Beer Goggles Anthology Read online

  Corbin and Clayton seemed to be laughing harder than any of them. I am positive it was related to the fact that neither of them needed the bathroom that morning; they just didn’t want to share with Red.

  The way Elijah was looking at me told me I was only poking the sleeping bear. I was giving him more reason to target me. I should have stopped, but it was too much fun.

  “Miss Frankie helped ya out though,” I said, hiding my “I won” smirk.

  Frankie Lester was our forty-nine-year-old housekeeper. And she had a thing for Red. I think it was the hair.

  I chuckled, remembering the time I found her combing her fingers through it while he was sleeping in the chair. No one else was around as I peeked around the corner, watching the way her eyes lit up each time she stroked his head.

  “She was more than happy to get the acetone and treat your problem,” I said, slouching back in my chair.

  Elijah’s cheeks reddened and I was sure it wasn’t just due to embarrassment. The guy was getting pissed.

  That day we all stood around laughing and dodging swings from Elijah while Miss Frankie rubbed acetone on his ass with her fingers. She insisted she had to work it slowly to refrain from scarring his ass.

  The lady was practically foaming at the mouth.

  I had a feeling I just set myself up for a night of hell. The look in Red’s eyes was all the reassurance I needed. I knew he was already thinking up some form of revenge.

  But I couldn’t let him see me sweat.

  I’d just stay one step ahead of the game.

  Chapter Two

  Morgan

  I worked too much.

  I knew this.

  I was nineteen, living on my own. Paying my own way through college, the small amount of classes I could afford anyway. I knew at this rate it would take me twice as long to get a degree, but in the end it would be worth it.

  I had watched my family struggle for far too long.

  My father worked double shifts to make ends meet, and my mother stayed home with my brother, Toby.

  My little brother required a lot of attention and a lot of therapy.

  Which also required a lot of money.

  Toby has cerebral palsy, which gave him a lifetime of struggles.

  He was bound to a wheelchair and though to some he may appear as if everyday life had no effect on him, I could assure them he was well aware. Things bother him, and he knows he is different, even though none of us who love him treat him as such. He is our special guy, who, on most days, was a happy, sweet boy.

  And even when he wasn’t, we loved him just as hard to show him that no matter what, we would always be on his team.

  To me, asking my parents for help was like taking from him. And I’d never do that.

  So working hard, forcing myself to be a grown-up when everyone around me was being a typical nineteen year old college student, was mandatory.

  But tonight I was letting go of the mature side.

  I was letting my hair down, wearing something hot, and attending my very first fraternity party.

  It took convincing, and a lot of nagging from my best friend Marcus, but I went for it.

  I just hoped I didn’t embarrass myself too much.

  Did I mention I hate parties?

  Drunk guys, even drunker girls, hanging all over one another, their morals going right out the window as they practically dry humped each other in front of an entire room of onlookers. I shivered at the thought.

  The smell of booze and sweat as the bodies of college students crammed themselves into one house.

  Loud thumping music, and those girls who took the center of the room and made it their own personal stage. They annoyed the hell out of me.

  Attention whores, that’s what they were. Those women who felt like they had to have all eyes on them.

  Have you ever wanted to toss a bag of marbles to the floor at someone’s feet and keep walking? Or even thumbtacks?

  I have; I’ve even envisioned it in my mind. And smiled too, as I pictured them falling to the floor, squealing like baby pigs. Arms and legs flying out in all directions, their asses making contact with the floor in loud thuds.

  Bet that would get the attention of the entire room.

  I chuckled to myself as I shuffled through the shoes in my closet, looking for my other suede boot.

  “What the hell are you giggling about in there?” I heard Marcus ask behind me. I didn’t even take the time to turn around to face him. I continued my search for that one boot I felt would complete my outfit.

  “Oh nothing,” I said over my shoulder just as I spotted the light brown braided suede.

  “Have you started drinking early?” he asked as he backed away when I spun around to face him. I’m sure I was wearing a crazed look on my face, overjoyed that I found the treasure I was seeking.

  Holding my boot out I shook it, expressing my excitement and he crinkled up his eyes in confusion. “Or have you moved on to other highs I’m unaware of?”

  “Okay, smart ass, if you must know I was imagining torture tactics for the bimbos at these stupid-ass parties.” I sat down on the edge of my bed and lifted my leg up, paying little attention to the fact that I had a skirt on. Marcus had no interest in me, or any other woman for that matter.

  “Bimbos?” he asked as he leaned back against my dresser and crossed his arms over his chest. Which only made the muscles in his arms flex.

  Had Marcus not been batting for the other team I would so rough his feathers in the best kind of way.

  Did I mention my best friend was hot? Like super-hot.

  “You know,” I continued, shaking off the thought of molesting my best friend. “Those cheeky girls who drive me insane.”

  “Most girls drive you insane,” he corrected.

  I tried to look offended, but it was true. “True,” I said with a smile.

  Women were catty and judgmental, and I did my best to avoid any close friendships with someone of the same sex. They were jealous and I found it hard to relate to other women.

  I didn’t complain.

  I sure as hell didn’t look for someone to pamper me or baby me. That kind of shit drove me crazy.

  I was a girl who knew what she wanted. And damn it, I wasn’t the type to sit around and gossip about it later. If I had something to say I would tell that person, not everyone else around them.

  “That’s why I love you, Marcus. You don’t whine, and you don’t expect me to be all sweet and understanding.” I shrugged. “I can be a bitch and you don’t judge me for it.”

  “That’s because I can be a bitch too,” he added as he pushed off my dresser and walked toward the door. “You need to hurry, by the way. Toby’s waiting for us to bring him his ice cream.”

  He walked out, leaving me with a smile on my face.

  Marcus had been my best friend since I was nine. He moved in next door to me, and most kids teased him from the start instead of befriending him. Kids can be assholes sometimes. They refused to give him a chance to fit in. So instead of going along with the rest of the kids, I distanced myself. And spent all my time with Marcus.

  In turn he became part of my family and I his.

  He loved my brother like his own and every Saturday he made sure we brought Toby his favorite Oreo cookie ice cream.

  Marcus was a bad ass.

  Chapter Three

  Xavier

  “Jay,” I hollered as I rushed toward him. “What the hell are you doing?”

  He was hanging half over the balcony that overlooked the living room below, a disco ball dangling from his hand as he attempted to hook it onto the chandelier that hung from the ceiling.

  “I need to…” he started to say as he stretched a little further, “…just hook this right here.”

  On instinct, I grabbed his legs as he stretched.

  “No, dumbass, the only thing you’re gonna do is fall off the balcony and break your neck,” I told him.

  I refused to let go of his legs.<
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  “Got it,” he said, his body finally sagging back toward mine. This quick unexpected movement only caused me to stumble and in the process he fell in the same direction.

  When I hit what felt like a brick wall behind me, I looked back over my shoulder. And of course it was Elijah, standing with his arms crossed, watching us with his eyebrow cocked in question.

  “Do the two of you need some alone time?” he asked, his eyes focused solely on me.

  Yep, I definitely pissed him off with the earlier mention of Miss Frankie. I should have been scared, but I wasn’t. Call me an idiot, and yeah—I knew I was a glutton for punishment—but I loved getting under his skin. It was sometimes the best part of my day.

  “No, we don’t, but Frankie is downstairs and she’s been asking about you,” I told him as I righted myself after practically falling into his arms. “She said something about some amazing ointment she found for scarring. I think she wants to play with your ass a little more. Massage it in nice and slow.” I wagged my eyebrows and I swear the guy growled.

  “How about I kick your ass?” He sneered.

  I tried not to smile but damn it, it was just too hard. And the moment I did, I had no time to run. I guess I should have planned better, considering I had a balcony behind me and a wall of muscle before me.

  There were only two directions I could go.

  I should have chosen the balcony.

  I’m not a small guy, but in comparison to Red I was only half his size.

  Within seconds I was lifted and tossed over his shoulder. I should have been trying to get away but all I could do was laugh.

  The curious, puzzled looks I got as he barreled down the stairs, through the house, and out the back door made it even harder not to laugh.

  “Dude, come on, I was just playing.” I tried to backpedal a bit. But honestly, I wasn’t sorry in the least. “I just know how much Miss Frankie loves that ass of yours.”

  Red said nothing. He just lifted me once again and this time he tossed my ass in the pool.

  I came up sputtering and choking because I was a dumbass who didn’t stop laughing once I hit the water.

  An audience of all my brothers had gathered to take in my current predicament.

  “Shut the fuck up about my ass and Miss Frankie,” Elijah said in a pissed off tone.

  “I didn’t realize you were so sensitive about her.” I smirked, knowing that I really should stop, but being who I am I just couldn’t. “Defending your girl is completely normal.”

  “Xavier,” Red growled, his nostrils flaring. He no longer stood with his arms crossed but instead took on the attack stance we’d all come to expect from Elijah. “Keep this shit up and Isaac is gonna have to call home and tell Mommy and Daddy that I killed their prick of a son.”

  “But then you’d be locked up for murder and unable to see your woman,” I added as I moved toward the opposite side of the pool. He took a step closer. “Wait,” I said, holding up my hand, widening my smile. “Conjugal visits,” I added with a nod. “That’s what you’re shooting for. Hot.”

  A deep, rumbling, displeased growl erupted from Red and echoed across the back yard. Just before he dove in the pool and I scrambled to the opposite side to escape his wrath.

  “Your time’s coming, asshole,” he yelled as I hurried across the backyard toward the house.

  “I’m not saving you when he decides to gain his revenge,” Isaac assured me as I moved past him, leaving a trail of puddled water behind me. “You’re on your own.”

  Lifting my hand in the air, I offered a “whatever” kind of wave. “I don’t need help, I got this.”

  But on the inside I was starting to think maybe I had pushed Red a little too far. The idea of being drunk in his presence tonight was asking for all kinds of crazy shit to take place.

  Chapter Four

  Morgan

  Toby lit up with delight the moment Marcus handed him his freshly scooped bowl of ice cream.

  No one cared that he leaned in and put his face directly in the bowl, opting out of waiting for a spoon. Instead we laughed as did he when he lifted his head to show off his new self-made mask.

  “Isn’t that cold?” I asked him.

  His grin was wide and mischievous as he shook his head and did it all over again.

  By now my mom was used to his unpredictable ways; she no longer batted an eye. Instead, she simply laid the rubber-gripped spoon beside Toby’s bowl and ignored the fact that he showed no signs of grabbing it.

  “Do you two have big plans for the night?” she asked as she took a seat in the only chair still left at the table.

  She looked tired, and for a moment I just looked at her. I wished there was something I could do for her. A way I could relieve just a small amount of the heaping stress both she and my father felt.

  “I’m forcing your daughter to go out tonight,” Marcus stated, causing me to focus on the present instead of being lost in wishful thinking. “She hasn’t had a free night since she started working at the Sub Shop and I’m making her take advantage of it.”

  He seemed pleased with himself.

  “Yeah, by making me go to some college party,” I said, wrinkling my nose and making my mother laugh.

  “Marcus.” She fought the smile I knew she wanted to share and tried to maintain that motherly expression she used often. Marcus was like one of her own. “I think we both know that Morgan hates parties. Do you plan to babysit this evening?”

  “Yes,” he said without hesitation. “I fully intend on making sure that no one gets in her way. But I do, however, think she needs to relax a bit. We both know that stick up her ass cannot be comfortable.”

  At that point my mother had no hope of hiding her smile any longer. I narrowed my eyes at the both of them and had a flash of I’ll show them stick up my ass moment.

  “You two are awful,” I said as I leaned over toward Toby. “Do you think I’m difficult?” I asked him and he took a small break from his ice cream to nod his head, agreeing with the other two.

  “Toby,” I said, trying to act offended. “I thought you were on my side.”

  He laughed, Marcus chuckled, and my mother sat back with humor in her eyes. It looked good on her.

  And in that moment I made a mental note to set aside a girls’ day she and I could share.

  Marcus could sit with Toby if my father was at work. I knew he would.

  We drove by the house where the party was first. A slow pass, just to get a feel for what was to come.

  The front porch held entirely too many people as they stood sandwiched together. Laughing, talking, and some—well let’s just say they needed to take it inside. Preferably behind a secure door that hid their goodies from the rest of the world.

  “You ready to have some fun?” Marcus asked, pulling my attention away from the house and back to him.

  He chuckled and it was then I realized I was sneering in disgust.

  “Does one ever get ready for that?” I asked, pointing over my shoulder back toward the house. “I mean come on, doesn’t a nice quiet movie sound better than…” I waved my hand, unable to think of a proper word for what was going on behind me.

  “You are such a prude,” he said, shaking his head as he proceeded to look for a parking space.

  “No, I just have an allergic reaction to dumbasses,” I said in defense. “And something tells me there are a whole lot of those—in there.”

  Again I pointed over my shoulder.

  He didn’t answer me. He didn’t try to fire back with any type of smartass remark. Instead, he simply parked the car and pulled the keys from the ignition.

  I sat in shock as he climbed from the car, shut his door and began walking across the street, leaving me behind.

  “Hey,” I hollered out as I opened my door.

  But he didn’t stop.

  “Asshole,” I yelled a little louder and about five guys turned to look in my direction.

  Yep, let’s party.

 
A party full of men who responded to someone yelling asshole. Oh the possibilities.

  I shivered at the thought of what my night would entail.

  Sluggishly I climbed out of the car and jogged across the street to catch up with Marcus. When I reached him I tucked my arm through his and he leaned into my body. “Promise me you’ll have a little fun,” he said as he led me up the porch. I ignored the curious stares of those around us as I focused on placing one foot in front of the other. “You never just let go, and you need to every once in a while. Otherwise you’ll be a dried up ol’ bitch with no friends later in life.”

  “Nice analogy.” I rolled my eyes as we stepped inside.

  “I’m not kidding; just let loose and be a young adult for once. I know shit’s rough. And I know you have a lot of things to stress over, but for tonight can you just relax? Forget all the garbage and just act your age for one night.”

  I looked up and could see that he was being completely serious.

  Marcus and I joked around a lot. But this was definitely one of those times he was not playing.

  “Okay,” I said, bumping my hip against his. “I’ll have fun.”

  “Promise?” he asked with a questioning stare.

  “Yes,” I said, before suddenly stiffening and moving in closer to him. As if to seek shelter from my current position. “I’ll attempt to ignore the fact that right now, there is a hand on my ass that shouldn’t be there,” I said through gritted teeth.

  Marcus looked over my shoulder and I saw that he was fighting against a grin.

  “Have you ever imagined what it would be like to be with another girl?” he asked and my eyes widened a little further as the hand squeezed my ass and another began to snake around my waist.

  “Make it stop.” I glared at him. “Or so help me God, Marcus, I will turn around right now and…” I was cut off when he jerked my body forward and moved me across the room, far, far away from Miss Grabby.