Read Online Cocktails & Dreams by Autumn Markus - Free Book Online Page B

the sort; he loved his free days too much. Leisa, though, had some sort of funky vaginal hypnosis thingy going on that had Jena’s formerly self-centered and lazy roommate doing amazing things. Like “cleaning up his pigsty,” “calling his mother,” and “being nice to Jena.” It was scary.
    “I have some paperwork to do,” Jena hedged, but stopped when she saw the stink eye. No one flung that around like Leisa; it made you want to check your entire body to see where the dog crap was splattered. “But I guess I can do that on Sunday.” Jena sighed and turned toward Nicholas. “What time and where?” She spotted Travis on his way over, still looking down at Nicholas’s chart.
    “Hey, Jen. Forget our deal. I’m bushed. Still want to pick up some Thai?” Travis looked up, startled to see Nicholas still standing with Jena and Leisa. “Oh…hey. Sorry, I didn’t see you there, Nicholas.”
    Nicholas looked between Jena and Travis, a slight frown drawing his eyebrows down. “You two are…?” He gestured back and forth between them.
    “Not if he wants to keep his nuts,” Leisa said, slipping her arm around Travis’s waist. “Jena and Trav are just roommates. No benefits.” Nicholas’s brow cleared, and he smiled. “Travis, sugar,” Leisa wheedled. “Jena and I are going to help our old friend Nicholas unpack tomorrow. I know you’ll want to help us, too, right?”
    Now, ordinarily an assumption like that would be ludicrous. Travis did only what was strictly necessary or pleasurable, or sometimes funny. Leisa’s pussy-mojo was strong, though, and Jena saw Trav’s eyes glaze over when he looked down at his girlfriend.
    “Sure,” he murmured dreamily. “When?”
    Nicholas looked at Jena with raised eyebrows, and Jena shrugged. “You’re the boss, Cooper. Give us our orders.”
    After a quick exchange of phone numbers and Nicholas’s address, he said goodbye and headed out, looking back to wave when he got to the door.
    Jena thumped her head on the desk, trying for that concussion again. “ Do not say a word. Either one of you. I mean it.”
    Jena stalked into the dressing room to change into her street clothes, taking her time brushing out her hair and carefully not looking in the mirror. She hadn’t felt this insignificant in years, but now Jena felt exactly like the insecure freshman she had been when she first met Nicholas. So much for the self-confidence of age.
    When she finally judged that Leisa and Travis had been standing out there long enough to have gotten irritated and leave, she stepped out of the locker room.
    She judged wrong. They were still standing where Jena had left them, Leisa browbeating Travis in hissing whispers.
    “What’s up, guys?” Jena asked tiredly. “I thought you had plans tonight.”
    Travis wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently. “We do. We’re getting Thai with you, watching Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back , and drinking Captain and Coke until someone passes out.”
    Jena’s eyes wanted to tear up. The sacred shitty day ritual lived. “Thanks, Travis.” Jena squeezed his waist and elbowed her friend. “And Leisa.”
    After that, Jena’s evening passed well, aside from one small blip when, after a fifth of the Captain, an encore showing of Clerks , and several choruses of Morris Day and the Time songs, Leisa finally got up her courage to mention Jena’s humiliation. “You know, Jena, maybe you should remind Nicholas. You could—”
    Jena cut her off. “Cement my sterling reputation as his most forgettable fuck? Not a chance. And let us never speak of it again.” Jena tossed that ole stink eye right back at Leisa, and it must have had some effect because Leisa eventually nodded and let the topic drop. Eventually, once Leisa puked and passed out, and Jena could finally drop into bed with some hope of sleeping through the night.
    Fat chance.
    She spent the night in sweaty dreams of sapphire eyes, long fingers, and positions she