” Jared was still conversing with the guy I hoped was a figment of my imagination. “We worry with her up north and us down here. She doesn’t have anyone to watch out for her there.” Please, Jared, just shut up now. He made me sound helpless.
Caleb smiled charmingly and I noticed his subtle move to detach himself from the clinging girl. “No problem, anything for Gigi.” The tilt of his lips turned sarcastic when he aimed his grin my way. I so wasn’t okay with him calling me by my nickname. He’d no doubt turn it into a taunt.
Just great, now Caleb was best buddies with Jared? Someone could just kill me now. I rolled my eyes at them and stomped off to the kitchen to get a drink. Cece came up behind me as I pulled a wine cooler out of the fridge. “Gigi, your stepbrother seems pretty cool, not at all like you described him. Why didn’t you tell me how hot he is?”
“Huh, I didn’t notice,” I remarked dryly. “But I guess he’s hot, if you like the type.” Her disbelieving expression called me out on being a big fat liar. A girl would have to be blind not to take note of what genetic perfection Caleb was.
“So, you think I’m hot?” I spun around and there was Caleb leaning in the doorway, his face smug.
Running a hand over my wet hair, I said coolly, “That’s not exactly what I said.”
“No, but that’s what you meant.” he countered. I opened my mouth to say something else but he interrupted, “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend, Gigi?” He had an assessing glint in his gaze as he scanned Cece’s petite figure.
“Don’t call me Gigi. This is my best friend, Cece. Cece, this is my stepbrother, Caleb.” I gestured back and forth indifferently.
“Caleb! Gigi’s stepbrother!” Cece exclaimed excitedly, pulling a startled Caleb down into a hug. She added, “Welcome to the family!” Clearly caught off balance, his response was amusing.
“The family?” he repeated quizzically.
“Yeah, the gang. We’re each other’s second family. Well, actually, Jared really is my family because he’s my olde
r brother. But then, you’re Gigi’s brother, also.” Sometimes Cece was too friendly for her own good. Sometimes even for my own good.
“Stepbrother,” Caleb corrected her, emphasizing the step part.
Cece waved her hands in the air and said, “Whatever.” As the notes of a new song filtered in from the living room, her face lit up and she danced off. “That’s my song!” Cece, gotta love her.
Caleb watched her leave in puzzlement. His focus turned back to me and I felt weird with him towering over me. He was much too close. “I think we need to have a little talk,” he suggested sternly. Before I could say anything, he grabbed my arm and pulled me out the back door.
Once outside, I shouted, “Let me go, Caleb!” I got ready to struggle, but he immediately released me. Feeling a bit deflated, I rounded on him defiantly. “What do you want?”
Something strange passed over his features, almost like confusion, before it turned into amusement. Disregarding my cutting tone, he crossed his arms over his chest and taunted, “Does your mother know what you’re up to every Saturday? Because I was under the impression she thought you went to ballet during the day and had a slumber party with Cece at night. I don’t think she’d be very happy to find out instead of sleepovers, you’re going to downtown clubs and parties.”
“No, she doesn’t know and you better not tell her!” If he tattled on me, it’d be all out war.
“And why should I keep my mouth shut? I think Julie has a right to know what her daughter is up to.” His mock concern only enraged me more.
Feeling threatened and more than a little panicked, I blurted out, “Because this is all I have! These are my only real friends! The only people who give a shit about me and who I can be myself with! Without this, I will go freaking insane!” To my embarrassment, my voice pleaded. “My mom wouldn’t understand and she definitely wouldn’t approve.” I tried to sound menacing as I finished with, “I won’t let anyone take this away from me.”
To my surprise, the look on his face transformed momentarily, softening. Then just as fast his smug expression was back and he shrugged. “I guess I could be persuaded to keep my mouth shut.”
“Persuaded?” I asked warily.
“Yes, persuaded,” he drawled in a voice I found disturbingly sexy. “Here’s the deal, Gigi. I keep your Saturday secrets and you do what I say the rest of the week.”
“You asshole, I’m not having sex with you!” I practically screamed at him.
He burst out laughing. “Who said anything about sex?” Looking disdainful now, he explained, “Baby, I’ve never had to force or blackmail a girl to have sex with me. I’m not exactly hard up when it comes to getting laid.”
“Pig,” I muttered. The unwelcome image of him in a towel popped into my head and I scowled.
“You got that right,” he agreed unrepentantly. He seemed thoughtful as he continued, “But since you suggested it.”
Before I had time to process what he’d just said, he pulled me into his arms and his lips came crashing down on mine. At first I just stood there, not moving. I was about to push him away when he started nibbling on my lower lip and sucking it. It felt so good I couldn’t help myself. With a groan, I put my hands in his hair and met his enthusiasm.
After a dazed minute, he pulled back. “Like I said, never had to force or blackmail a girl.”
I was pissed off by his trick and belatedly pushed him away. “You jerk! I would die before I ever had sex with you! And that kiss sucked!” I slapped him on the chest as a final insult and walked back inside. His mocking laughter followed me into the house.
CALEB
I thought I was lucky before. Now, I not only got to live in the same house as the hottest chick ever, but she had to do whatever I said. My own personal pretty little slave. Life was good and so was that kiss. It promised to be one of the more enjoyable kisses I’d experienced. This new game would at least alleviate the boredom of suburbia.